France

Nicolas Sarkozy’s reappearance in the media demonstrates that public opinion in the country is far from uniform

Beloved of celebrities, the SS Normandie was the fastest, most beautiful ocean-going liner of them all – yet it was doomed from the start

Toulouse-Lautrec was an aristocrat who recognised in the outliers of society a shared vulnerable otherness

As Rimbaud’s masterpiece A Season In Hell turns 150, reappraising the short life and wild times of a talented, toxic “damned soul”

In recent years, Paris has experienced a cycling boom, but this has brought with it its own set of challenges

Thanks to French singer-songwriter Jain, the life of Miriam Makeba has had a recent renaissance on social media

Europe may have pivoted away from Russia's pipeline gas, but it will remain exposed until it reduces its gas demand

This year’s Festival d’Avignon – a celebration of song, music and dance – kicked off with a rebellion against Brexit

Full of intriguing quirks and anecdotes, Andrew Martin’s Metropolitain is nothing short of a love letter to a subterranean railway

Through hard work and determination the actress forged an exalted presence in the French screen canon

For the author Maylis de Kerangal, reading one of her books in another language is like hearing a familiar tune on a new instrument

A new government scheme could make Britain appear more attractive to young Europeans. It’s frustrating that it is only now being trialled

In the height of summer, Parisians flee the city as heat and holiday breaks transform the French capital

In small town in northern France, the art of producing beautiful objects from shells is being kept alive

A former Belgian TV star who became the toast of France, Virginie Efira is little-known here. Is it time for a breakthrough?

Migrants from north Africa are trying to walk across the Alps. And many are dying in the attempt

Brexit has made touring a logistical nightmare for artists. Just ask Kate Stables, aka This Is The Kit

The award-winning author, Faïza Guène, wants to make sure the descendants of people from France’s colonies are no longer overlooked and calls for the generational trauma to end here

Music isn’t something the French have ever truly excelled at. But, I’m slowly being won over

The impact of climate change is felt unevenly across the globe. Any proposal tackling the issue must consider this

The joys of the great British post-Brexit getaway will start again this weekend. Are you ready for a long wait?

French people in London have always put on a good party for Le Quatorze Juillet. But for how much longer?

The singer and actress was the Frenchest of us all, and somehow also the most British

When the head of France’s collaborating Vichy government appeared in court, he remained a mystery for many who were there

In his rush to participate in geopolitics, has the president forgotten about strife-torn France itself?

Felix Portello’s protest rap has earned him a different sort of following from the one he’s used to

Joaquin Phoenix dons the bicorn hat in Ridley Scott’s new biopic, but will he fare better than his predecessors?

Riots in the capital stem from France's inability to deal with the long aftermath of the Algerian War

New photos by Paul McCartney reveal a band on the cusp of global stardom, trapped for a mad three weeks in the city of light

The optimism of last week has gone. In its place are polarised politics and deep frustration with the country’s powerful police force

Europe’s first celebrity is celebrated in a treasure trove of objects at Paris’ Petit Palais

Europe is once more witness to invasion, destruction and war. Can, or even should, we ever put such horrors behind us?