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

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

More strikes are on their way this week, the proposal to add abortion rights to the French constitution is going before the Senate, and why foreigners in France may not be able to benefit from the new digital driving licence scheme. Here are the French news stories you need to know about this week.

1. More strikes on the way?

Another week, another strike! No sooner have the recent teachers’ strikes and farmers’ strikes died down than a new wave of strikes have sprung up, affecting travellers in France. Employees at France’s most iconic monument, the Eiffel Tower, went on strike yesterday, citing “financial mismanagement of the monument”. The attraction remains closed today, and a notice on the Eiffel Tower website states that: “Due to a renewable strike notice, the opening of the Eiffel Tower could be disrupted on February 21”. Visitors are encouraged to check the website prior to visiting, and e-ticket holders should check their email for updates and the opportunity to reorganise their visit.

Further rail strikes also affected travel this past weekend, and although this particular strike ended yesterday (Monday, February 19th), there is a possibility of a rail signallers strike taking place from Friday, February 23rd, until Saturday, February 24th. If you plan to travel by train this weekend, be sure to keep an eye on your email for updates and double-check your tickets before travelling. Cancellations and changes should be announced within 48 hours of your departure.  

2. Can you get a digital driving licence in France?

France has recently rolled out a new digital driving licence scheme, giving drivers the option of an e-licence that can be used as proof during routine police checks. The digital licence is not a replacement for the physical driving licence, which will likely still be required for official procedures and administrative processes, but it does mean that eligible drivers will no longer need to carry their physical licence with them while driving (making it much easiest to keep that all-important hard copy safe).

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.

It’s not currently possible to access the app, and therefore, the digital driver’s licence, as a foreigner, even if you have a permanent residency card and a French driving licence. Of course, if this changes in the future, we’ll let you know.

3. Will abortion become a constitutional right in France?

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.

4. School holidays start

French schools in Zone B (northern and southeastern France) start their winter holidays at the end of this week, with schools closing from Friday, 24th February, through until March 11th. 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 26th.

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

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FrenchEntrée's Digital Editor, Zoë is also a freelance journalist who has written for the Telegraph, HuffPost, and CNN, and a guidebook updater for the Rough Guide to France and Rough Guide to Dordogne & Lot. She lives in the French countryside just outside of Nantes.

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