News Digest: French Property, Mortgages & Exchange Rates in 2025

If you’re a British or EU citizen planning to buy a property in France, then don’t miss our free webinar this Thursday. I’ll be joined by an expert panel to take a look at the latest news and advice on the French property market.

• Where is the best place to buy right now in France?

• How much will notaire fees cost in 2025?

• Can you get a French mortgage as a non-resident?

• How will exchange rates affect your purchasing power in 2025?

We’ll be answering these questions and much more!

Join us this Thursday, 20th February 2025 at 10 am UK time/11am French time.

Sign up for our free Where to Start with Buying in France – UK webinar here!

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted several EU leaders yesterday (Monday, 17^th Feb) for an important meeting regarding EU security. Calling an urgent meeting in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent actions regarding the US involvement in ending the Ukraine War and comments over the US’ commitment to NATO, leaders from the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland met at the Élysée Palace in Paris yesterday. Heads of the European Council, NATO, and the European Commission were also in attendance.

Opinions were divided at the meeting, with France and Britain pushing for “strong and credible security guarantees” – President Macron spoke with both Trump and Zelensky on Tuesday, emphasizing these concerns, while UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer stated that the UK was ready to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if required. Germany, on the other hand, remained opposed to deploying any European troops.

President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, posted a statement on X that summed it up, saying: “Europe’s security is at a turning point. Yes, it is about Ukraine — but it is also about us. We need an urgency mindset. We need a surge in defence. And we need both of them now”.

Read more at Le Monde or follow the latest Ukraine news live at The Guardian.

Last week’s News Digest took a look at the 2025 increases in taxes on plane tickets and its potential effect on flights to and from France. Thankfully, the news hasn’t stopped low-cost carrier EasyJet from announcing two new flight routes from the UK to France.

The first is a new route from London Gatwick to Brest in Brittany’s Finistère department, a key gateway to western France. Flights will start from June 25th with two direct flights per week on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Next is a new seasonal route from Edinburgh to Bordeaux, which will run twice a week on Thursdays and Saturdays from June 26th through until the end of August. The service replaces the previous Edinburgh-Bordeaux route operated by competitors RyanAir, who have now closed their base at Bordeaux airport.

Spring has sprung early in the south of France, at least where pollen counts are concerned. Thanks to the unusually warm temperatures, some thirty departments in the south have been put on high alert for pollen, particularly cypress, cedar, and juniper pollen, according to the RNSA (Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique).

Il y a comme un air de printemps dans le sud🤧
Le risque d'allergie est élevé du sud-ouest au le sud-est du pays en raison de la présence accrue de pollens de Cupressacées (cyprès, genévriers…)🌲
Le risque est également moyen pour les pollens de frêne, d'aulne et de noisetier! pic.twitter.com/VY6RIsESel

— Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique (@rnsa_pollen) February 16, 2025

Allergy sufferers have been advised to take extra care, avoid hanging laundry outside, air out living spaces daily, and limit outdoor sports activities if required. You might also want to stock up on allergy-related medications earlier than usual.

There’s also a medium-level risk for ash, alder, and hazel pollens.