What’s happening in France this week
The Senate takes a look at the social security financing bill the Assembly rejected, France remembers its war dead, more protests and some key sporting clashes. Oh, and the world ends. Possibly.
Monday
Court – The trial, postponed since May, of sailor Kevin Escoffier over alleged sexual assaults involving four women is due to begin in Lorient.
Budget – The Senate will start debating the government’s draft social security financing bill after it was rejected on first reading in the National Assembly. The debate is scheduled to run to November 18th.
Wednesday
Armistice Day — Wednesday, November 11th is a public holiday in France, marking the anniversary of the end of World War I and an occasion to remember the dead of all wars.
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Towns and cities host parades and wreaths are laid at the war memorials. Virtually every commune in France has a war memorial listing the men from the local area who died for their country (mort pour la patrie). In Paris, the President will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe.
Thursday
Exhibition – the 29th edition of Paris Photo opens.
Sport – Italy host France at the San Siro in Milan, in the fifth match of the Uefa Nations League. The game, between second and first in Group A1 and which kicks off at 8.45pm, will be broadcast in France on free-to-air channel TF1. France coach Zinedine Zidane’s reign kicked off with a 1-1 draw between the two sides in Saint-Denis in October.
Friday
Superstitions – Friday the 13th is, in many anglophone countries, a bad day for good fortune. In France, however, it’s supposed to be quite lucky. We should, perhaps, watch this particular Friday the 13th more closely than most, because – back in 1960 – scientists predicted it would be the Day the World Ends.
READ ALSO Friday the 13th: The most unusual French superstitions
Rugby – France take on South Africa at Stade de France on the second weekend of the northern hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship. The match is scheduled to kick off at 9.10pm, and will be broadcast on free-to-air channel TF1.
Saturday
More Gilet Jaunes? – The ‘yellow vest’ protesters have been staging regular Saturday protests since October 31st over the rising cost of living, and have been joined by unions and students. At the time of writing it’s not clear what is planned for November 14th, but you can keep up with the latest on our Protests page here.
