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2. The €16 million French château scam and why 2027 could be a ‘scary’ year in France?
29:23||Season 22, Ep. 2This week we’ll find out why France might be about to ditch rent controls in cities including the capital Paris, how foreigners in France have been hit by outages to key French admin websites, the latest on the marathon race to become the next French president and what Emmanuel Macron has been doing with all his spare time these days.Plus we’ll bring you the story of a 16 million euro French chateau scam involving two British suspects and whilst we are there we’ll explain why France has so many chateaux in the first place.And saying sorry is something we all must do in life at times whether it’s after going through a red light on a bike, dropping a tray of drinks on a colleague or perhaps reversing into an elderly couple’s car. Well we’ll explain how to apologise in French - because let’s face it, you will need to at some point.Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France’s Emma Pearson and Emma Albright, plus our politics expert John Lichfield and special guest - journalist Katy Wright.
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1. France's new anti-mosquito measures and where the French go for good food
27:13||Season 22, Ep. 1This week we’ll hear about how France is under siege from mosquitoes and the new and old ways being used to fight back - including what you can do to keep them out of your garden.We’ll also find out about the parts in France where drivers caught using the mobile phones at the wheel will face stiff new punishments and hear about the parts of the country the French head to if they want good food.We’ll also get the latest on the 2027 French presidential race and get some French language tips for how to respond when someone thanks you.I’m Ben McPartland and I’ll be joined by The Local France’s Emma Pearson, Emma Albright and politics expert John Lichfield.7. France takes on Musk and will French airports run out of jet fuel this summer?
36:53||Season 21, Ep. 7On this week’s show we’ll find out why a story involving French prosecutors, a rabbit and the US tech billionaire and far right crusader Elon Musk made headlines in France.We’ll also find out why the rules for driving cars in cities and towns across France look set for a dramatic change and whether the country’s most notorious ring road could be transformed from one of the most polluted spots in France into an urban green paradise.And as the Middle East crisis continues and fears grow in Europe about jet fuel supplies we’ll look at the chances of flights to France being scrapped this summer. And what about if you want to take the train instead? Will you be able to book the trip?And stay to the end to find out how the French talk about their hangovers. You’ll certainly learn a handy phrase or two.Host Ben McPartland is joined by our two brainiacs Emma Pearson and Emma Albright plus our French politics wizard John Lichfield.6. France to lose 1.7million children and far right photoshoot causes stir
36:49||Season 21, Ep. 6In this week's show we'll find out why the rules around France's sacred May 1st public holiday have sparked a political row to the point where some lawmakers have accused the government ministers of - quote - "pissing all over us". We'll also hear why arguably France's most unique region wants independence, why pictures of far-right presidential favourite Jordan Bardella and his new girlfriend have caused a stir and why France is set to lose 1.7 million children over the next decade.Plus this week Talking France will have a hairy ending, so be sure to stay with us.Host Ben McPartland will be joined by The Local France's Emma Pearson, Emma Albright and John Lichfield.5. French tax traps you need to avoid and why Paris is divided in two
36:24||Season 21, Ep. 5This week we'll find out whether France is running out of fuel or not and get the latest on how expensive it is to fill up your tank here.We'll hear about a cautionary tale of how the French tax man caught an apparent 'non-resident' because of all the take away meals he was ordering in France.And we'll alert you to a few more tax traps you want to avoid in France during declaration season.We'll also discuss the new plan to cut waiting times for residency cards, why one part of France doesn't have motorway tolls, the latest on the EU's new biometric border checks at French ports and why there's still a clear east west divide in Paris.Host Ben McPartland is joined by the team at The Local France Emma Pearson, Emma Albright and our politics expert John Lichfield.4. Oil crisis fuels French anger and is France sleepwalking into a far-right presidency?
32:44||Season 21, Ep. 4On this week’s show we’ll find out how the war in the Middle East is impacting life in France as fuel prices rise and protests kick off around the country.What can the government do to ease the crisis?With the local elections out of the way France’s next election race has begun. It’s the big one - we’ll get the lowdown on the lineup for the 2027 Presidential Election and whether we can already call a winner.Excitement levels have gone through the roof in France this week and it’s all to do with Celine Dion. Why does the Canadian singer cause such a frenzy here?And we’ll discuss the best and the worst, most ridiculous, most babyish ways to say hello in French. If you want to know why I’m getting a bit irate, stay with us until the end.Host Ben McPartland is joined by the team at The Local France: Emma Pearson, Emma Albright and politics expert John Lichfield.3. The verdict on what the local election results mean for France
21:08||Season 21, Ep. 3We are out earlier than usual this week in order to bring you the results and analysis of the 2026 French local elections.The definitive second round vote was held on Sunday in thousands of communes across France, from tiny rural villages to the big urban centres like Lyon, Marseille and Paris.Over the next 20 minutes or so we'll bring you all the key takeaways from the main battle grounds, get some snap analysis from our politics expert and look ahead to what happens next.Host Ben McPartland is joined by the team at The Local France - Emma Pearson, Emma Albright and John Lichfield.