by Anne Swardson | Sep 24, 2025 | France, History, Paris, Strikes
France, too, is a mess. The country is on its fifth prime minister in two years, the result of a foolish decision by President Emmanuel Macron to call early parliamentary elections last year. The result was a legislature divided into three bill-stopping blocs. More... 
by Anne Swardson | Mar 30, 2023 | France, Paris, Strikes
During our years in Paris, I’ve always downplayed France’s frequent strike and demonstrations, especially when I’m asked whether people should cancel their planned trips. No, I say. That’s still true this time around, even though masses of French people are... 
by Anne Swardson | Feb 22, 2023 | France, Paris, Strikes
There is a genre of French film that rarely crosses the Atlantic but is very popular here. The theme: the hell of the workplace and the nightmare of layoffs. I count at least 15 movies on that topic in the past few decades, most featuring laid-off employees fighting...