Interesting that they place Johnson among the ‘clown’ proto-fascists (Trump, Berlusconi, Bolsonaro) rather than the more serious variety like Orbán, Erdoğan, etc.
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I think you’ve missed the point, haven’t you?
No, not sensitive just fed up with the schadenfreude from over there.
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I’ll grant you that some expat/whatzits do seem to stick very much to their little groups although “bourgeois???” not necessarily so…
However, it is by no means “most”…
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may be find something that’s new… M. J-L M is forever banging on about E.M - he was doing it before the wax on the Great Seal of France set 
Yes, he and his constant complainings are that old 
But, don’t forget, JLM is FRENCH and at least has some entitlement to express his view - in France 
The fact that Melanchon, the Trade Unions, the Gilets Jaunes, etc, do have a voice, and are listened to in France, are surely among the things that make it a fundamentally healthier society than the UK?
There, the government is passing legislation to make protest virtually illegal (and the police have in any case tried to suppress even perfectly legal protest! - see Met criticised over Clapham vigil policing).
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I don’t think ‘the French’ are particularly interested in the UK. Everyone knows how Melenchon operates. They understand how the gilets jaunes came about. I guess everyone has worries about the future. But they know it is not all down to Macron. There is a balanced parliament, there is a written constitution. There are checks and balances that the UK hasn’t got or which have been undermined. People in France are far more educated about how the country works and is governed than those in the UK. For me, the differences highlight what is wrong in the UK and what makes me glad to be here and not there.
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Also, the extreme right party in the French parliament won less than one sixth of the seats - in the UK they’re in the majority!
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I agree that very few French people are interested in British politics.
But a French friend did say to me a while back that this man (Boris) did nothing to give the UK a good image. And she wasn’t talking about his politics or administrative antics, just his goofyness, ugliness and his arrogance. I could probably add more adjectives, but I don’t think I need to !
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I’m not sure we can truly say that
Do we know how many French are living in UK???
Presumably they are interested in UK politics… and I expect their families in France are also interested…
Frankly, none of my neighbours have family in UK… even so, they seem to watch the International News and do want to chew things over…
Much the same as Brits in UK will discuss and chew over Macron, Biden, Trump et al…
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But Clowns can be just as dangerous as megalomaniacs
A very good point Stella.
Statista says… Between 2019 and June 2021 the number of French citizens living in the UK has decreased, from approximately 191 thousand in 2019 to approximately 149 thousand by June 2021.
My daily newspaper… is Sud Ouest and every day there is at least one article on UK politics… today it’s Liz Truss in the limelight… I studiously turn the page … 
I presume that there are sufficient Sud Ouest readers who are interested in UK politics… otherwise that paper wouldn’t waste time and space…
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How nice. 
However, I was give a jolt by a friend yesterday saying “Come another day. I have strong [sic] Covid” It’s still out there … 
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I am still extremely careful… and when I say hugs… it can be a real hug with those I know are safe to do so… or a wild waving of arms in mock-embrace, touching ones heart… blowing kisses… et al… and, of course, this all takes place in the open air… and, yes, I still carry a mask in my pocket and I do use it as and when appropriate.
For all the horrors of Johnson, Truss et al, UK is still #6 in the world economy, with France at #8, with India in between.
According to the UN COMTRADE database France’s exports to UK look like this
The 2021 figure is a final total, so right up to date. The implication is that Brexit has significantly effected Franc adversely.
The interesting question is - are those imports now being sourced from elsewhere or not being bought at all?
I’m sure there’s someone out there who can tell us what it was France used to export to UK… which it no longer does (or does in a much reduced quantity)…
anyone… ??? (I don’t think it’s mustard…)
Report in Shropshire Star today about Telford firm with lots of vacancies. Have also read recently about manufacturing boom in West Midlands. Possibly to do with diesel price/transport difficulties.
This question was covered in this presentation during a recent conference by UK in a Changing Europe. Essentially imports from non-EU countries have replaced imports from EU countries. Whereas before the implementation of the TCA patterns and trends were similar for both, there’s a visible divergence since 2021. The upshot is that, for example, food prices in the UK have increased by 6% as a result. The video below goes into great detail and is well worth watching.
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Oddly enough, Stella, it is! I was in Tesco, Weston-super-Mare, a couple of weeks ago and was astonied* to see the mustard shelves well stocked with the usual faves from France - Maille and all.
My local Eric the Cleric is so down on mustard stock that they have closed up the gap of empty shelves where the mustard used to be with other stuff.
This page has a comprehensive list of 97 varieties of goods. United Kingdom Imports from France - 2024 Data 2025 Forecast 1993-2022 Historical
Top comes vehicles, excluding railways and trmways $3.76B. Bottom comes ‘vegetable plaiting materials, vegetable products’.
So when you see ropes of onions on sale in the posh delis on Holland Park Avenue W8, it’s probable only the ‘plaiting material’ that’s actually French.