The French government has collapsed again after Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a vote of confidence in parliament on Monday night.

We've been here before of course, but the latest French political crisis feels even more fraught with President Emmanuel Macron running out of options and numerous strikes and opposition movements lined up for the days ahead.

What happens now? What happens in France when there's no government? What will happen to Macron himself? We'll try to answer all these questions over the next 25 minutes or so, but let's start with a look at what happened on Monday night.

Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield have easily survived a no confidence vote to be here with us to bring us all the latest news and analysis. Ben McPartland is your host.

Essential reading:

• OPINION: France may muddle through the latest crisis, but the reckoning is coming
• Bloquons Tout: Transport disruption in France on September 10th
• What happens next after French government ousted?
• 'Relief for the people': France reacts to government collapse
• What does a French Prime Minister actually do?

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Be warned, France’s strike calendar for September is quickly filling up as various unions announce industrial action that could impact, well, pretty much all aspects of life in France. We’ll look at just how much disruption and political discord lie ahead over the next few weeks in France.

And remember this could be the last Talking France episode with Francois Bayrou as Prime Minister. We’ll explore whether France has simply become ungovernable these days.

We’ll also find about one French town that has slapped a ban on people buying up property to be used as a second home. Could this be the star of a nationwide trend?

And speaking of homes, a story on The Local France has gone viral in recent weeks about a French town selling homes for just one euro. But surely there’s a catch? We’ll find out.

And the big exposé this week is to reveal which of France’s smelly cheeses is the king of stench, the most pungent of them all. The competition is tough but we’ll name the winner.

Im Ben McPartland and with me this week will be the team from The Local France, Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield.

Essential reading:

• KEY DATES: Strikes planned in France in September 2025
• How to challenge your 2025 French property tax bills
• LISTED: New flights to and from France in autumn and winter 2025
• Phone ban and sex education: The changes in French schools from September 2025
• Brittany town bans second homes amid housing shortage
• 5 things you need to know about France's one euro homes
• VERDICT: What is the smelliest French cheese of all?

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So summer's almost over, but it's been an eventful one in France. We'll bring you up to date with what's been happening. But the thrust of this week's episode and the reason we've started the new series a week earlier than planned is that France has, once again, been plunged into, yep you can guess what I'm going to say next: a new political crisis.

The country is facing "great danger" says the PM Francois Bayrou, but is the country listening to him? We'll get all the news and analysis on the latest turmoil to hit Emmanuel Macron's government and find out what's going to happen next.

And one of the big subjects our team has been covering in recent weeks has been a major change to France's citizenship rules that has left a lot of readers anxious.

We'll explain all.

They say never change a winning team, so for this new series I've decided to stick with the same line up that has made Talking France THE podcast to listen to if you're interested in France... With me once again will be Editor Emma Pearson, journalist Gen Mansfield and French politics guru John Lichfield. Ben McPartland is your host.

Thanks for joining us for a new series of Talking France.

We hope you all had a fantastic summer wherever you were.

As a reminder, just in case you might have forgotten during the heatwaves, this is a podcast produced by the team at The Local France, thanks to our paying members, so if you like what you listen to, please sign up via The Local.fr and help keep Talking France going.

Essential reading:

• OPINION: PM Bayrou is doomed, but will his fall wake up France?
• 'Illogical, bizarre and ageist': Readers react to French citizenship changes
• Analysis: Has France really made it impossible for retirees to get citizenship?

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This final episode of the season is all about looking ahead to the summer in France. And it plans to be a hot one, in more ways than one with a raft of possible transport strikes ahead that could impact your holidays.

We'll get all the latest on industrial action, some possible political turbulence as well as look ahead to some major summer events in France and find out just how extreme the heatwaves are going to be.

And to do all this host Ben McPartland calls on The Local's editor Emma Pearson and politics expert John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• Planes, trains and museums: The strikes to expect in France this summer
• How hot will it get in France this summer
• OPINION: Another week, another attempt to bring down the French government

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This week we'll find out about how toxic green algae on Brittany's famously picturesque beaches claimed the life of a French jogger and perhaps others plus the role French farming and even the state played in his death.

We'll also look at the far less sparkly side of France's prestigious Champagne industry that's exposed how badly grape pickers are treated and bring you all the details about how you can take a swim in the Seine in the heart of Paris this summer.

And we'll explore why France has avoided the kind of anti-tourism protests seen in Spain and look at some of the famous French sites that have been hit by over-tourism and offer you some fantastic alternatives instead.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by the team at The Local France - Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• Green algae found along French coastline responsible for jogger's death, rules court
• 10 alternatives to France's overcrowded tourist hotspots
• French champagne makers face human trafficking trial
• Everything you need to know about swimming in the Seine in Paris this summer
• How has France avoided Europe's anti-tourism protests?

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Up this week : It's been another bad week for the reputation of French politicians. We'll discuss why they are so naughty, and when I say naughty I mean corrupt, rather than bed hopping.

And we'll also bring you the good news that Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport will soon have a direct train link that's been centuries in the making. Although there's some bad news too given how much it's going to cost.

We'll find out why France has been so successful in creating high speed trains and not so good at local rail links, why the French name police are so powerful and whether or not foreigners in France should swear like a local.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's mostly foulmouthed duo Emma Pearson and Gen Mansfield as well as the always elegantly spoken John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• The French baby names banned by law
• 'It doesn't sound as vulgar': The verdict on swearing in French
• French ex-president Sarkozy stripped of Legion of Honour
• French ex-PM Fillon given suspended prison sentence over wife's fake job
• 'Rail golden age': French trains more popular than ever (despite strike threats)

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This week we discuss a shocking incident which saw a teaching assistant stabbed to death by a pupil outside a French secondary school, and find out what the government plans to do, to tackle what the president has described as a "senseless wave of violence".

We'll also find out about the efforts Paris is going to to protect the Seine and reveal all about Paris's second, secret river, that may be given a new life.

We'll find out whether flight passengers in France and around Europe are going to lose out through a planned change in the compensation rules and we'll examine the threat of violence linked to far right extremism in France after a Tunisian was murdered in a suspected terror attack.

And stay to the end to see whether you can spot which famous world changing inventions came from France and which very French-sounding creations didn't.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by the team from The Local France: Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and politics expert John Lichfield.

EXTRA READING

• France eyes social media ban for under-15s after school stabbing
• 12 world-changing inventions that came from France
• Paris unveils plans to bring forgotten underground river back to surface
• Paris seeks personhood status for River Seine
• ANALYSIS: How much of a threat is extreme-right violence in France?
• Passenger compensation for flight delays set to decrease in Europe

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This week we'll explain the ongoing and far-from-brotherly dispute behind the different kinds of taxi drivers in France and whether they'll ever declare peace with each other.

We'll examine why France's efforts to clean up the air in its polluted cities might be about to go up in smoke and explain France's new rules on smoking outdoors - and how they will impact both smokers and non-smokers.

And we'll explain the tricky rules around remote working in France with the help of new information sent to us from French tax authorities.

And stay to the end to find out whether French drivers behave better on the roads than their counterparts across Europe and we'll have a handy tip for what to do when you are being tailgated in France.

Host Ben McPartland is joined at the wheel by our team of rogue drivers, Editor Emma Pearson, journalist Gen Mansfield and politics and driving expert John Lichfield.

EXTRA READING:

• What you need to know about taking a taxi in Paris
• Explained: France's new smoking ban rules
• So you want to move to France and work remotely?
• Is this the end of France's Crit'Air zones for drivers?
• Swearing, honking and tailgating: French drivers ranked among worst in Europe

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