Too much holiday? Exploring France’s love affair with time off
By France24
14 July 2022 |
10:41 am
With a minimum of 30 days of paid leave per year, French people have the reputation of being on vacation all the time. During the summer months of July and August, parts of the country virtually shut down. So, what do they do with these cherished “congés payés”?
Related
31 May 2022
French inflation comes in higher than expected at 5.2 percent at May, with consumer prices also on the rise across the continent, driven by skyrocketing food and fuel costs. We take a closer look at how French consumers are looking for discounts in supermarkets. Also, we see how the fashion industry's sustainability efforts continue to fall short.
8 Jun 2022
First it was a stadium fiasco, then a blame game. Now will political football lead to sackings? French senators are questioning Emmanuel Macron's interior minister after the tear-gassing of Liverpool fans shut out of last Saturday's Champions League final, as well as the claim that up to 40,000 English supporters showed up with forged tickets or no tickets.
4 Jun 2022
In this edition, we're looking at one of the key consequences of climate change: drought. From parched fields, to burning forests, to houses cracking as the ground beneath them dries up, droughts are becoming more frequent in France and around the world. As scientists look for solutions, many are calling for changes to our agricultural model and the way we consume, in the hope of conserving Earth's most precious resource: water.
9 Jun 2022
This week, we explore the upcoming French legislative elections, the so-called "third round" of the presidential race. This time, French voters are electing 577 MPs to the Assemblée nationale, the lower house of parliament. Though arguably just as important as the race for the Élysée Palace, turnout tends to be lower. So do these elections work? We tell you more in this edition of French Connections.
13 Jun 2022
Emmanuel Macron's alliance is in a tight race with the new left-wing union NUPES according to initial projections. Macron is predicted to win a greater number of districts which could grant him a parliamentary majority.
12 Jun 2022
A new left-wing coalition wants to win a majority in France's upcoming legislative elections and challenge Emmanuel Macron's hold on parliamentary power. Their chances are slim but not impossible.
18 Jun 2022
More than 20 years ago, a community of men and women in the French region of Burgundy set themselves a massive challenge: to build a castle using the techniques of the Middle Ages. The site in the town of Guédelon is open to visitors, offering them an immersion into the 13th century. Today, nearly 40 people work every day on this medieval construction site. Stone quarrying is the first step in building a castle. And to transport the stones to the site, modern machines are banned: everything is done like in the 13th century, with horsepower.
18 Jun 2022
We take a look at how the press is covering the French, German and Italian leaders' visit to Kyiv. Meanwhile, French papers are largely divided over the country's upcoming legislative elections on Sunday. Also, Thailand gets closer to same-sex marriage legislation, while Saudi Arabia confiscates rainbow-coloured toys. Finally, the Washington Post debates whether QR code menus in restaurants should stay or go.
18 Jun 2022
Executives at France's state-backed utility EDF say they're confident the troubled nuclear reactor at their Flamanville plant will be able to go online by the end of 2023. Under construction since 2007, the new EPR project has been plagued by cost overruns and repeated delays. We take a closer look. Plus, on the sidelines of the VivaTech trade fair in Paris, India's IT minister tells FRANCE 24 how the country is looking to bring its technology to Europe and beyond.
18 Jun 2022
Forest fires have broken out both in Spain and France as a record early heat wave moves northward through Europe. And humans are not the only ones to suffer in the extreme temperatures.
19 Jun 2022
An Italian energy firm says the Russian company is slashing its deliveries by 50%. France's gas operator says it has not received any natural gas from Russia via its pipeline from Germany for more than a month.
20 Jun 2022
Flexible hours, a four-day working week and a sense of purpose are just some of the things that employees are looking for in a job. And if they feel like they're not appreciated, they might just jump ship. A recent survey found that one in four people in France are looking to quit their jobs in the next two years, as they seek better pay and better benefits. We take a closer look.
Latest
1 hour ago
Followers of the unorthodox Christian group did not attend the remembrance, organized by Catholic and Protestant churches. Earlier this month, seven people were shot dead by a former member of the congregation.
1 hour ago
As Chinese leader Xi Jinping begins his three-day trip to Moscow on Monday, all eyes are on how China positions itself in the ongoing war and experts describe the trip as “extremely delicate” for the Chinese President.
1 hour ago
Tennessee has outlawed drag shows in public; more US states aim to follow suit. LGBTQ supporters in the artistic community are fighting back.
3 hours ago
Russian President Vladimir Putin toured the devastated city of Mariupol on his first visit to the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine's Donbass region. DW has the latest.
3 hours ago
The Czech Republic has mastered the largest immigration influx in its history — to the advantage of the business sector. Many Ukrainians have legal jobs, despite nationalist narratives.