Talking Europe speaks to European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, whose wide-ranging portfolio covers migration and asylum, security issues, education and what the EU calls "promoting the European Way of Life", among other things. We focus on migration and the EU's efforts to rectify what Schinas calls a historic failure to build a cohesive asylum and migration policy.

France's government decided to bypass the lower house of parliament with contested pension reforms. The snap decision came moments before a planned vote, sparking fury inside and outside of parliament.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he expected the pension reform bill to be enacted by the end of the year. The pension fight has brought him to the lowest point of his presidency's second term.

Protests erupted in several cities a day after President Emmanuel Macron doubled down on raising the pension age. Worker strikes shut down transport, while protesters blocked highways and other infrastructure.

In this special history episode of French Connections Plus, we take a deep dive into "la Belle Époque" or "The Beautiful Era", a period in France history straddling the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It was a moment of peace and prosperity, technological progress, bubbling creativity and hope in the future.

France, Germany face off on EU's 2035 internal combustion car ban. In this edition: Germany seeks an "e-fuels" exemption to the EU's ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars after 2035, while France pushes for an all-electric transport future.

Continued mass strikes and protest action have forced King Charles to postpone his planned visit to France on Sunday. It would have been his first official trip as king.

France's midrange pret-a-porter chains are suffering due to the current economic crisis and structural problems. But some firms are surviving with sustainability, new digital concepts and branding.

It is crucial week for the future of the French government’s plans to reform the pension system. Another huge strike is planned by the unions for Tuesday, and any significant dip in the number of people taking part in demonstrations will weaken their cause.

We take a look at how the French papers are covering incidents of police brutality towards protesters. We also look at the parallels and differences between protests in France and Israel. The papers are also discussing a daylight savings time dispute in Lebanon.

The country's ruling accused the French broadcaster of "acting as a mouthpiece" for an al-Qaeda affiliated group. France 24 has denied the allegation and condemned the move.

This weekend's clashes between police and protesters in the small French town of Sainte-Soline reflect growing anger over water reservoirs that are meant to help farmers to irrigate their crops in times of drought.