https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed French lawmakers backed a bill late on Monday setting the minimum age of sexual consent at 15. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210316/french-parliament-backs-law-to-set-age-of-consent-at-15 Tue, 16 Mar 2021 13:38:38 +0100 french-parliament-backs-law-to-set-age-of-consent-at-15 France said on Saturday that any new delay in Britain's departure from the EU was "in nobody's interest" after British MPs postponed a decision on a new Brexit deal. https://www.thelocal.fr/20191020/brexit-delay-in-nobodys-interest-france Sun, 20 Oct 2019 09:39:12 +0200 brexit-delay-in-nobodys-interest-france The French government has vowed to reduce the number of MPs and senators by 30 percent by 2019, following through on a pledge made by French President Emmanuel Macron during his election campaign. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180405/france-to-slash-a-third-of-its-mps-and-senators Thu, 05 Apr 2018 18:41:54 +0200 france-to-slash-a-third-of-its-mps-and-senators A former parliamentary assistant has revealed that there is a "blacklist" of lecherous male French MPs that women working in the National Assembly know to avoid. https://www.thelocal.fr/20171023/blacklist-of-lecherous-male-mps-to-avoid-circulated-in-french-parliament Mon, 23 Oct 2017 19:43:03 +0200 blacklist-of-lecherous-male-mps-to-avoid-circulated-in-french-parliament French president Emmanuel Macron told a gathering of lawmakers on Monday that France was ready for a "radically new path" which would include "profound changes" including slashing the number of MPs and Senators by a third and ending the state of emergency. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170703/macron-says-france-ready-for-radically-new-path Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:40:25 +0200 macron-says-france-ready-for-radically-new-path The new French parliament has just re-opened for business and MPs are already rowing with each other. It's not about the planned labour reforms or any fake jobs scandals but the issue of whether MPs should wear ties to the National Assembly. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170628/french-parliament-all-tied-up-over-far-left-mps-turn-up-to-work-without-a-tie Wed, 28 Jun 2017 16:06:17 +0200 french-parliament-all-tied-up-over-far-left-mps-turn-up-to-work-without-a-tie The new president of France's National Assembly has been named and like the 245 predecessors... it's a man. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170627/france-appoints-its-next-national-assembly-president-no-prizes-for-guessing-its-a-man Tue, 27 Jun 2017 16:57:53 +0200 france-appoints-its-next-national-assembly-president-no-prizes-for-guessing-its-a-man The French parliament looks very different after Sunday's elections, with the National Assembly now home to more women, more young faces (some aged just 24) and some pretty interesting characters. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170619/inside-frances-new-parliament-key-changes Mon, 19 Jun 2017 13:53:45 +0200 inside-frances-new-parliament-key-changes The latest revelation surrounding François Fillon paying his wife parliamentary funds for a job a newspaper suggests she did nothing to justify has thrown into the spotlight the perks that come with being an MP in France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170127/francois-fillon-pay-first-class-travel-and-uncontrolled-expenses-the-perks-of-being-a-french-mp Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:28:44 +0100 francois-fillon-pay-first-class-travel-and-uncontrolled-expenses-the-perks-of-being-a-french-mp French MPs were set to debate a fiercely divisive bill on Thursday that aims to ban pro-life websites that are deemed to spread "false information" about abortion. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161201/french-plan-to-ban-false-anti-abortion-sites-divides-mps Thu, 01 Dec 2016 15:07:32 +0100 french-plan-to-ban-false-anti-abortion-sites-divides-mps France's Socialist government faces a parliamentary vote of no confidence on Thursday over a key package of reforms designed to energise the country's sluggish economy. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150618/french-government-faces-no-confidence-vote-over-reforms Thu, 18 Jun 2015 12:49:33 +0200 french-government-faces-no-confidence-vote-over-reforms Deputies in the French parliament voted on Tuesday in favour of recognizing the state of Palestine in a highly symbolic motion. Israel immediately warned that the vote would harm the peace process. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141202/french-parliament-to-vote-on-palestine Tue, 02 Dec 2014 18:05:00 +0100 french-parliament-to-vote-on-palestine UPDATED: French lawmakers will vote later this month on a proposal urging the government to recognise Palestine as a state, a parliamentary source said Wednesday, as diplomatic tension continues to rise between Europe and Israel. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141112/french-lawmakers-to-vote-on-recognizing-palestine Wed, 12 Nov 2014 12:40:00 +0100 french-lawmakers-to-vote-on-recognizing-palestine As Friday marks the official start of summer holiday for members of French parliament, The Local's contributor Amaryllis Barton brings us 10 bizarre facts about France's National Assembly. They're good for a laugh, but you also might learn something. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140725/ten-bizarre-facts-about-french-parliament Fri, 25 Jul 2014 14:02:00 +0200 ten-bizarre-facts-about-french-parliament Travelers and commuters in France could be in for travel chaos next week as workers at the SNCF, the state-owned railway company, have threatened an 'extendable' strike over proposed reforms. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140604/sncf-threaten-strike-action-over-rail-reforms Wed, 04 Jun 2014 12:59:00 +0200 sncf-threaten-strike-action-over-rail-reforms Despite French and British opposition, the one-time premier of Luxembourg believes he'll be the next top bureaucrat at the European Commission, the European Union's civil service arm. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140602/juncker-believes-hell-head-european-commission Mon, 02 Jun 2014 10:27:00 +0200 juncker-believes-hell-head-european-commission The historic victory for the far-right National Front party does not mean France is a country full of racists, voters told The Local on Monday. Rather people are simply seething with anger at the main political parties' inability to fix the economy. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140526/national-front-france-european-parliament-elections Mon, 26 May 2014 14:14:00 +0200 national-front-france-european-parliament-elections You would think that out of all the people who should care about the EU elections, it would be expats living in a foreign country. Here, several high profile Britons in France tell us why they are voting and why they are particularly worried. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140523/there-are-some-forces-at-work-in-europe Fri, 23 May 2014 15:49:00 +0200 there-are-some-forces-at-work-in-europe A report released on Friday showed French lawmakers spent thousands in tax payer money last year on things like fishing and baton twirling clubs. The revelations come from a first ever accounting of a unique French parliamentary power. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140131/slush-fund-france-reveals-special-spending Fri, 31 Jan 2014 16:35:00 +0100 slush-fund-france-reveals-special-spending A contentious proposal that would see more courses at French universities taught in English was given the green light by deputies in the French parliament on Thursday. Critics say the move will lead to France losing its identity. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130523/mps-back-plan-for-more-english-at-french-unis Thu, 23 May 2013 16:07:00 +0200 mps-back-plan-for-more-english-at-french-unis