What freedoms does France have that we don’t?

[YourHangryQuail]

Just coming off of the banned baby name thread and seeing that in France they have an approved names list.

I’ve also read on here before about swimming trunks being banned at the pool.

Mumsnet threads seem to say that France has a lot more freedoms than the UK but I’m struggling to see what.

Freedom of movement

Is that it

Well isn't freedom to drive to any country without a faff a freedom of some ?

France is red tape central

What was the banned baby name thread?

You have to practically shag the local mayor to get any type of planning permission.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/baby_names/5165115-court-blocks-baby-name-thoughts

The swimming trunk/shorts thing is very much more relaxed than it was 20 years ago. I can't remember the last French pool I went to where people weren't in shorts.

The swimming trunks thing is hygienic- so the French would probably rephrase it as freedom to swim in a cleaner pool free from clothes germs.

They have a principle of secularism that I think a lot of people here would like, as many people here don't seem to get on with having no choice about having kids educated in eg CoE schools. In France the state is always secular.

Labour rights are stronger so you are more protected as an employee. People here are losing the right so protest but it's hard to imagine the French letting that happen.

Earlier and better state retirement provision.

Better employment and tenancy rights.

Plus it is the god given right of every Parisian to be as rude as humanly possible to English people who attempt to speak French.

I only found out two weeks ago from a French colleague that there is a rule that pedigree dogs born in a particular year can only have names beginning with one letter of the alphabet. 😂😂😂

France hasn't had an approved names list since 1993, and the 'Speedo-type trunks only rule' is mostly in civic pools, and I agree it's less widespread than it was 20 years back.

The state being entirely secular rather than C of E having established status (it still blows my mind as a foreigner (not French) that the House of Lords has bishops in it) is one thing.

Generally, France is a fiesta of bureaucracy, though. 😀

And yes, better employment rights.

As they have a shorter working week and earlier retirement that's a lot more freedom right there! They're also much more productive in that shorter week than we are in our longer one.

We got caught out by this at a Eurocamp this summer. We've stayed at other Eurocamps within France and never had a problem with my boys swimming in shorts, but at this one they hauled out by the lifeguard after about 30 seconds! To be honest, I didn't realise it was a thing, but luckily there was a supermarket five minutes down the road with a healthy selection of budgie smugglers at an extortionate price, clearly aimed at uninformed tourists 🤣

Freedom to strike - probably the most important .

Freedom to drive even if you haven’t passed your test, in a 2 seater car called a sans permis has a weight limit of 425 kgs. From age 14, you just need a moped license.

Freedom of opinion as long as it doesn’t interfere with law and order.

It's a pretty fucking big one.

They also have the freedom of selecting their head of state.

So the long and short of it is not much.

Most European countries have fairly similar levels of freedom, with small differences. There are some obvious exceptions.

Separation of church and state
A written constitution
Freedom of movement across EU27, freedom to work too

I'm found out today that incest between consenting adults is legal in France. Also apparently in many other European countries.

I saw this recently( July )

Freedom to look great and eat well? Freedom from animal rights preachers and maniacs?

Alright, these aren’t freedoms, they’re cultural norms and views. But I do envy the French their way of life. It’s going down the pan quickly, because - despite what a pp implied - the French economy is badly stressed, and, socially, France is in some crisis.

Even so, if I had the money and the necessary permissions, I’d move to the south of France in the blink of an eye.

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