PODCAST: Explaining naughty French politicians and the pros and cons of new Paris airport link

Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local's Emma Pearson, Genevieve Mansfield and John Lichfield to discuss all the latest news and talking points from France.
We begin with politicians falling foul of the law - this week former prime minister François Fillon was sentenced over a 'fake jobs' case while ex president Nicolas Sarkozy was stripped of his Légion d'honneur due to his own criminal convictions. Meanwhile there was another legal setback for Marine Le Pen after her embezzlement conviction.
You can find the Talking France podcast on Spotify or Apple, download it
here
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We also ask John - are French politicians particularly corrupt, or is France just better at tackling corruption in high places?
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In a very different legal proceeding this week, a judge in the family court allowed parents to name their daughter Elizabeth Taylor, a request that had initially been blocked due to French rules on baby names.
As the summer holidays begin many French people will be taking the country's impressive train network - so we're looking at how France got so good at high-speed rail, and how it manages to keep building costs down.
Speaking of rail links, there's also going to be a new one between Paris and its major airport - although this one is a bit controversial.
And finally, should foreigners attempt French swearing? We hear the views of readers of The Local, and a French language expert, on when it's OK to get explicit when speaking French - with reference to
this classic sketch
.
Talking France is a free podcast made possible by the support of paying members of The Local - find out more about becoming a member
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France 24

2 hours ago

• France 24

French court upholds life sentence for man linked to jihadist murder of police couple

A French court on Saturday upheld a life sentence for a man convicted for his part in the 2016 killing of a police couple at their home in front of their young child. In 2023, Mohamed Lamine Aberouz, a Franco-Moroccan, was found guilty of complicity in the stabbings of Jean-Baptiste Salvaing and his partner Jessica Schneider by his friend Larossi Abballa in June 2016. Abballa slit 36-year-old Schneider's throat in front of her three-year-old son and then stabbed 42-year-old Salvaing to death outside their home in the town of Magnanville outside Paris. He was shot dead by a police response unit. Abballa claimed the attack on behalf of the Islamic State group in a chilling live video from the scene of the crime broadcast on social media. The killings came amid a wave of attacks in France linked to the Islamic State group and marked the first time that police officers were traced to, and killed, in their homes. On Saturday, the Paris Special Criminal Court found Aberouz, 31, guilty on all counts including complicity in the murder of a person in a position of public authority and participation in a terrorist criminal conspiracy. His lawyers said their client would lodge an appeal with the Court of Cassation. 'Evil will' Vincent Brengarth, one of his lawyers, said Aberouz was "devastated". "The benefit of the doubt was effectively granted to the prosecution, which represents a reversal of a fundamental principle," he said. Schneider's mother praised the ruling. "Justice has been done," Josiane Schneider told reporters. She praised the "very professional court," including the prosecutor. "I got a clear picture of what happened to my daughter. I had my own story in my head, she filled in the gaps and now I have answers." Aberouz has maintained his innocence, saying he was at prayers the night of the attack. He has condemned the attack and insisted that Abballa acted alone. "It was his evil will," Aberouz said in court. "I regret having known him and having been fooled." "I assure you that I have no responsibility for your misfortune," Aberouz said in the courtroom, looking at the families of Schneider and Salvaing. 03:23 According to the prosecutor, the accused was a member of the Islamic State group and present at the scene of the crime on June 13, 2016. The defendant's denials "do not stand up to scrutiny", said prosecutor Naima Rudloff. "The sequence of events confirms that this could only have been done with the help of a second man," added the prosecutor. "Can you imagine a man, in broad daylight, attacking two potentially armed police officers?" Brengarth, one of the lawyers for the accused, had argued for his client's acquittal on the grounds of reasonable doubt, stressing the lack of "concrete evidence" against him. The accused's DNA was found on the victims' computer. His lawyers have claimed his DNA came from Abballa's car.

LeMonde

3 hours ago

• LeMonde

French court upholds life sentence for complicity in 2016 killing of police couple

A French court on Saturday, June 21, upheld a life sentence for a man convicted for his part in the 2016 killing of a police couple at their home in front of their young child. In 2023, Mohamed Lamine Aberouz, a 31-year-old French-Moroccan binational, was found guilty of complicity in the stabbings of Jean-Baptiste Salvaing and his partner Jessica Schneider by his friend Larossi Abballa in June 2016. Abballa slit 36-year-old Schneider's throat in front of her three-year-old son and then stabbed 42-year-old Salvaing to death outside their home in the town of Magnanville, outside Paris. He was shot dead by a police response unit. Abballa claimed the attack on behalf of the Islamic State group in a chilling live video from the scene of the crime broadcast on social media. The assault took place at the height of a wave of terror and marked the first time that police officers were traced to, and killed, in their homes. On Saturday, the Paris Special Criminal Court found Aberouz guilty on all counts including complicity in the murder of a person in a position of public authority and participation in a terrorist criminal conspiracy. His lawyers said their client would lodge an appeal with the Court of Cassation. 'Evil will' Vincent Brengarth, one of his lawyers, said Aberouz was "devastated." "The benefit of the doubt was effectively granted to the prosecution, which represents a reversal of a fundamental principle," he said. Aberouz has maintained his innocence, saying he was at prayer the night of the attack. He has condemned the attack and insisted that Abballa acted alone. "It was his evil will," Aberouz said in court. "I regret having known him and having been fooled." "I assure you that I have no responsibility for your misfortune," Aberouz said in the courtroom, looking at the families of Schneider and Salvaing. According to the prosecutor, the accused was a member of the Islamic State group and present at the scene of the crime on June 13, 2016. The defendant's denials "do not stand up to scrutiny," said prosecutor Naïma Rudloff. "The sequence of events confirms that this could only have been done with the help of a second man," Rudloff added. "Can you imagine a man, in broad daylight, attacking two potentially armed police officers?" Brengarth, one of the lawyers for the accused, had argued for his client's acquittal on the grounds of reasonable doubt, stressing the lack of "concrete evidence" against him. The accused's DNA was found on the victims' computer. His lawyers have claimed his DNA came from Abballa's car.

Euronews

3 hours ago

• Euronews

Iran arrests European citizen accused of espionage

Iranian authorities have detained a European national on accusations of "spying on sensitive areas of the country." The individual's nationality has not yet been confirmed. According to Iranian media, the alleged spy was arrested while cycling through a restricted security zone in Markazi Province. The Tasnim news agency reported that the man entered Iran around the time that Israeli airstrikes began, although these details have not been independently verified. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has reportedly arrested 22 people in the city of Qom, accusing them of spying for Israel. 'Twenty-two individuals were identified and detained for allegedly being linked to Zionist intelligence services and for stirring up public unrest,' said the Fars news agency and cited by Portuguese news agency Lusa. Over the past week, Iranian authorities are believed to have executed several individuals accused of spying for Israel. Since the start of Israel's military operations, 13 people have reportedly been executed. In recent years, seven French citizens have been detained by Iranian authorities, with two still being held in custody. On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had spoken wth his Iranian counterpart by phone, demanding the immediate release of the two remaining detainees. 'I reiterated my firm demand: Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris must be freed. Their inhumane detention is unjust. I hope they will return to France soon,' Macron said. He also voiced "deep concern" over Iran's nuclear ambitions. 'My position remains clear: Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, and it must provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful. I believe there is a path to ending the war and avoiding even greater risks. To that end, France and its European partners will step up negotiations with Iran,' Macron wrote on X. Cécile Kohler and her partner, Jacques Paris, were arrested in 2022 during a tourist visit to Iran. Tehran accuses them of espionage, an allegation their families strongly deny.