France
Low life
Although I was ten minutes early, Vernon was there ahead of me, framed in the ancient chapel doorway, chatting up…
Macron’s vaccine ‘citizen panel’ is doomed to fail
France has a problem when it comes to the coronavirus vaccine. Emmanuel Macron’s administration has so far only given out…
Brexit causes food shortages – in France
Since leaving the EU on 31 December, Britain seems to have somehow avoided the apocalyptic scenarios outlined by those most…
Emmanuel Macron’s great Brexit gamble
There is an intriguing pattern in our relationship with European integration. A Frenchman vetoed our attempt to join. A Frenchman…
Low life
Considering the subject of compatibility, experienced British expats in France maintain that a French man and an English woman might…
Low life
There are several cave houses built into the cliff. Ours is the highest and can be reached only by a…
France would be foolish to veto a Brexit deal
Britain and France are heading for an almighty bust-up over Brexit. This morning the French junior minister for European affairs,…
French republicanism confounds American progressives
Can an entire country sue for libel? If so, France would have a strong suit against swathes of the American…
Low life
I regained consciousness on a trolley in a recovery ward. A masked porter wheeled me from there back to my…
Low life
At dawn, starving, I drove to a commercial laboratory in the town centre where five phials of blood were taken…
Low life
We bums find ourselves sought after at this time of year to lend a hand with the olive harvest. So…
Macron alone
Where is the support for his fight against Islamism?
The Spectator’s Notes
Monday night’s murderous gunman in Vienna is officially described as ‘Islamist’. Brahim Aioussaoi, the man accused of murdering worshippers in…
France vs Islamism
How does Macron hope to prosecute his war?
Christianity is our best defence
It has become normal to think of the Islamist attacks in Europe as attacks on a secular way of life.…
Portrait of the week
Home Wales, entering a 17-day ‘firebreak’, closed most shops by law but then tried to stop supermarkets selling ‘non-essential’ items…
Portrait of the Week
Home After ten days spent trying to persuade Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, to accede to the city…
Tiphaine Auzière and the panic inside the Élysée
Will the presidency of Emmanuel Macron open the door to a political dynasty in France? He has no children, so…
Low life
My French friend André speaks perfect English and is the kindest of men. After reading last week about my futile…
Letters
Misplaced Trust Sir: Charles Moore is as ever bang on target (The Spectator’s Notes, 26 September). National Trust members have…
Lockdown fatigue
From the vantage point of Downing Street, Boris Johnson may feel reassured that the further measures against Covid-19 he imposed…
Low life
Feeling oddly confident, clairvoyant even, I entered a bar to place a bet on Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.…
Low life
Scotching my bright idea of a stiff gin for Dutch courage in the bar across the road, Catriona bounded straight…
What cinema is for
Cuties is the subject of a moral panic and a hashtag #CancelNetflix. It tells the story of Amy (Fathia Youssouf),…
Low life
Hairpin bends in a stony forest. Downhill. Steep, then steeper. Smooth frictionless tarmac. I’ve got the car barely under control.…
