Le printemps¹spring, a time of renewal and rebirth, is just about here (at least in the northern hemisphere!) This week we take a look at a number of updates from the world of politics and pop culture about new(ish) things coming this spring to France.

Springtime in Paris. Photo (C) Tim Hildreth

Emmanuel Macron

The President of France has finally made it official, announcing sa candidature jeudi soir dans une lettre aux Français²his candidacy in a letter to the French people … not that anyone was particularly surprised. In fact, one report referred to Macron’s continued silence on his fate as un secret de polichinelle / Polichinelle’s secret. As we’ve discussed, it is common for French Presidents to delay announcing that they’re running for another term.

In his announcement Macron shared his intention to «[luter] contre les inégalités, non pas tant en cherchant à les corriger toujours trop tard qu’en nous y attaquant à la racine.»³fight against inequalities, not by as is often the case trying to correct them too late, but by attacking them at the root and «Nous ferons en sorte que tous les enfants de France aient les mêmes chances»⁴We will ensure that all the children of France have the same opportunities.

Eurovision

Samedi dernier, douze (12) artistes se sont affrontés pour avoir le doit de représenter la France au prochain⁵This past Saturday, 12 artists battled for the right to represent France at the next Eurovision Song Contest. Parmi d’autres⁶Among them (lit. Among others), this year’s competitors included Barbara Pravi – who came in second last year representing France, a singer accompanied by an electric harp, a singer whose singing career only just began thanks to a pandemic Instragram experience as well as one who is already established thanks to her participation in the French edition of The Voice Kids, and a group singing in their native Breton (from the Bretagne region we have visited so often). [Click the link above to read more and see video clips of all the performances.]

At the end of the night … and the end of the votes … c’est “[l]e groupe breton Alvan & Ahez [qui] représentera la France à l’Eurovision […] avec la composition « Fulenn »,”⁷it’s the Breton group Alvan & Alex [who] will represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest […] with the composition “Fulenn”, “[S]ignifiant « étincelle » et « jeune fille », en breton[, la chanson est] inspirée d’une légende bretonne”⁸[M]eaning “spark” and “young girl” in Breton[, the song is] inspired by a Breton legend. Check it out below!

A la télé

I came across two news stories this week about French tv that made me happy.

First, season 3 of the Netflix series Lupin is in production which means that we’ll soon learn what’s in store next for Assane Diop’s gentleman cambrioleur.

Second, Fanny Herrero, creator of Dix Pour Cent, revient à Netflix avec un nouveau “feuilleton de six épisodes, disponible le 18 mars, [qui] suit quatre jeunes cherchant à percer dans le milieu très compétitif du stand-up parisiens” ⁹returns to Netflix with a new six-episode series, available March 18th, [that] follows four youths trying to break into the very competitive world of Parisian stand-up.

France’s 2015 Eurovision Submission!

Macron in charge

‘Zapping’ for beginners

• 1
  spring
• 2
  his candidacy in a letter to the French people
• 3
  fight against inequalities, not by as is often the case trying to correct them too late, but by attacking them at the root
• 4
  We will ensure that all the children of France have the same opportunities
• 5
  This past Saturday, 12 artists battled for the right to represent France at the next
• 6
  Among them (lit. Among others)
• 7
  it’s the Breton group Alvan & Alex [who] will represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest […] with the composition “Fulenn”,
• 8
  [M]eaning “spark” and “young girl” in Breton[, the song is] inspired by a Breton legend
• 9
  returns to Netflix with a new six-episode series, available March 18th, [that] follows four youths trying to break into the very competitive world of Parisian stand-up