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.

They can force feed geese.

The trunk one is defo still going on, I’ve seen it on Mumsnet threads.

In the UK we have freedom of opinion within law as well.

France have strict laws with what you can wear at the beach, I remember during the Burkini swimsuit ban a women with a pair of leggings at the beach got told off by the police.

I thought there was going to be something bigger than the small freedoms that have been highlighted on this thread.

France has a reputation for freedom and liberation and I’m just not seeing it.

@Rummly

"Freedom from animal rights preachers and maniacs"

You don't think animals should be protected from cruelty and exploitation? You'd probably be much happier in China than France in that case.

Can they smoke in bars and cafes etc? I seem to remember going to France, long after the smoking ban here, and noticing a lot of people smoking indoors

Cruelty, no. Proper farming and animal husbandry, yes. Delicious animal meals, yes.

There are very few vegans in Toulouse.

I think they can smoke outdoors only.

France introduced a smoking ban at least 15 years ago!

They can their pits grow wild.

Free University education with rent help.
Free childcare from 2 years old.

Freedom to go to a school which is free of all religious bias.

They have better care for new mums.

Saw that France had very cheap private schools on another thread.

"Free of all religious bias"! Ha! I think France is institutionally Islamophobic. In banning all outward signs of religion including the veil etc they are biased against Muslims IMO.

To eat foie gras with impunity and to eat Ortolans.

France has a reputation for freedom and liberation and I’m just not seeing it.

Does it? I’ve never thought of France that way.

I think France has a bigger state presence than the UK - more tax, but better public services and facilities and benefits. I would expect that to sit alongside more rules too.

France also has a long history of public protest, strikes and rebellions, more so than the UK - but that isn’t because it’s a freer country, maybe just people have more inclination to get out and make a fuss? In Britain I’d say the relative lack of protest and rebellion is cultural rather than due to lack of freedom to protest.

"France has a reputation for freedom and liberation and I’m just not seeing it.

Does it? I’ve never thought of France that way."

Liberté, égalité, fraternité.
It doesn't translate into reality, IMO.

These are Catholic schools

I'd heard of the swimming trunks one,but the approved baby names?! Really?! 😱

Whoops should have looked that up!

Where I live you can only name a child from the official book of names. There’s thousands to chose from along with variations on the name and the meaning of each is given alongside.

When a child’s birth is registered if the policeman doesn’t recognise the name the book has to be consulted and they will try and get you the name or a very similar name to the one you want but if it’s not possible you have to choose something else.

All births, deaths, immigration, ID, passport, visa services, driving licenses and motor registration are done by the police here and it’s a very efficient one stop shop from birth.

Same with pedigree cats. Ours needed a name beginning with S 😻

Is there a reason you think a political slogan from a revolution that took place in the late 18th century (admittedly one that was massively influential on the future development of civic rights in France) is going to be an accurate descriptor of the modern state of things? Especially as compared to another Western European country?

Hmmm. Efficient it may be, in some ways, but France is very bureaucratic and the police are not exactly the sunniest interface for civic rights and recognition.

That said, I’m still moving to the south of France when my lottery win happens. 👍

(Or maybe Spain…)

I don't know exactly what 'freedoms'you were looking for but PPs have named several strong points in France.

The secular schools is a strong point. And no it is not anti Muslim as PP said. It also means you can't display/wear ANY religious items including crosses. I went to a state school in England and was forced to pray every day in assembly and sing hymns. My DC is in state school in France and doesn't have any religion imposed upon him.

Tenants rights are really strong. Landlords cannot evict anyone between November and March, even for withholding rent. There are strict rules about the rental prices per square metre and the % you can increase each year/each time you get a new tenant.

Yes France has different rules (e.g. the swimming trunks which is for hygiene reasons) but so what? Every country is free to make its own rules. And I'd argue that their election rules are fairer than the "first past the post" rule in the UK.

Freedom of a decent safety net if elderly, ill or disabled, or made redundant.

French housing is more affordable than in the UK, and (at least unless things have changed more recent times) better protections and security of tenure for renters.

French benefits system is more supportive and so French people who get ill or are made redundant are less likely than their British counterparts to fall destitute.

French pension is a higher amount of money than UK one, so French pensioners are less likely than their British counterparts to fall destitute. France also has a lower age for the state pension. So French elderly have freedom of protection against being too unwell to work but deemed too young for pension. Also French young people have freedom of more job availability (if people retire older there's obviously fewer vacancies for younger people).

French healthcare system is much better than the NHS.

So basically France has more essential freedoms than the UK.

ETA. Obviously it's not a utopia and has it's fair share of problems, plus some people still fall through the gaps, and sadly some of the valuable rights are being attacked and weakened, but it's for now better than the UK. Whether that remains to be the case in the future is unknown. Hopefully it will but who knows.