PODCAST: Why fewer foreigners are becoming French and how to fix France's second home quandary?
PODCAST: Why fewer foreigners are becoming French and how to fix France's second home quandary?
Welcome back to Talking France - this week's podcast covers a new scheme on a French island offering thousands of euros for second home owners, plus we look at why the French burn down speed cameras and how to sound like a local using animals.
www.thelocal.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:01 AM
PODCAST: Why fewer foreigners are becoming French and how to fix France's second home quandary?
What jurisdiction do French courts have over people outside France?
What jurisdiction do French courts have over people outside France?
It's not uncommon for French prosecutors to launch investigations into people or businesses - but what jurisdiction do French courts have over those outside France?
www.thelocal.com
February 3, 2026 at 11:34 AM
What jurisdiction do French courts have over people outside France?
French cybercrime authorities search X offices in Paris
French cybercrime authorities search X offices in Paris
French cybercrime authorities were on Tuesday carrying out a search of the French offices of X (formerly Twitter), the Paris public prosecutor's office has announced.
www.thelocal.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:55 AM
French cybercrime authorities search X offices in Paris
OPINION: TV anchor's child sex conviction reveals hypocrisy of French right-wingers
OPINION: TV anchor's child sex conviction reveals hypocrisy of French right-wingers
Hypocrisy knows no political boundaries - writes John Lichfield - it can occur on the Left, on the Right and in the Centre. France is currently witnessing a particularly extreme and puzzling case of hypocrisy on the moralising, hard Right.
www.thelocal.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:10 AM
OPINION: TV anchor's child sex conviction reveals hypocrisy of French right-wingers
Is Paris really going to ban second homes?
Is Paris really going to ban second homes?
The city of Paris has been introducing more stringent measures against second homes, in an attempt to ease the capital's housing shortage, but will it really go as far as banning them altogether?
www.thelocal.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:34 AM
Is Paris really going to ban second homes?
What drivers in Austria must do this winter to stay safe and avoid expensive fines
What drivers in Austria must do this winter to stay safe and avoid expensive fines
From frozen windows to ski boot rules, drivers in Austria need to follow the guidelines to stay safe over winter and avoid fines.
www.thelocal.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:35 AM
What drivers in Austria must do this winter to stay safe and avoid expensive fines
Inside Austria: Semesterferien and why they can be a nightmare for working parents
Inside Austria: Semesterferien and why they can be a nightmare for working parents
Austria’s Semesterferien are not a public holiday, but the country still feels different for a week in February. For working parents, especially foreign residents without family help, it can be a logistical hell, writes The Local Austria's Amanda Previdelli
www.thelocal.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:31 AM
Inside Austria: Semesterferien and why they can be a nightmare for working parents
What Austria’s new lower VAT on food could mean for your shopping bill
What Austria’s new lower VAT on food could mean for your shopping bill
Austria will cut VAT on selected staple foods to 4.9 percent from July 1st, aiming to ease household costs. Here's what's getting cheaper (and what will still be expensive).
www.thelocal.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:31 AM
What Austria’s new lower VAT on food could mean for your shopping bill
French actor sells used tissue for €100,000
French actor sells used tissue for €100,000
A used tissue put up for auction by the French actor Pierre Niney has attracted bids rising to €100,000, which the actor says will be donated to charity.
www.thelocal.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:14 AM
French actor sells used tissue for €100,000
French hospital treats man with WWI shell up his rectum
French hospital treats man with WWI shell up his rectum
Bomb disposal experts had to be called to a hospital in south-west France on Sunday after a patient arrived with a WWI shell lodged in his rectum.
www.thelocal.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:45 AM
French hospital treats man with WWI shell up his rectum
Inside France: Family-friendly France, American tech boycott and Minitel
Inside France: Family-friendly France, American tech boycott and Minitel
From the ongoing game of musical chairs that is French politics right now to the move to replace American tech with French products, via France's family-friendly reputation, Inside France is our weekly look at the latest news and talking points from France.
www.thelocal.com
January 31, 2026 at 9:06 AM
Inside France: Family-friendly France, American tech boycott and Minitel
EU delays full rollout of EES border system over travel chaos concerns
EU delays full rollout of EES border system over travel chaos concerns
The deadline for the full implementation of the Europe's Entry/Exit System (EES), the new EU digital border system, has been postponed from April to September amid concerns over travel disruptions during the summer season, a European Commission spokesperson said on Friday.
www.thelocal.com
January 31, 2026 at 9:01 AM
EU delays full rollout of EES border system over travel chaos concerns
Spain's PM tells Musk 'Mars can wait' in migrant defence
Spain's PM tells Musk 'Mars can wait' in migrant defence
Spain's prime minister has defended his government’s plan to grant legal status to undocumented residents in an exchange with Elon Musk on X, telling the billionaire "Mars can wait. Humanity can't".
www.thelocal.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Spain's PM tells Musk 'Mars can wait' in migrant defence
OPINION: German school grading is unfair on foreign students and it's maddening
OPINION: German school grading is unfair on foreign students and it's maddening
Student participation, called 'Mitarbeit', makes up a large portion of students' grades in German schools. But the way it's assessed can be poison in the classroom, particularly for foreign pupils, writes Tom Pugh.
www.thelocal.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:00 AM
OPINION: German school grading is unfair on foreign students and it's maddening
EU announces plan to extend 90-day rule for certain non-EU workers
EU announces plan to extend 90-day rule for certain non-EU workers
The European Commission has announced it will look into allowing certain non-EU professionals to stay in the EU beyond the current 90-day rule, as part of a future overall of its visa system. It also asked EU countries to make visa access "simpler and faster" for skilled workers.
www.thelocal.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:02 PM
EU announces plan to extend 90-day rule for certain non-EU workers
French island offers up to €10,000 to second-home owners who rent out their property
French island offers up to €10,000 to second-home owners who rent out their property
Local officials on a French island are offering incentives of up to €10,000 to second-home owners who are willing to rent out their properties on a long-term lease, in order to try and overcome the housing shortage for locals.
www.thelocal.com
January 29, 2026 at 3:57 PM
French island offers up to €10,000 to second-home owners who rent out their property
Four international night trains from Germany to try in 2026
Four international night trains from Germany to try in 2026
Several new night trains will bring passengers from Germany to popular cities around Europe this year, and a couple of popular connections that were set to end are being saved. Here are four exciting overnight journeys to ride this year.
www.thelocal.com
January 29, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Four international night trains from Germany to try in 2026
EU announces new push to overhaul visa system and deportations policy
EU announces new push to overhaul visa system and deportations policy
The European Union on Thursday laid out plans to overhaul its visa system and step up deportations as part of a five-year migration strategy that cements a hardening line on the hot-button issue.
www.thelocal.com
January 29, 2026 at 1:06 PM
EU announces new push to overhaul visa system and deportations policy
Analysis: Most undocumented migrants in Spain not Africans on boats but working Latinos
Analysis: Most undocumented migrants in Spain not Africans on boats but working Latinos
Spain's blanket regularisation of around 500,000 undocumented migrants has caused debate and misconceptions, but data shows who's set to benefit from the measure, and who the vast majority of Spain's migrants without papers really are.
www.thelocal.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Analysis: Most undocumented migrants in Spain not Africans on boats but working Latinos
OPINION: PM has steadied France, but sacrificed any hope of cutting the deficit
OPINION: PM has steadied France, but sacrificed any hope of cutting the deficit
Prime minister Sébastien Lecornu has, through compromise and concession got his budget passed. John Lichfield says that Lecornu will likely remain prime minister until spring 2027 - but while he has steadied the ship, he has sacrificed all hope of tackling France's ballooning deficit.
www.thelocal.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:45 AM
OPINION: PM has steadied France, but sacrificed any hope of cutting the deficit
LISTED: The new direct flights you can catch from Munich in 2026
LISTED: The new direct flights you can catch from Munich in 2026
New direct international flights are set to launch from Munich Airport this year, offering residents and visitors in Germany more options than ever for travel across Europe, the Middle East and beyond.
www.thelocal.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:15 PM
LISTED: The new direct flights you can catch from Munich in 2026
Brits now fifth largest immigrant group in France
Brits now fifth largest immigrant group in France
New data from the French government shows that British nationals now make up the fifth largest group of foreign residency-permit holders in France.
www.thelocal.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Brits now fifth largest immigrant group in France
Why do Spaniards eat so late?
Why do Spaniards eat so late?
Ernest Hemingway famously said that Spaniards “delay the day”, and when it comes to eating, this is certainly applicable.
www.thelocal.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Why do Spaniards eat so late?
Ryanair pulls out of another French airport, citing taxes
Ryanair pulls out of another French airport, citing taxes
The budget airline Ryanair has announced its intention to leave another French regional airport, claiming that the country's 'eco tax' is the reason.
www.thelocal.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Ryanair pulls out of another French airport, citing taxes
Are children born to Brits in Europe now required to have a UK passport?
Are children born to Brits in Europe now required to have a UK passport?
Children who are born outside the UK to at least one British parent are, in many cases, automatically entitled to British citizenship - but changes to the UK travel rules means that these children may now be required to get a UK passport to travel to Britain.
www.thelocal.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:23 AM
Are children born to Brits in Europe now required to have a UK passport?