Letters and comment

Fibre installation in Alsace: delays, errors and billing issues

Connexion reader is still struggling to get high speed internet after 18 months

My experience with a pellet stove in France: breakdowns, costs and hard work

Reader notes the 'significant drawbacks' of the system

Prepare for questions if calling UK over life certificate issues from France

Reader highlights information needed to ensure pension payments resumed during phone conversation following missing letter issues

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Is email from French electricity supplier Enedis a scam?

Connexion reader receives unsolicited email about their online account

Pellet stoves in France: after-sales support is costly and unclear

Connexion reader reports lack of transparency and the protectionist practices within the sector

Helmets are not the answer to bad habits on French ski slopes

A reader expresses their thoughts on the debate

France’s baby push: Why government efforts to boost births backfire

Columnist Nabila Ramdani argues against state involvement in birth rates and fertility

Happy holidays or harsh realities? The truth about living in rural France

Columnist Samantha David examines the contrast between holiday and day-to-day life

Should cats really have the 'right to roam' in France?

More readers write in with their views on feline transgressions

Votes for foreigners: why is topic so controversial in France?

Two academics talk to The Connexion about the issues at stake and what is done in neighbouring countries

The electorate is to blame for France's political mess

Connexion reader argues that criticism of President Macron is unfair

Creativity is the key to fixing France's education system

Classes are too often characterised by rote learning and rigidity, says Céline Haller - named one of the world's best teachers

French wood pellet stoves are far more expensive than they first appear

Reader says the machines are complex and require costly maintenance

France is lucky to have its dedicated mayors

Columnist Nick Inman stands up for local officials

Where to find good Indian food and curry ingredients in rural France

Connexion readers share their tips on finding spices that hit the spot

Auvergne region is neglected by government

Government agencies and the SNCF shun the area 'time and time again', says reader

France’s 1970s roller disco craze is back – and we tried it

Columnist Sarah Henshaw feels a yearning for a certain kind of retro fun

Trump’s rhetoric feeds France’s long tradition of national decline

Columnist Nabila Ramdani offers a view on the American president's impact on French culture

Is President Macron the problem with France?

Readers write in with their perspectives on the president

Why France’s small rural communes still matter

Columnist Nick Inman makes the case against 'Doge-style cost-cutters'

Macron, Trump and Davos: how Franco-American relations hit a new low

Renowned political commentator Simon Heffer examines the French president's dilemma

Readers share experiences adding their carte Vitale to the new app

Readers write of their experiences – good and bad

I moved to France for the cake – and then learned to love British baking

Columnist Sarah Henshaw rediscovers the British baking tradition of comfort, jam and just having a go

Is it time to shorten France's school holidays?

Pascal Bressoux, professor of educational sciences at the University of Grenoble Alpes, explains why the school timetables need a rethink

Savoyards poke fun at Parisians over snow disruption

A few centimetres shut down capital but for those in Savoie ‘it’s time to clear the chalet steps so no one slips after an apero’

Lookalike La Poste site accused of misleading users in France

Reader says he was overcharged by poste-en-ligne.com and his letter did not even arrive

French eye care system: readers’ experiences

Two readers have a differing opinion of the system

Why calls for Emmanuel Macron to resign as president of France are misguided

The president should stay put, argues columnist Nick Inman

Readers report high customs charges on gifts sent to France

The cost of receiving gifts is sometimes higher than their value

France’s proposed voluntary national service: military revival or costly misstep?

Concerns have emerged over scheme's potential overlap with the recently abandoned Service national universel

Old France is still here – if you know where to look

A reader responds to columnist Nick Inman's article on the changes in France

Why Jordan Bardella is frontrunner for France’s 2027 presidency

Columnist Simon Heffer looks at the inexorable rise of the Rassemblement National's likely candidate

No crisps, no party games: the unwritten rules of French children’s birthdays

Columnist Samantha David describes the ups and downs of a French birthday party for children

More amusing place names in France: from Anus and Chitry to Misery

Readers add to the collection

Vive le roi! All France needs for Christmas is its monarchy back

Columnist Simon Heffer examines the future of republicanism

Watch out for unregulated therapists in France

Reader who is an American clinical psychologist says those working without legal recognition can be dangerous

French bank made me wish I had put savings under the mattress

Current account charges meant reader was losing money despite interest

It’s not just Britons speaking English in France – so why the unfair criticism?

A reader writes on the complexities of adopting the language in different contexts

Becoming a cashless society would not solve France's problems

Economic historian Patrice Baubeau says the trend is accelerating

Is it ever right to blend red and white wine?

Readers contribute to French wine snobbery debate

My experience on Brittany Ferries' new boat was lacklustre

A reader writes of his experiences with the company

Politics needs courtesy, not petty point-scoring

Columnist Nick Inman argues for a return to more sober political discourse

France is short-sighted rejecting citizenship requests

Reader says that recent developments 'feel like a camouflaged form of racism'

Heating oil is cheap in France - and we will not stop using it

Columnist Samantha David charts the ups and downs of sticking to one form of energy

City hire bicycles are too dangerous to carry children

Columnist Nabila Ramdani questions why Paris authorities encourage the practice despite the dangers

Dismay at death charges from French banks

A reader writes of his shock at high costs following a bereavement

WA card renewals: Prefecture asked for four years of tax returns

Connexion reader had expected the process to be straightforward

New carte Vitale app setup is frustrating

Connexion reader recommends waiting for future improvements if proving identity with a titre de sejour

A democratic crisis is undermining France's political confidence

Connexion reader notes that the country wants and needs change

Fast, free and effective: France’s eye care system is excellent

A serious condition left this Connexion reader needing emergency treatment

Eye care in France: more hassle than it is worth

A visit to an ophthalmologist is required for prescription lenses

Readers share their experiences of moving pets to France

Both took the difficult step of bringing their cats from the UK

Why embracing French culture means soup – and village apéros

Columnist Samantha David examines how the French put food at the heart of everything

French farmers need to adapt to the modern world - but we should too

Two Connexion readers eye the ongoing crisis in French agriculture

Contesting French speeding fines is a nightmare

Connexion reader describes his experiences with the courts

A tax system that serves the wealthy undermines French democracy

Connexion reader says it is not fair that ordinary people should face hardship

My French is not so good - but that is fine

Connexion reader notes that life is fine with only rudimentary language skills

Reports of France’s death are greatly exaggerated

Columnist Nick Inman takes issue with the naysayers

People must work until 66 by 2033 to save France's pension system

Think tank director Agnès Verdier-Molinié says that raising the retirement age further is in the interest of retirees

Erotic ‘bonkbusters’ do not exist in France - but they should

Columnist Sarah Henshaw argues the country would do well to embrace Jilly Cooper's oeuvre

Macron plays Pontius Pilate on debt crisis

Columnist Simon Heffer eyes the French government's survival odds

Imprisoned Nicolas Sarkozy personifies France's political crisis

Columnist Nabila Ramdani examines the former president's troubles

Bread, bacon and beans: British food habits on trial in France

Columnist Samantha David carefully navigates a discussion with a taxi driver on a delicate subject: the French breakfast

France's new foreign income rules are making our lives complicated

Readers outline their struggles in getting French nationality

France's DPE energy rules may leave beautiful older homes worthless

Connexion reader's 500-year old home was rated F

Post-Brexit boat registration in France - reader solutions

Owning a second-hand boat in France as a UK resident can be complex

The truth about France’s national debt – and why solidarity matters most

Columnist Nick Inman dismisses calls for cuts in for France's budget

Think about your pets’ futures when moving to France

A reader laments lack of planning provided by animal lovers

A four-day work week may solve overwork and France rising deficits

Management sciences expert Clara Bouchet explains how reduced hours could benefit both home and work lives

French farmers must accept competition and climate concerns

Columnist Nabila Ramdani takes a closer look at agricultural privilege

Welfare ‘binge’ is driving France to financial ruin: a wealth tax is not the answer

Columnist Simon Heffer examines the 'lunacy' behind the country's rejection of cuts

Letters: I would gladly pay more to keep Ryanair at local French airport

Connexion reader says that keeping access to her French home is more significant than a minor increase in ticket price

Letters: Getting glasses in France can be a nightmare

Connexion reader has struggled to get an ophthalmologist appointment

Letters: Readers share tips on use of solar panels in France

There are several ways to manage the power produced

Letters: Check how noisy French heat pump is before buying

Connexion reader has a cleaner and more efficient home thanks to new system