An in-depth look at the political and social events shaping France. Monday at 3:45pm Paris time.
Latest episodes
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13 min
Violence and sexual abuse at French Catholic school: Bétharram victims speak out
This week, France in Focus explores the "Bétharram scandal", named after the Catholic school where hundreds of pupils were subjected to physical, psychological and sexual abuse for…
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12 min
Scientists on the front line in climate change ocean research
Ahead of the United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, our reporters went to meet some of the French scientists working to better understand and preserve the ocean. From high-tech…
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12 min
Jules Verne: The 'Extraordinary Voyages' of a visionary French writer
This week we delve into the life of Jules Verne, one of the world's most widely translated writers. The French author's "Extraordinary Voyages" include "Twenty Thousand Leagues Und…
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12 min
Resistance: When France's clergy saved Jews during WWII
After the fall of France in 1940, the clergy welcomed Marshal Pétain as a saviour. But when Jewish people started being rounded up in the summer of 1942, Protestant pastors and Cat…
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12 min
Rearming France: The race is on
Faced with American uncertainty surrounding the war in Ukraine and the future of NATO, Europe is looking to wean itself off US defence. France has promised to ramp up spending, put…
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12 min
'Paris Noir': A cultural crossroads for Black artists
Paris's status as a cosmopolitan hub for artists from all over the world was forged in the 20th century, particularly in the postwar period, when it was seen as a beacon for Black…
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12 min
France's child protection system 'at breaking point': What's gone wrong?
In France, 400,000 children and young adults depend on the child protection system, known as the Aide Sociale à l’Enfance, or ASE. As FRANCE 24's Natacha Vesnitch and Claire Paccal…
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12 min
French overseas territories: Martinique's Creole melting pot
In France's overseas departments, Creole language and culture are seen as a bulwark against racism and standardisation. The concept of "Créoleness" was developed in the late 1980s,…
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12 min
A rare peek behind the scenes of the Académie française
This week, France in Focus gets a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the Académie française, the temple of the French language. Our reporters delve into the history of this 17th-cen…
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12 min
Mayotte residents struggle to pick up the pieces after Cyclone Chido
Cyclone Chido was the strongest storm to hit Mayotte in at least 90 years. When the cyclone slammed into the French overseas department in December, it packed winds of more than 20…
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12 min
Paris's La Défense business district reels from working-from-home trend
For many years, the La Défense business district on the edge of Paris was the beating heart of France's corporate and financial sectors. La Défense emerged in the late 1960s as a m…
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12 min
One year after protests, French farming still in crisis
This week, France in Focus returns to the rural Tarn et Garonne department in the southwestern Occitania region, where unrest in the French agricultural sector first took root in e…
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12 min
Eighty years on, French deportee remembers horror of Auschwitz and difficult return home
On January 27, 1945, the French population had yet to grasp the full horror of the Holocaust. After the Soviet army finally liberated Auschwitz and the allies advanced on the Weste…
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12 min
France's Pelicot case: Questioning toxic masculinity
The Pelicot rape trial at the end of 2024 put the issue of sexual violence at the centre of public debate in France. Seen as a real turning point, the case has also raised question…
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12 min
2019 Paris gas explosion: Six years on, life resumes after the blast
On January 12, 2019, the residents of rue de Trévise in Paris's 9th arrondissement (district) were woken by a huge explosion prompted by a gas leak. As they were rushed out of the…
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12 min
The Chauvet cave: Unlocking France's prehistoric past
This week, France in Focus heads underground to explore the "Sistine Chapel" of prehistory. Thirty years ago, three explorers discovered the Chauvet cave, a site in southeastern Fr…
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11 min
Oysters in hot water: Pollution and poaching threaten production
For oyster farmers, the year-end holiday period is a vital one as they make around a third to half of their annual sales during this time. But last year was catastrophic for some o…
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12 min
Notre-Dame Cathedral: At the heart of a changing neighbourhood in Paris
Since the 2019 fire that devastated Notre-Dame, the historic centre of Paris has been affected by extensive renovation works. Now, five years later, the reopening of the cathedral…
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12 min
Eurostar: Thirty years of challenges
On November 14, 1994, the rail operator Eurostar launched its high-speed services through the Channel Tunnel. A historic day that saw Paris and London connected in record time but…
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12 min
Vendée Globe 2024: Conquering the oceans and the seas
The Vendée Globe, the greatest sailing race in the world, is often called the Everest of the Seas. It’s extreme and it’s all about resilience and high technology. Every four years,…