velcorin

[quote user="Gardian"] Too true C.  Mind you, I'll be pushing up the daisies before this lark ever comes to resolution. To anybody reading this - never, never moan about the British legal / administrative process. It's a Rolls Royce compared to the French 'Trabant'. [/quote] Amen to that. Not sure it's even a Trabant. Ox cart? I write of millions to Bad Debt every year in France. Zilch in any other country in Europe. In one case the judge was a 25 y/o bimbo, straight out of Judge School in Bordeaux. In the course of a 25 min case, never looked up from texting. Her decision? Adjournment. Full day for me, travel, overnight, plus Advocat. True cost to XYZ GmbH, about EUR 9000, and she never even deigned to stop texting.

I'd never call Jordi Puyol, or the Generalitat, dumb. I can think of a lot of other words.

Maybe not The Hague, but the EU are after him, they've commenced formal proceedings....................... http://www.francesoir.fr/europe-politique/roms-bruxelles-veut-lancer-une-procedure-dinfraction-contre-la-france.30205 Bit sad in a way. The EU can only take action against a country, when even the majority in the country don't agree with the actions of a clique in Govn. A country gets attacked for the stupidity of 3 people.[:@]

Maybe not The Hague, but the EU are after him, they've commenced formal proceedings....................... http://www.francesoir.fr/europe-politique/roms-bruxelles-veut-lancer-une-procedure-dinfraction-contre-la-france.30205 Bit sad in a way. The EU can only take action against a country, when even the majority in the country don't agree with the actions of a clique in Govn. A country gets attacked for the stupidity of 3 people.[:@]

The author of the original circular demanding the destruction of the camps, and deportation of the Roma, is going on trial. Charge is inciting racial hatred. http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/circulaire-roms-le-directeur-de-cabinet-d-hortefeux-sera-juge-en-novembre-28-09-2010-1086575.php Be interesting to see if he will take the fall, or dump his boss in it. And if that happens, does Hortefeux dump the poisious dwarf in it. [:D]  

Median, is the middle income, which is, from a statistically point, not very useful. In effect, you take all the household incomes in France, and pick the one in the middle. For this sort of work, you should use the modal, which is the most common. However considering all the SMICards, that would actually bring the figure down! 50% is a pretty arbitary figure, but it's what INSEE use, I can't really comment further. Wild guess. The increase is due to working more than 35 hours, and increased reporting due to AE? The true cost of living in France has been done to death. However, I avoid commenting, because most Brits live in the middle of nowhere, with few facilities provided by their commune, except the basics, what the vast majority pay is not relevant. However, we live in an urban area, our fixed costs, TdH, TF, utilities, are EUR1650 par mois. No mortgage, or rent, standard 2.5 bed flat. Round us, you wouldn't get a barrel for EUR950 par mois, nevermind feed, cloth, school a family of 4. May explain why Secours, CR and Restos are so big?

I'll admit I wasn't surprised at the %age. I was surprised at the income level, particularly as it is household income, EUR773 (650 quid). http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/pres-de-8-millions-de-francais-vivent-sous-le-seuil-de-pauvrete-28-09-2010-1086197.php

It's France, he's a doctor, he's the expert, he has authority. I'll put money on it, that none of his French patients have ever questioned, anything, ever,[:D] That said, a healthy dose of British cyncism would not go amiss. Might weed out some of the errors and abuses.

[quote user="Cathy"][quote user="Clair"] If there is a price difference between the price on the shelf and the price at the till, you should be entitled to the lower price, as long as it is not a glaringly obvious inconsistency (42" TV at 10€!). I say should because it is not law, but custom. Point out the price difference politely and insist on the lower price and be prepared to leave the item if you don't get satisfaction. [/quote] So this is different from the UK, then?   In the UK, any retailer can refuse to sell anything to a customer.  So if a (UK) retailer is suspicious that a product is not the right price, the retailer can wirhdraw the product, even at the till, because the customer does not have the right to buy it at that or any other price. I am prepared to be corrected on this point as I have not looked it up.  It is just gleaned from a close family member running a shop for 10 years. [/quote] It called Invitation to Treat. Day 1, Law of Contract, BA (Hons) Law . Basically, the price of goods displayed in a shop isn't legally binding on the shop. The shop has the right to refuse to sell at the advertised price. Never heard of it happening in the UK, cept in cases of "operator error", eg £0.99 instead of £99.00. Same would apply on-line, for a UK domiciled business. There is no corresponding law in France of which I am aware.

Halal - how widespread ? 1 million Muslims in the UK. 8 million in France. Wild guess.................8 times more widespread? I've even seen live sheep slaughtered in the street, and the blood run off into the drains. Can't rememeber which religious festivel. Eid? Quick moved to Halal beef, with a big pub (on French TV).

I'm sorry you came up against this issue. I'm afraid it is very common, in even in big, multinational companies. As your colleagues said, it's not personal, and not aimed at you specifically. They don't even see it as anything wrong. I just ignore it, pretend it never occurred, and carry on regardless. My German colleagues get it as well. They'll do the same if you're black, jewish, asian, whatever. My wife gets really p*ssed off when people make snide comments behind our backs when we speak English between us, or if they spot the slight accent she has after years of living abroad, and make, what they think, are funny jokes. Guaranteed to get the perp a mouthful of French words I don't understand. I just ignore it. Don't let it put you off. You will develop a think skin!  

[quote user="You can call me Betty"][quote user="Quillan"] I think that people in business in the UK should not throw stones as they also live in a greenhouse. Every country operates differently and has it's own idiosyncrasies, I think Italy is possibly the worst. As for the UK I can think of a few. Never taking ownership of problems. Ooh, Quillan....HOW long have you been in France?? I would have said that the French score far higher for that one! Passing 'the buck' i.e. not my problem it's the other fella. Ditto, I'm afraid!! Assumption that everyone in the world speaks English. I was asked to run a training session in France for a CAC 40 company where, by edict, the company language was supposed to be English. After a 5 minute intro in English, I was obliged to conduct the training in French for the rest of the day, as 90% of the delegates couldn't understand enough to be operationally competent. Luckily, as I never subscribed to the "everyone in the world speaks English" club, I was equipped to oblige. Bad communication skills. Woohoo! Well, we all know what great communicators the French are!! No-one tells you anything they don't HAVE to.... Lack of proceedures. Now here, the French positively excel. Their problem mostly lies in following them. Middle and upper management not making decisions or very slow making decisions. I worked for the CAC 40 company mentioned above for five years, and I can assure you they couldn't make a decision quickly  to save their lives. Bad contract tendering processes and writing. Now here I can't really comment Always buying the cheapest and not the best (you get 'brownie points for saving money) which often results bad product delivery. Ever looked at the number of product recalls on the average Renault model?? Unrealistic delivery times of product. Ever tried to BUY a new Renault??? Massive overspend on projects (normally because they bought the cheapest and it takes longer and costs more to put it right). qf. the two previous points. There are a few others to be added but its gong off subject really. [/quote] Let's face it, no-one (and no one Nation) is perfect, or even close...but having spent most of my working life either working in or with French (or Francophone) companies, I can assure you that not only did they display most of the traits you listed above, but I encountered many people of other nationalities who singled out the French for special mention when it came to problems and frustrations related to doing business. [/quote] Concur 1,000,000%. The worst place on the planet to do business. Nightmare. Probably why many foreign multinationals are getting out ASAP?

[quote user="pachapapa"]No real idea as to Barça; I refuse to speak Catala and the Catalans refuse to speak Spanish.[/quote] And me. 3 years in BCN. All the commune communications, bank info, everything in Catalan. Most the people I worked with were Castilliano, they had the same issues. Si us plau! And why I never went to Camp Nou. Went to Mont Juic.

[quote user="Quillan"][quote user="Chancer"] [quote user="Quillan"]  I also don't understand why, like many Brits who paid very little in to the French State system, they can't be given some form of grace in the same way like if you have filled in a tax return for the last 5 years but the amount is zero or whatever you can stay.[/quote] Roms/gypsies and tax returns, mmmm, interesting concept [:P] [/quote] Yes, but you know as well as me there are thousands of Brits and other nationalities that will quite happily tell you they don't complete one in France because of some self deluding reason when those of us that play by the rules know full well they should. This is what I mean, treat everyone the same. Perhaps that might become a compromise with the EU that France has to agree to, look at everyone, see if they are legally here and if not throw them out (or should I say return them). There would be a few bottoms twitching round our locale if they went down that route I can tell you. [/quote] Hence my comment in my OP regarding Dordogneshire[:D] The Dwarf has painted himself into a political corner. He's let the genie out the bottle regarding EU immigrants. He'll come out kicking, biting and scratching.  

Not sure where in EU law it states that member countries can inform Prefectures in writing to target all Roma, and only Roma, for deportation, without investigation, arrest, or trial. When asked by the EU Justice Commissioner if this was true, deny such a circular exists. 2 days later a copy of the circular is printed in Le Monde. There is no question that the Dwarf, and his overpriviledged little clique, have the right under EU law to remove people who are in breach of the law. However, the bits in bold are what the EU is peeved about. As the true facts have come out in the French press, of this weekend 52% of French people questioned agreed with the EU position. If it went to a vote in Parlement, he would easily lose, the PS and a good number of the UMP would vote against him. (I can't comment how the UK press have reported this case, maybe they're missed out a few pertinent facts?)  

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]Not intended to be secretive or anything like that but it's just that using a proxy to view things like iPlayer may just not quite be in strict accordance with UK law, I'm not a lawyer so I don't know for sure but would rather not post details on a public forum, there are always Trolls about. Also it is not me that builds these servers so I don't want to drop someone very close to me in the doo-doo [/quote] You would be very sensible to avoid posting specifics on an public forum. Even Google Alerts finds that stuff. The HADOOPI loi is aimed at criminalising file sharing, however it is directly a law protecting copyright. It wouldn't take a great leap, for example Canal+, the Premier League rights holder in France, to try to protect it's ownership, and financial investment, by using the law. I doubt they would, as it wouldn't be cost effective, but..................

TF+H vary wildly. We pay EUR 3900/annum for a 3 bed flat on the outskirts of Paris, and EUR900 for a property in Creuse, which is effectively a 4 house lieu dit + 4 hectares. I know people nearby us (Meaux) who pay over EUR 6000 for a 3 bed house. If it's a new property, and you haven't changed it since the initial assessment, you've got nothing to lose by asking.

Not sure Catholic priests should really be praying for bad things[:D]

Sorry, couldn't resist it [:)]....................... http://www.leparisien.fr/sports/football/les-bleus-chutent-au-27e-rang-mondial-15-09-2010-1069451.php

Me 2. (Personally, I've always hated with a passion the BBC)

Nope, tried 'em all, but if I get stuck at work, I e-mail it to the missus. Does that count? Not found one yet that can cope with the context of a word, when there is more than one meaning. The French, pocket-sized, female human version, can do that.

Absolutely Albert. France has legitimate rights to expel EU citizens who fail to comply with it's laws. However, when France, represented by it's Govn, specifically, and continously, refers to a particular ethinic/racial group, that is not acceptable. Patently many, many other EU citizens fail to comply with the same laws, but are not targetted, which only reinforces the EU case.

[quote user="Patmobile"]It might be considered a racist policy if there were no other criteria for action other than being "Roma".  However, as I read it the government called for action to clear illegal encampments of all types - adding, perhaps unwisely, Roma encampments as a priority.    [/quote] As of yesterday Hortefeux did sign a new circular removing the reference to Roma, and changing it to all illegal camps.  

http://www.leparisien.fr/international/roms-bruxelles-veut-entamer-une-action-en-justice-contre-la-france-14-09-2010-1067961.php The grounds of the action are that the French Govn specifically targetted Roma. Therefore it is a racist policy. Seems the EU have eventually caught up with my analysis. If Sarko had targetted all EU citizens living in France illegally (including all the Brits not declaring tax, or with the correct healthcare) then it would have been fine. However, he choose to target ONE racial group. So, guilty are charged M'lud. Flip side of this, is that Sarko can't back down. Watch the target subtly move, form just the Roma, to actively checking all EU citizens. Watch out in the Dordogne[:D]

For lovers of BBC output, the Tudors is on tonite........................................ http://www.programme-tv.net/programme/toutes-les-chaines/2010-09-14/#Grandes%20chaînes