The Connexion 251 - September 2023 e-Paper | Subscribers can find their copy in My Account
The Connexion's latest print edition is available here in digital turn-page format. See below for a list of contents.
Digital versions are automatically given to all subscribers and can be found in My Account area.
If you subscribe now, the digital turn-page version will be available immediately after purchase in your 'My Account' space. 'My Account' is accessed using the button at the top right of the website when logged in.

What's inside this month’s edition?
On the front page
Is now the time to buy or to sell property in France?
There has been a trend towards fewer sales across the country. We look at the impact of this on sales prices
Macron faces a battle over crackdown on immigration
Immigration is expected to be a key political topic this autumn
French news explained
French news explained plus key new rules and changes affecting residents
Plus:
11 things you might be surprised to learn about the French school system
Did you know most teachers are civil servants, recruited and paid by the state and can be assigned to schools across the country
Shock as some electricity bills soar by up to 400%
Some households have reported receiving adjusted bills of up to €10,000. We look at some of those affected
MP wants debate on driver medicals at 75
The proposal has been met with opposition from drivers’ association 40 millions d’automobilistes who argue young people cause far more fatal accidents
Vets advise vaccinating your cat against typhus
A spate of cases has been reported in different regions of France
Plans to ban replacement gas boilers expected to be dropped
Manufacturers say that CO2 emissions would be reduced by as much as half if old gas boilers were replaced with modern ones
Water restrictions are coming in too late as 40 areas are on ‘crisis’ alert
As of mid-August, 78 departments were affected by water restrictions. with 40 on ‘crisis’ alert
Is there good news on the way for school trips?Discussions have started between UK and French officials over the so-called ‘mobility’ issues
Comment: Do you agree? Protest is democracy working
On both sides of the Channel, the same debate is being conducted in different ways: How is democracy to be policed? Has France or the UK got it right
How to benefit from affordable osteopathy
Osteopath appointments are not reimbursed by the public healthcare system. We look at one way to benefit from reduced bills
Painting through poverty and war: the story of Renoir
We profile the world-famous and prolific French Impressionist artist
Rugby World Cup: We interview former national coach Philippe Saint-André “It’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be complicated, it’s going to be tough...but France [is one of] four nations that can become world champions.”
Practical information for residents and second-home owners
- Make sense of employment contracts
- Do you need to speak French to do a speed awareness course
- The rules for a handwritten will
- Can second home owners / visitors volunteer in France
- How France treats SIPP pension income
- Chemists services, energy charges...changes in France this month
Reader questions answered
- Can I still drive with Parkinson’s disease?
- Is French capital gains tax payable if we let out our house?
- How do I register as an artist to sell paintings?
- What can I do about a neighbour’s weeds encroaching my land?
- Why are essential items so expensive in France?
Subscribers can also find answers to reader questions in the 'Your Questions' section online.
More from the September issue
- Language: Seasonal words worth storing for next summer
- Health: We explain why S1 holders get CSS health top-up back
- Pets: Smart collar tracks your dog’s health and location
- Insurance: Why the cost of premiums is set to rise
+ PLUS ‘French Living’ pull-out for print subscribers including gardening, nature, recipes, quizzes and more:
These boots were made for walking... on France’s Grandes Randonnées
Discover the aesthetic and ecological joys of a super ‘dry’ Occitanie garden
Interview: Ibrahim Maalouf ‘In all sincerity I just compose what comes from my heart’
Green news ‘€8 to 10bn needed’ to renew French forests
Anxiety-inducing arachnids: Languedoc scorpions, how to spot them and deal with them
The Celtic culinary tradition
Riz de Camargue: in a field of its own
A year in the vineyard: Don’t stick to your favourite grape
Princely residence saved by Englishmen
An art historian’s guide to the Camino
Painting through poverty and war: the story of Renoir
Exhibition honours wartime nurses