The Talking France podcast is back, discussing naughty French politicians and France’s impressive rail record, plus the rules on naming a baby and whether foreigners should attempt swearing in French.
Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local’s Emma Pearson, Genevieve Mansfield and John Lichfield to discuss all the latest news and talking points from France.
We begin with politicians falling foul of the law – this week former prime minister François Fillon was sentenced over a ‘fake jobs’ case while ex president Nicolas Sarkozy was stripped of his Légion d’honneur due to his own criminal convictions. Meanwhile there was another legal setback for Marine Le Pen after her embezzlement conviction.
We also ask John – are French politicians particularly corrupt, or is France just better at tackling corruption in high places?
In a very different legal proceeding this week, a judge in the family court allowed parents to name their daughter Elizabeth Taylor, a request that had initially been blocked due to French rules on baby names.
As the summer holidays begin many French people will be taking the country’s impressive train network – so we’re looking at how France got so good at high-speed rail, and how it manages to keep building costs down.
Speaking of rail links, there’s also going to be a new one between Paris and its major airport – although this one is a bit controversial.
And finally, should foreigners attempt French swearing? We hear the views of readers of The Local, and a French language expert, on when it’s OK to get explicit when speaking French – with reference to this classic sketch.
