Tonight, at precisely eight o’clock, the Netherlands falls silent. For two minutes. No traffic, no voices, no music. Even the trains stop. This moment of stillness is not enforced by law. It is a custom — a collective habit. It is a national ritual that exists nowhere else in Europe with such quiet consistency. And perhaps that is what makes it so powerful.
Dutch democracy is under strain after the right-wing government’s inflammatory response to the recent violence in Amsterdam The recent attacks on Israeli football supporters in Amsterdam have not only shocked the world but revealed the true face of Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof’s populist government. What began as appalling street-level violence has morphed into an…
The Netherlands, France, and Germany will reintroduce border controls, or they have already done so. According to Stefan de Vries, Schengen’s death undermines the EU’s foundation.
In just over a year, the French will elect a new president. Or they will re-elect the current one for a second term. Slowly but surely, the election campaign for 2022 begins. Moreover, former President Sarkozy has a busy day ahead of him today (Monday). These seemed two good reasons to reboot this Newsletter and…
The podcast on Brexit that gives you the view from the Continent With just twenty-three weeks to go, a hard Brexit seems more and more likely. In this week’s episode, three diverse guests discuss le divorce. I’ll discuss that with Alexandre Holroyd, a Franco-British Londoner who is also a Member of the French National Assembly,…
This week, I talked to Charlie Mullins OBE. He is the founder of Pimlico Plumbers, a former Tory donor, and he says, “Bollocks to Brexit!”.Can the Norwegian relationship with the EU be a model for the future relationship between the UK and the Continent? Norwegian Top-diplomat Niels Engelschion tells us more.Dutch hit author Joris Luyendijk…
In this first episode, we’ll learn… * How Brexit will transform Strawberries into smoothies, * what it takes for a Brit in Berlin to become a German citizen * and how a Dutch Academic in Wales is sandwiched between Remainers and Brexiteers. Recorded in Paris, October 1, 2018
Emmanuel Macron went to the Vatican, while French butchers were under fire. They ask for police protection because they fear vegan attacks. French police uncovered another terrorist plot. But this time one of the suspects is a former… police officer Immigration has been dominating European headlines and scaring European politicians for almost three weeks now….
In our regular cheese update, we talk about the great French Camembert war! No cheesefire in sight, as purists defend a smelly national treasure. Our guest Charles Wente (Senior Producer, France 24) will give us his insightful perspective on this week’s topics. And if you thought Emmanuel Macron was good looking, take a good look…
This is the 50th Episode of So French!. A grand merci to all our listeners! This week: With strikes, bad approval ratings and a trolling former President all at once, Macron has little reason to celebrate his first anniversary. We also talk about the Cannes Filmfestival and about the strategic interests of New Caledonia. And you…
