This French Life

Emmanuel Macron might have accidentally triggered another May '68

Source: EPA

By Elizabeth Benjamin, Coventry University

As France marks the 50th anniversary of the revolts of May 1968, Emmanuel Macron might get more than he bargained for. Instead of celebrating the occasion, the French president appears to be inadvertently recreating it. He has proposed a controversial higher education reform at a particularly inopportune moment, sparking major protests.

May ’68 had a significant impact on French society, politics and culture. Beginning with student protests, civil unrest soon spread and took on a philosophical dimension, touching every social milieu. Today these events have become a globally recognised myth of French culture and social change.

Macron, who has barely completed his first year in power, designated the anniversary an opportunity for France to “come out of the ‘morose’ ways in which the events that contributed to the modernisation of French society are discussed”. For years, this period in French history was talked about in a negative way, and blamed for France’s ongoing social ills, including by former presidents. Contradictions of aims and demands at the time (clear on the part of the workers, vague and mixed on the part of the students) made May ‘68 a messy affair. Opinions in its wake have been so divided that memory of it is often distorted.

Five deaths in a week, 19 already this year, on Dordogne roads

WITH five deaths in a week, and 19 since the turn of the year, the Dordogne authorities are warning drivers to take care on the roads and stressing that gendarmes will be out on patrol.

A series of accidents in the past few days has prompted the préfète of the Dordogne, Anne-Gaëlle Baudouin Clerc, to advise people to take responsibility on the roads and that during this period of public holidays gendarmes will out on the roadside. (photo SDIS 24)

Far more Britons live in Europe than government statistics suggest

Image by Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock.com

By Karen O’Reilly, Goldsmiths, University of London

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) has recently produced estimates of the number of British citizens living in the European Union (EU). The numbers, apparently, have declined from 1.22m prior to 2017, to “around 900,000” (Jan 2017), and more latterly to 784,900 (April 2018).

Meanwhile, our research has revealed that most informed commentators (academics, local government officials, consular offices, and others who work with the British abroad) understand numbers to have changed little since 2008, and that the correct, conservative, estimate is closer to 1.8m.

So, what is going on? Where do these estimates come from? And why does the drop matter?

According to the ONS, its estimates, which are reproduced widely by campaign and interest groups, academics, politicians and journalists, are published “in response to an increased user need for data about the people who may be most likely to be affected by the UK’s decision to leave the EU”. The ONS argues that the heretofore trusted United Nations data (source of the 1.22m estimate) are unreliable “high-level estimates” based on extrapolating out from census data. The ONS said in 2017 that it prefers to use “more detailed census data”, leading to the first, inadequately explained, reduction to 900,000.

Pine processionary caterpillars out and about

IF you have seen white, candyfloss like webs high in pine trees, keep a watchful eye on the ground for the pine processionary caterpillar.

It is at this time of year that the caterpillars head to woodland floors in search of a place to pupate and it is when you will see the characteristic long lines as they follow each other nose to tail.

And while that is a view of nature to behold, the Pine processionary caterpillar has a horrible 'feature', the small hairs on its back are poisonous and can be a terrible irritant if touched.

But cats and dogs are particularly at risk as the fine hairs can become embedded in the mouth, or stomach, and if not spotted quickly and dealt with by a vet, can prove fatal.

Beyond keeping your pets close to heel, there is little you can do to keep the caterpillars at bay. Professionals will use blow torch apparatus to burn the insects, but the trees in a small area will play host to hundreds of nests.

So just keep an eye out between now and May for the Pine processionary caterpillar, stay clear of pine trees if you are worried, and let the beasties progress on their way.

Fail to pick up after your dog on the streets of Périgueux could see you face a fine

BE warned, if you take your dog for a walk on the streets of Périgueux and fail to pick up its poo then you face a fine of 68 euros.

The local council has had enough of cleaning the streets, with highways staff picking up around 100 kg of poo each day and it costing €100,000 a year to deal with.

The mairie in Périgueux will provide small plastics sacks to pet owners so they can pick up after their dogs, otherwise if you fail to do so then you will have to pay a 30 euro fine and a 38 euro legal cost.

More than 200 town centres across France to get cash help

BOTH Périgueux and Bergerac are set to share a five billion euro pot alongside more than 200 other towns as part of the Action cœur de ville project launched by the government.

The project is designed to improve accommodation and commerce options in town centres, with the money made available over five years, as different groups both public and private come together.

Almost a quarter of the French population live in small and medium sized towns, with the minister responsible for the project, Jacques Mézard, saying town centres play a key role in the life of French regions.

Alongside improving accommodation and energy use in buildings, the plan aims to provide a balance in the mix of retail stores and sizes as well as improve employment options, travel plans and access to public spaces and services.

Dordogne gendarmerie in Périgueux invites public to remember Arnaud Beltrame

THE headquarters of the Dordogne gendarmes will be open to the public this Wednesday as it hosts a ceremony of remembrance for Lieutenant-colonel Arnaud Beltrame, who died last Friday in the hostage situation in Trèbes, near Carcassonne.

Wednesday will also see a special ceremony in Paris, undertaken by President Macron and parliamentarians at les Invalides in Paris, remembering Arnaud Beltrame and the others who died.

The Dordogne gendarmerie in Périgueux (Caserne Clech, 58 Boulevard Bertran de Born) will welcome the general public on Wednesday from 09h30 and then a ceremony will take place starting at 10h.

The commander of the gendarmerie of the Dordogne will be present, as well as the préfète of the département.

A snowy start for many in the Dordogne

MANY people in the Dordogne will have woken this morning to a centimetre or two of snow, as winter takes a bite before its time is up.

Here in Loubéjac the snow began falling late evening and by the morning a still, white blanket covered the ground, with few people out and about.

Temperatures are expected to stay around freezing for the rest of today and tomorrow, so the gritters have been out on the main roads (marked yellow on the map) although by the weekend rain is forecast to return.

French public holidays 2018

FRENCH public holidays for 2018 are set to favour the workers over the bosses as many days off take place close to the weekend this year.

One advantage of the long weekends is that they should help boost tourism numbers especially if the weather plays nice and the sun shines.

It is also important to remember that businesses and many public offices will be closed on these days, so it will be important to plan ahead.

The public holidays in France are:

New Year on Monday January 1

Easter Monday on Monday April 2

Fête du Travail on Tuesday May 1

1945 Armistice on Tuesday May 8

Ascension on Thursday May 10

Pentecôte Monday on Monday May 21

Fête Nationale (Bastille Day) on Saturday July 14

Assomption on Wednesday August 15

Toussaint on Thursday November 1

1918 Armistice on Sunday November 11

Christmas Day on Tuesday December 25.

Plans outlined to provide full addresses for all in the Dordogne

THE Dordogne authorities are to press local mayors to give a full address to homes and properties to help the emergency services and la poste locate buildings.

France Bleu Périgord reports that many corners of the Dordogne do not have a full address of a number and a name for the road, with the conseil départemental saying they will help local mairies with the project.

Besides the emergency services and la poste requiring addresses, more and more services such as internet access and even apps on mobile phones require detailed locations to work correctly.

Some areas of the Dordogne have already undertaken naming projects, often using the lieu-dit or other local names as the basis of a new a address, with finances made available to pay for road signs.