France in focus

Feb 27 2025 24 ep. 12 mins 218

France in focus Podcast artwork

An in-depth look at the political and social events shaping France. Monday at 3:45pm Paris time.

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Paris's La Défense business district reels from working-from-home trend

Feb 27 2025 12 mins

For many years, the La Défense business district on the edge of Paris was the beating heart of France's corporate and financial sectors. La Défense emerged in the late 1960s as a modernist hub of skyscrapers and commercial infrastructure, with hundreds of thousands of people working there every day. But when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, many of those employees began to work remotel

One year after protests, French farming still in crisis

Feb 18 2025 12 mins

This week, France in Focus returns to the rural Tarn et Garonne department in the southwestern Occitania region, where unrest in the French agricultural sector first took root in early 2024. For months, protesters, tractors and hay bales blocked motorways leading to the capital, calling out low food prices, unfair foreign competition and government red tape. Although the protest mo

Ski resorts fight for future in the face of climate change

Feb 12 2025 11 mins

In 50 years, winter sports have transformed the mountains, bringing prosperity to local communities. But the French Alps are heating up twice as fast as the rest of the planet. At low and medium altitudes, the lack of snow is making skiing almost impossible. With the Alps losing their white coats due to warmer temperatures in winter, what future do smaller resorts really have?

Eighty years on, French deportee remembers horror of Auschwitz and difficult return home

Jan 27 2025 12 mins

On January 27, 1945, the French population had yet to grasp the full horror of the Holocaust. After the Soviet army finally liberated Auschwitz and the allies advanced on the Western front, the first survivors began to trickle back to their home countries and the true scale of the tragedy began to emerge. Esther Dzik was one of the survivors who returned to Paris in 1945. She'd bee

France's Pelicot case: Questioning toxic masculinity

Jan 22 2025 11 mins

The Pelicot rape trial at the end of 2024 put the issue of sexual violence at the centre of public debate in France. Seen as a real turning point, the case has also raised questions about men's responsibility in rape culture. From the #Notallmen slogan circulating on social media, to discussion groups where some men have been examining their own behaviour, the case has prompted man

2019 Paris gas explosion: Six years on, life resumes after the blast

Jan 14 2025 12 mins

On January 12, 2019, the residents of rue de Trévise in Paris's 9th arrondissement (district) were woken by a huge explosion prompted by a gas leak. As they were rushed out of the building by the emergency services, the full horror became apparent: four dead, dozens injured and an entire neighbourhood destroyed. Six years later, some former residents are finally able to return hom

The Chauvet cave: Unlocking France's prehistoric past

Dec 16 2024 12 mins

This week, France in Focus heads underground to explore the "Sistine Chapel" of prehistory. Thirty years ago, three explorers discovered the Chauvet cave, a site in southeastern France that was cut off from the world for thousands of years. Inside, paintings and engravings dating back 36,000 years decorate the walls. The site is sealed off to the general public, but each year a tea

Oysters in hot water: Pollution and poaching threaten production

Dec 10 2024 11 mins

For oyster farmers, the year-end holiday period is a vital one as they make around a third to half of their annual sales during this time. But last year was catastrophic for some oyster producing regions in France after sales were banned following a spate of food poisonings in parts of the country. Along with a tarnished image, oyster farmers also have to deal with an uptick in poa

Notre-Dame Cathedral: At the heart of a changing neighbourhood in Paris

Dec 03 2024 11 mins

Since the 2019 fire that devastated Notre-Dame, the historic centre of Paris has been affected by extensive renovation works. Now, five years later, the reopening of the cathedral on Saturday, December 7 is bringing hope to locals and businesses that have faced years of disruption, dwindling tourism and financial struggles.

Eurostar: Thirty years of challenges

Nov 11 2024 12 mins

On November 14, 1994, the rail operator Eurostar launched its high-speed services through the Channel Tunnel. A historic day that saw Paris and London connected in record time but the 30-year journey hasn't always run smoothly. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look.