France Elections. I am an immigrant

I was just wondering about this, (a bit off topic), but I think the somewhat heavy spicing in a curry would have to be toned down for the French palate to really enjoy it. Their taste beds are very refined, and I think they prefer more subtle flavours using herbs and creams.

Brittany is pants for foreign foods too , MaizieD. It's crêpes and seafood all the way! I like that as a visitor, though when you live there it can be restricting.

Do you have a holiday home in Normandy MaizieD? Lucky you if so.The fish dishes we have had there in the past were amazingly good.
Eloethan I know what you mean but very few people think about the war now except on certain days as you have to be quite ancient to have lived through it as an adult.

I was thinking about the different cuisines available to us in the UK when I wrote my earlier post. I think that's one aspect of cultural diversity that the British have embraced enthusiastically. Even in the small town (large village) where I live we have 2 Italian restaurants (and a number of pizza takeaways), 2 Chinese takeaways, and 2 Indian takeaways in addition to fish & chip shops, British style cafes/restaurants and pub grub .(which usually includes a curry & other spicy dishes) Further away in the larger urban centres the range is much more extensive.

Yup, much more choice than in rural Normandy where we visit quite often😀

Do we really want to lose all this? Or is it an 'Oh, I don't mean the food' moment. Keep the food, chuck out the members of the culture that supply it...

It is actually one thing I really miss living in France. I would love to go out for a curry locally, buy Brinjal pickle in the supermarkets etc. I find French cuisine a bit dull tbh.

There’s a piece in today’s Times on this topic, headed ‘I am an immigrant’ - by a Northern Irish woman living in France who had a gendarme suggest that she might like to return to her own country.

Maybe a white mono culture would be acceptable?

As well as England many years before that!!

Joseann

We bought a house in Brittany, not that long ago, and as we sat in front of the lawyer to sign the papers, he said something like, "we don't mind you Brits coming to live in our country, it's all the African immigrants we don't want".
This was a legal representative of the government expressing the views that educated people also hold.

"The sins of the fathers" comes to mind.
How much of Africa did France invade and colonise?

We don't want a mono-culture,

If you don't want a mono-culture what are you complaining about, then?

Seriously, though. I'm hard put to work out what bit of 'our culture' has actually been destroyed by the acceptance of 'other' cultures into our countries.

Curtaintwitcher

The majority of politicians have their own agenda and ignore the wishes of the people. Then they get a shock when voters are given the chance to express how they feel. This is what has happened in France.
Condemning people as Nazis because they don't want their culture diluted by immigrants is an insult. That applies right across Europe and Britain too. We don't want a mono-culture, we enjoy having our own identity. Those in power need to start realising that and stop forcing their own ideals on us.

Surely their culture is being enhanced, not diluted?

Its a bit rich whats going on in France. Who poked their nose in and created the colonies in the first place?

Mamie

I agree about the racism Joseann. I take no pride in the number of times people have said "they don't mean you".

The Scots used to say that when we lived in Scotland!

I agree about the racism Joseann. I take no pride in the number of times people have said "they don't mean you".

Galaxy

I am afraid Macrons character is not particularly strong, his behaviour reflects that. He is unable to believe that he will not win.

I don't really agree with that Galaxy. I think Macron is strong, but sometimes too headstrong. He is not a remote figure in practice as he does a lot of travelling on visits in mainland France and overseas territories, but he can appear too lofty and intellectual for some people.
I also think he is very well aware of people's grievances, legitimate or otherwise. We have lived in France for twenty years and protests and demonstrations are a way of life; you can't remain in ignorance.
As to "immigrants diluting culture", this is France; if you become a French citizen you espouse the values of the Republic culturally as well as legally. There is no religion or dress based on religion allowed in state schools, you are expected to speak French without translation services etc.
Yes, there are inevitable tensions around immigration, but French culture and patriotism and pride in French culture is very high.
If you watch the French news every day, you will see that the main concern at the moment is cost of living. I don't know what the RN can do about that.

We bought a house in Brittany, not that long ago, and as we sat in front of the lawyer to sign the papers, he said something like, "we don't mind you Brits coming to live in our country, it's all the African immigrants we don't want".
This was a legal representative of the government expressing the views that educated people also hold.

*his him

Mamie you're right about the RN in being stronger in rural areas. People in those regions have indeed waited decades to see their favoured party in power. I was at school in Brittany in the 70s when Marine Le Pen's father, a Breton, arrived on the scene. He was very popular there with fishermen and farmers etc. Don't forget, Marine Le Pen split with her father and suspended his from the party. I don't like what her party stands for, but she herself is steadfast and tenacious.

I am afraid Macrons character is not particularly strong, his behaviour reflects that. He is unable to believe that he will not win.

The majority of politicians have their own agenda and ignore the wishes of the people. Then they get a shock when voters are given the chance to express how they feel. This is what has happened in France.
Condemning people as Nazis because they don't want their culture diluted by immigrants is an insult. That applies right across Europe and Britain too. We don't want a mono-culture, we enjoy having our own identity. Those in power need to start realising that and stop forcing their own ideals on us.

I do think it will get worse, more countries will go that way. Politicians do not listen to the people or experience what many do..Then they wonder why.

The vote for RN is broadly speaking stronger in rural areas and in people who have education levels below baccalauréat.
I don't really agree that voters have waited a long time to be heard, regular elections where the RN have been candidates and even more regular demonstrations have given plenty of opportunity. I still think it is a protest vote about cost of living, anger at pension reforms that bring France in line with other countries and despair at the appalling weather events that have ruined crops, homes and livelihoods for the last couple of years.
In our commune which is fundamentally a domitory village for the nearest city, with a mix of retired people and young families, Macron's party won the first round.

People must have short memories. You would think, having been occupied by the Nazis and seeing the atrocities committed against minority populations, French people would be a lot more careful about who they vote for.

Mass immigration seems to have resulted in a swing to the right in both Germany and France. as well as other European countries, although of course there are other factors involved. You would have thought that politicians would have seen this coming! They obviously do not heed the lessons of history. The UK’s Uniparty seems to be battling against the tide, to what ends, we will see.

I'm not sure, MaizieD. It depends how fickle voters are in France? I think many have waited a long time to be heard, and their allegiance to a new regime might hold strong for quite some time.

What I mean is that, from my observations in Brittany, which in the past only voted somewhat reluctantly for Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardellais out in front, and this surprised me.