Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France’s Emma Pearson, Genevieve Mansfield and John Lichfield to talk about all the latest from France. 

You can find the Talking France podcast on Spotify, Apple or Google podcasts, download it here or listen on the link below

We’re starting off this week by explaining the latest on the drama with France’s contested immigration bill, after MPs in the Assemblée nationale voted in favour of a Motion de rejet – which led to the bill being rejected before debates could even begin.

Gérard Depardieu is a household name in France and beyond, having been in more than 170 films, including the 1990 hit Green Card. The star is back under the spotlight, after a recent documentary released showed footage of him making crude comments to and about women.

The team at The Local is also talking about France’s plans to do a “large-scale experiment” with school uniforms. We’re talking about why uniforms are controversial in France and why the French government is considering instituting them at all.

We’re discussing the country’s plans to increase its investment in renewable energy, plus why some people people in rural France are not too keen on more solar panels.

And finally, France has thousands of elected officials – from small-town mayors to senators and MPs. They all have one article of clothing in common: the tricolore sash. We’re giving you the story behind this sash, and how you can use it to tell elected officials apart.

You can find all previous episodes of Talking France HERE. Talking France is a free podcast made possible by the support of paying members of The Local France – if you like what you hear, consider subscribing.