France
The German takeover of the EU is accelerating
Vetoes should no longer be allowed. Smaller countries should not be able to block the will of the ‘majority’. And…
Why is Macron feigning outrage at the Danish spying scandal?
The feigned outrage in Berlin – but mostly in Paris – at the USA’s proxy use of Denmark’s intelligence services…
The new breed of retail investors look like ducks ready for stuffing
‘Feed the ducks when they’re quacking’ sounds like advice from a foie gras farmer — but let’s leave gastronomy till…
Low life
The porter rolled me off the trolley and on to the bed, wished me a good day and departed. My…
Why Boris is loved by the French
Boris Johnson is more popular in France than Emmanuel Macron, which might not be a high hurdle to overcome, since…
Low life
Walking up through the Stink Street medieval arch with a bag of shopping, I spotted Michael between the oleander branches…
France is paying a heavy price for Macron’s vaccine catastrophe
The United States is growing at such a blistering pace the Federal Reserve may have to raise interest rates. In…
Low life
On the Saturday morning of the Ascension Day bank holiday, I swung down the stairs and ladder to the little…
The BBC’s shameful smearing of the French police
I had my first jab on Wednesday, at a vaccination centre in the south of Paris, run by the fire…
The rapid rise of Pascal Blanchard, Macron’s favourite diversity tsar
In October last year Emmanuel Macron had a long list of around 300 to 500 names drawn up. These were no…
The liver birds
In his excellent, brief chronicle of foie gras, Norman Kolpas lists Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Thandie Newton, Ricky Gervais and…
France needs Britain more than ever
‘What is grave about this situation, Messieurs, is that it is not serious’, was how General de Gaulle addressed his…
Why French soldiers are moving against Macron
Emmanuel Macron was in Strasbourg on Sunday where he addressed the Conference on the Future of Europe. This is where…
Return to Alsace
Freedom approaches. Should we be humming ‘Va, Pensiero’ or ‘O Welche Lust’ — perhaps both. Thinking of Fidelioreminds me of…
Low life
‘Willie or bum?’ I said to Catriona on the motorway. Everything in my recent medical career has been introduced via…
Is France losing its war on terror?
A political storm has swept France in recent days. It follows the publication of an open letter by twenty retired…
The banalisation of Islamist terror bodes badly for the West
Another day, another Islamist murder in France – this time, a 49-year-old policewoman fatally stabbed in the neck by a…
Low life
For EU nationals living in Britain and wanting to legally remain after Brexit, a letter or an email was enough…
Starmer’s Labour is following the French Socialists into oblivion
Why does Keir Starmer seem set on following the example of the French Socialist party, and leading Labour into electoral…
The real problem with Macron’s elite school
President Emmanuel Macron announced today the closure of the notorious École Nationale d’Administration, the elite finishing school for the senior…
Macron’s Napoleon complex
May 5th this year will be the two hundredth anniversary of Napoleon’s death on Saint Helena, the tiny island in…
New-found freedom
In 2018 David Hockney went to Normandy to look at the Bayeux Tapestry, which he had not seen for more…
So damned French
For the past few weeks I have been binge-watching the Netflix series Call My Agent! (or Dix pour cent, as…
Low life
Applying for a French bank account is like trying for a permit to open a Christian bookshop in North Korea.…
France accuses Britain of vaccine ‘blackmail’
In some ways you have to admire the sheer shamelessness of the French government. To spend the start of the…
