Emma Pearson
@emmapearson.bsky.social
Editor of The Local France, co-host of Talking France podcast. Paris resident, Yorkshire born, Castres Olympique 🏉 fan - emma.pearson@thelocal.com
It's time . . . for the Big French Quiz of the Year! I think this year's is quite hard 🤓
France in 2025: The big quiz of the year
French political drama, cultural landmarks, key public figures and a bit of French language - see how much you remember about 2025 in France with our quiz of the year.
www.thelocal.fr
December 24, 2025 at 10:59 AM
It's time . . . for the Big French Quiz of the Year! I think this year's is quite hard 🤓
Profile: The Frenchman who took on tech giants and was banned from the USA
Profile: The Frenchman who took on tech giants and was banned from USA
Former EU commissioner Thierry Breton has been barred from the USA over his work on regulating American tech giants - here's a look at the life and career of the straight-talking Frenchman.
www.thelocal.fr
December 24, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Profile: The Frenchman who took on tech giants and was banned from the USA
Thierry Breton is a law-abiding man who, via his job at the European Commission, was working on a tech regulation plan that Elon Musk didn't like. He is now banned from 🇺🇸. 'Un vent de McCarthyism' indeed
www.leparisien.fr/internationa... - via Le Parisien
www.leparisien.fr/internationa... - via Le Parisien
Le Français Thierry Breton ainsi que quatre Européens interdits de séjour par l’administration Trump, Paris réagit
Donald Trump avait promis des représailles si l’Union européenne n’allégeait pas les restrictions mises en place dans le secteur du numériqu
www.leparisien.fr
December 24, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Thierry Breton is a law-abiding man who, via his job at the European Commission, was working on a tech regulation plan that Elon Musk didn't like. He is now banned from 🇺🇸. 'Un vent de McCarthyism' indeed
www.leparisien.fr/internationa... - via Le Parisien
www.leparisien.fr/internationa... - via Le Parisien
This is one of my favourite French words, it's got so much cultural baggage and mild suspicion of 'the anglo saxons'
December 23, 2025 at 8:20 AM
This is one of my favourite French words, it's got so much cultural baggage and mild suspicion of 'the anglo saxons'
Special podcast episode - what to expect in France in 2026
🇫🇷 Immigration changes (language tests, civics exam)
🇫🇷 Travel changes (new flights, sleeper trains, EES/ETIAS)
🇫🇷 Politics changes (er, frankly who the fuck can predict?!)
🇫🇷 Immigration changes (language tests, civics exam)
🇫🇷 Travel changes (new flights, sleeper trains, EES/ETIAS)
🇫🇷 Politics changes (er, frankly who the fuck can predict?!)
Talking France: What to expect in France in 2026 from travel changes to new immigration rules
This is a special episode focussed on looking ahead to next year in France, so you are all aware of what will happen in terms of travel and immigration changes and what might happen when it comes t...
pod.fo
December 22, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Special podcast episode - what to expect in France in 2026
🇫🇷 Immigration changes (language tests, civics exam)
🇫🇷 Travel changes (new flights, sleeper trains, EES/ETIAS)
🇫🇷 Politics changes (er, frankly who the fuck can predict?!)
🇫🇷 Immigration changes (language tests, civics exam)
🇫🇷 Travel changes (new flights, sleeper trains, EES/ETIAS)
🇫🇷 Politics changes (er, frankly who the fuck can predict?!)
Me on this week in France
Inside France: Farmers on the barricades and Sarkozy on the yoghurt
Inside France: Farmers on the barricades and Sarkozy on the yoghurt
From the farmer protests that are sweeping France to the excruciating minutiae of Nicolas Sarkozy's prison diaries, via the budget latest and an unexpected front runner for the presidential election, our weekly newsletter looks at all the latest news and talking points from France.
www.thelocal.fr
December 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Me on this week in France
Happy last Friday before Christmas 🌲🎁🎅
December 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Happy last Friday before Christmas 🌲🎁🎅
France is a legally secular country, but on the other hand Christmas is popular and fun.
The State therefore defines Christmas as 'secular' - having your cake and eating it? Or practical compromise for the 21st century?
The State therefore defines Christmas as 'secular' - having your cake and eating it? Or practical compromise for the 21st century?
Why is Christmas 'secular' in France?
France is a secular republic and has laws in place to ensure that religion plays no part in the state - so Christmas is largely counted as a non-religious holiday. Here's how that works.
www.thelocal.fr
December 19, 2025 at 2:25 PM
France is a legally secular country, but on the other hand Christmas is popular and fun.
The State therefore defines Christmas as 'secular' - having your cake and eating it? Or practical compromise for the 21st century?
The State therefore defines Christmas as 'secular' - having your cake and eating it? Or practical compromise for the 21st century?
Fantastic review of Nicolas Sarkoy's toe-curlingly awful 'prison diaries'
observer.co.uk/news/interna...
observer.co.uk/news/interna...
December 19, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Fantastic review of Nicolas Sarkoy's toe-curlingly awful 'prison diaries'
observer.co.uk/news/interna...
observer.co.uk/news/interna...
New podcast!
🇫🇷 What are farmer protests all about and will they continue?
🇫🇷 The best and worst bits of 2025 in France, plus our French Word of the Year
🇫🇷 What are farmer protests all about and will they continue?
🇫🇷 The best and worst bits of 2025 in France, plus our French Word of the Year
Talking France: French farmers fight to 'stop the slaughter' and what's in store for France this Christmas?
This week, we will look at the latest flare up between the government and French farmers, many of whom have been spending recent days blockading motorways or public buildings and basically trying t...
pod.fo
December 18, 2025 at 7:06 AM
New podcast!
🇫🇷 What are farmer protests all about and will they continue?
🇫🇷 The best and worst bits of 2025 in France, plus our French Word of the Year
🇫🇷 What are farmer protests all about and will they continue?
🇫🇷 The best and worst bits of 2025 in France, plus our French Word of the Year
Reposted by Emma Pearson
France's largest farming union threatens more protests over EU treaty
France's largest farming union threatens more protests over EU treaty
France is already seeing widespread protests and road blockades from farmers - so far, the largest union has not got involved. But that could change if an EU treaty is signed this week.
www.thelocal.fr
December 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM
France's largest farming union threatens more protests over EU treaty
🇫🇷🎄 book list
Memoir of a man who staged the coolest Olympics ever?
Or memoir of a self-aggrandising little weasel who spent 20 days in jail after being correctly convicted of corruption?
Tough choice . . .
Memoir of a man who staged the coolest Olympics ever?
Or memoir of a self-aggrandising little weasel who spent 20 days in jail after being correctly convicted of corruption?
Tough choice . . .
December 17, 2025 at 9:29 AM
🇫🇷🎄 book list
Memoir of a man who staged the coolest Olympics ever?
Or memoir of a self-aggrandising little weasel who spent 20 days in jail after being correctly convicted of corruption?
Tough choice . . .
Memoir of a man who staged the coolest Olympics ever?
Or memoir of a self-aggrandising little weasel who spent 20 days in jail after being correctly convicted of corruption?
Tough choice . . .
One for 🇫🇷 language nerds - a whole cartoon illustrating how hard it is to translate Brigitte's 'sale connes'. In English we mostly translated it as 'stupid bitches', but the cartoon illustrates how it can also mean idiot as she says 'Sorry you misunderstood me . . . because you're idiots'
December 17, 2025 at 8:41 AM
One for 🇫🇷 language nerds - a whole cartoon illustrating how hard it is to translate Brigitte's 'sale connes'. In English we mostly translated it as 'stupid bitches', but the cartoon illustrates how it can also mean idiot as she says 'Sorry you misunderstood me . . . because you're idiots'
Here's the latest on the farm protests for those who have travel plans this weekend
Will French farm protests disrupt Christmas travel?
Farmer protests are spreading across France with roads blocked and trains halted, with just days to go until the big Christmas getaway.
www.thelocal.fr
December 16, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Here's the latest on the farm protests for those who have travel plans this weekend
Roadblocks continue today, especially in south west France.
Livestock breeder Cedric Baron, near Toulouse, said: "Leaving the motorway is out of the question.
"We've put up Christmas trees and we're ready to celebrate."
Livestock breeder Cedric Baron, near Toulouse, said: "Leaving the motorway is out of the question.
"We've put up Christmas trees and we're ready to celebrate."
French minister urges angry farmers to trust cow culls as blockades continue
France's agriculture minister has defended planned mass cattle culls and vaccines to control an infectious bovine disease, after farmers vowed no let-up in their protests against what they view as exc...
www.thelocal.fr
December 16, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Roadblocks continue today, especially in south west France.
Livestock breeder Cedric Baron, near Toulouse, said: "Leaving the motorway is out of the question.
"We've put up Christmas trees and we're ready to celebrate."
Livestock breeder Cedric Baron, near Toulouse, said: "Leaving the motorway is out of the question.
"We've put up Christmas trees and we're ready to celebrate."
Amazing detail; Shane McGowan was apparently staying at the Hotel Temperance in Malmö when he wrote Fairytale of New York - a ballad of extremely problematic alcohol consumption, and the best Christmas song ever (fact)
The Swedish origins of the Christmas song Fairytale of New York
The Pogues' Fairytale of New York, the gritty tale of love gone wrong many consider the greatest Christmas song ever written, has its origins in Sweden, at least according to a new commemorative plaqu...
www.thelocal.se
December 15, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Amazing detail; Shane McGowan was apparently staying at the Hotel Temperance in Malmö when he wrote Fairytale of New York - a ballad of extremely problematic alcohol consumption, and the best Christmas song ever (fact)
It's a rare politician these days who stands up for making the lives of immigrants easier, so let's hear it for Parti Socialiste's Colette Capdevielle.
Her bill (sadly doomed to fail) combines compassion with practicality, since 99% of renewal applications for long-term CdS are already granted
Her bill (sadly doomed to fail) combines compassion with practicality, since 99% of renewal applications for long-term CdS are already granted
French MPs pass bill to make carte de séjour renewals automatic
The French parliament has passed a bill that would make life a lot easier for many foreigners in France - making the renewal of long-term carte de séjour residency permits automatic.
www.thelocal.fr
December 12, 2025 at 10:24 AM
It's a rare politician these days who stands up for making the lives of immigrants easier, so let's hear it for Parti Socialiste's Colette Capdevielle.
Her bill (sadly doomed to fail) combines compassion with practicality, since 99% of renewal applications for long-term CdS are already granted
Her bill (sadly doomed to fail) combines compassion with practicality, since 99% of renewal applications for long-term CdS are already granted
No-one is denying that 🇫🇷 has had some issues in 2025. But from jailing dodgy politicians to Brets crisp flavours, there is still so much to love
OPINION: Despite a bad 2025 there are still so many reasons to love France
It's been a bad year for France - its politics remain mired in seemingly endless chaos, its ex president went to jail and its biggest museum turns out to be embarrassingly easy to steal from. But edit...
www.thelocal.fr
December 11, 2025 at 5:01 PM
No-one is denying that 🇫🇷 has had some issues in 2025. But from jailing dodgy politicians to Brets crisp flavours, there is still so much to love
Street art, but make it philosophy too
December 11, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Street art, but make it philosophy too
Is 'faire le pont' important in 🇫🇷 culture, you ask?
December 11, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Is 'faire le pont' important in 🇫🇷 culture, you ask?
New podcast episode
🇫🇷 Why the Interior minister is mad about a board game
🇫🇷 Why dual nationals are back on the political agenda
🇫🇷 And what next for the PM after his budget 'win'?
🇫🇷 Why the Interior minister is mad about a board game
🇫🇷 Why dual nationals are back on the political agenda
🇫🇷 And what next for the PM after his budget 'win'?
Talking France: Will France mess with dual-nationals and why do Americans love all things French ?
It seems no one likes dual nationals these days. They are being picked on by politicians in countries across the world. We'll look at whether the rules around dual citizenship could change in Franc...
pod.fo
December 11, 2025 at 6:54 AM
New podcast episode
🇫🇷 Why the Interior minister is mad about a board game
🇫🇷 Why dual nationals are back on the political agenda
🇫🇷 And what next for the PM after his budget 'win'?
🇫🇷 Why the Interior minister is mad about a board game
🇫🇷 Why dual nationals are back on the political agenda
🇫🇷 And what next for the PM after his budget 'win'?
This 🇫🇷 Christmas advert for the Intermarché supermarket is so charming and also pokes gentle fun at the French image as a nation of voracious carnivores . . . Made by a Montpellier-based animation studio
Intermarché - Unloved
YouTube video by Romance Agency
www.youtube.com
December 10, 2025 at 10:44 AM
This 🇫🇷 Christmas advert for the Intermarché supermarket is so charming and also pokes gentle fun at the French image as a nation of voracious carnivores . . . Made by a Montpellier-based animation studio
Reposted by Emma Pearson
Breaking: French prime minister wins first budget battle as MPs adopt social security bill
Breaking: French prime minister wins first budget battle as MPs adopt social security bill
France's prime minister has won the first half of the battle for the 2026 Budget, with MPs in the Assemblée nationale voting in favour on Tuesday evening.
www.thelocal.fr
December 9, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Breaking: French prime minister wins first budget battle as MPs adopt social security bill
From 'sale conne' to 'emmerder' the Macrons sure do like to pose translation problems for us poor anglophone journalists
French grammar tips: How best to translate French swear words
Of all the rich and varied parts of the French language, it is perhaps swearing that poses the biggest translation problem. Here's a look at some famous examples of translation issues and how best to ...
www.thelocal.fr
December 9, 2025 at 10:35 AM
From 'sale conne' to 'emmerder' the Macrons sure do like to pose translation problems for us poor anglophone journalists
Reposted by Emma Pearson
I am brimming with holiday spirit
December 8, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I am brimming with holiday spirit