On 22nd January, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel signed a treaty of friendship in the German city of Aachen (Aix la Chapelle). This was exactly 56 years after the Elysée Treaty of 1963, which marked the end of Franco-German animosity and began a new era of mutual support and friendship. This […]
Gilets Jaunes Protests: What’s Happening?
Riots instigated by the so-called “Gilets Jaunes” (yellow vests) in Paris won’t have failed to attract considerable attention recently; they’ve almost consistently been in daily headlines for nearly three weeks. Images circulating on the internet and television show a Paris that hasn’t been seen for a while: smoke-filled crowds, disintegrated cars, the Champs Elysées practically […]
The Paris Agreement – where is it now?
There’s no doubt that climate change is a hot topic now, and hearing about the recent COP23 environmental conference in Bonn, Germany, got me thinking. There’s also a lot going around on social media too, warning of the dangers that the effects of climate change are having on the environment, animals and humans too. What […]
Christmas – The Parisian Way
There’s no doubt about it, Paris is certainly one of the places to be around Christmastime. Though Christmas lights are turned on slightly later than on the other side of the Channel, Christmas spirit is still in the air. I feel rather lucky to be here at this time of year, and it gives me […]
France’s state of emergency- the new normal?
Earlier this year, French president Emmanuel Macron announced that the state of emergency would be extended to the 1st November 2017, and as the latest lapse of the regime is being renewed, has this really become the “new normal”? Firstly, a little bit of context. The state of emergency was introduced in France as far […]