News Digest: Strikes, Holidays, & Can You Get a Digital Driving Licence in France?

However, there is a catch! In order to benefit from the scheme, you need to be able to access the ‘France Identité’ app, which requires users to be over 18 and have a recent French ID card (Carte nationale d’identité or CNI). Unfortunately, these are only available to French citizens, ruling out most expats and foreign residents in France, unless you have acquired French nationality by naturalisation.

We reported back in June 2022, in the wake of the historic reversal of the Roe v. Wade constitutional right by the US Supreme Court, that French President Emmanuel Macron had promised to make moves to protect a woman’s “fundamental right” to an abortion in the French constitution.

Almost two years later, Macron is making good on his promise, and the proposed change, which would categorise abortion as a “guaranteed freedom” for all women in France (an amendment from the original text that stated a “right” to abortion), was passed recently by the National Assembly, with an overwhelming vote in favour. However, in order to change the constitution, it must also pass through the Senate and must receive an overall approval by three-fifths of both the National Assembly and the Senate.

So, what happens now? The Senate will vote on the motion on February 28th, and – if it is passed – it will be put to a combined vote of both chambers on March 5th. We’ll keep you updated as we know more.

French schools in Zone B (northern and southeastern France) start their winter holidays at the end of this week, with schools closing from Friday, 24^th February, through until March 11^th. Schoolchildren in Zone A (central and southwestern France), who started their holidays last Friday, still have another week of holidays to enjoy, while it’s back to school for children in Zone C (Paris and Toulouse regions) who start back on Monday, February 26^th.

Find out about French school zones and school holiday dates here.