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Day: 15 February 2024

French driving licences go digital

by: Stephanie Horsman
15/02/2024
digital driving licence

As of 14th February 2024, a digital form of all French driving licences can be applied for on the France Identity app and used in the place of the traditional card or paper format in a variety of day-to-day situations. 

The new system, which is free-of-charge and entirely optional, does not completely replace physical licences, but it does mean that motorists can use this convenient form of ID when stopped by law enforcement, for example.  

This alternative format should limit a person’s chances of losing their physical licence – or having it stolen – and allow standard formalities to be handled without the complete disclosure of a motorist’s personal data as well as combat online fraud.  

France’s Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories, Gérald Darmanin, says of the new service, “Thanks to the France Identity application, you will be able to download your driving licence to your phone. This device will not replace the physical version, but will complement it in order to simplify your life.”  

To add a digital driving licence to a smartphone, the holder of the licence must first download and sign up to the France Identity application. Then they must download a copy of their Relevé d’Information Restreint (RIR) from the Mes Points Permis website and use the provided QR code to upload their driving licence to the France Identity app.  

To present the licence to an official, a motorist need only open the app – no internet access is required – and select ‘Present your driving licence’. A contactless connection is then established between the police device and a motorist’s smartphone.  

The French government is in the process of broadening the uses of the France Identity app. In the future, it will be possible to use the app to store other useful documentation, such as car registration and insurance papers.  

Click here for more information.

 

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Photo source: Alexandre Boucher, Unsplash

France: Three days of train strikes to wreak havoc on travel by rail

by: Stephanie Horsman
15/02/2024

With Zone C schools already on their half-term breaks and Zone A soon to join them, the news of an incoming train strike couldn’t come at a worse time for the many thousands of families who have made travel plans for this weekend. 

Although Christophe Fanichet, the head of SNCF Voyageurs, says that the “most booked” trains will be prioritised, such as those travelling to and from the Alps for families and groups with ski holidays on the line, high-speed TGV connections are likely to be 50% operational at best over the weekend after a cross-section of railway unions called on ticket inspectors and other onboard staff to walkout.

Current estimations suggest that up to 90% of personnel will be participating. 

Fanichet, meanwhile, has pledged to uphold 85% of the journeys booked for the 9,000 minors due to use the SNCF’S Junior et Cie service for accompanied travel. He added that alternative services would be provided for the remaining 15% of the affected passengers.  

The motives behind the strike 

The unions are in an uproar over what members say are broken or unfulfilled promises made to them following agreements on wages, bonuses and retirement-related commitments that came in the wake of strikes in December 2022 

“We are discussing issues of remuneration, with the increase in a long-term and monthly work bonus, additional commitments on extending the end of careers and respecting the agreement signed in 2022,” Julien Troccaz, the Sud-Rail union’s Federal Secretary, told reporters on LCI. 

Fanichet, for his part, has called the walkout “incomprehensible” and says that “the company’s commitments… are being kept”. 

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has also weighed in on the situation, with some choice words reserved for the French “habit”, as he described it, of holding strikes.  

“The French are very attached to the right to strike,” he told the press. “They know that striking is a right, but I believe they also know that working is a duty. Especially when we must allow French people who work all year round [and] who for a few days want to reunite with their families and loved ones to be able to do so. I call for the greatest responsibility, once again, for the French.” 

A warning has been published on the SNCF website that reads: “SNCF travel will be significantly disrupted from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th February due to nationwide social action organised by onboard rail staff. We encourage passengers to verify the status of their trains and correspondences the evening before travel, from 5pm.” 

Local timetables can be found here.  

 

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Photo source: Matéo Broquedis, Unsplash

Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation forms global alliance for youth development

by: Niki Borisova
15/02/2024

In a move that will undoubtedly enhance the reach and scope of its Sport and Education programme, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has partnered with two esteemed organisations that share its goals of advocating for and promoting well-being in children.

The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has formed a strategic alliance with the Al Oerter Foundation/Art of the Olympians and the Pierre de Coubertin Family Association.

“Sport inspires and gives us hope, it can unite people and nations,” said Princess Charlene of this latest stage of growth and expansion for her Foundation. “The alliance with the Al Oerter Foundation based in the United States and the Pierre de Coubertin Association based in Paris is an ideal opportunity to develop one of the priority missions of my Foundation to promote well-being and help children develop through educational projects and sports activities.”

Since its creation 12 years ago, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has helped enrich the lives of over 1.2 million children in 43 countries and has backed over 500 events.

“Two powerful universal languages: art and sport”

The Al Oerter Foundation, established in 2006 and named after Olympic gold medallist Alfred Oerter Jr., and the Pierre de Coubertin Family Association, for the ‘grandfather of the modern Olympic Games’, share the Princess Charlene Foundation’s vision of using art and sports to inspire and educate youth.

Cathy Oerter, the Al Oerter Foundation’s president, has expressed her enthusiasm for the new relationship, saying, “We are extremely honoured to have Princess Charlene and her team from the Monaco Foundation by our side.”

Alexandra de Navacelle de Coubertin, meanwhile, has also enthused over the partnership’s potential, saying, “Together, our three organisations can build and facilitate effective programmes to inspire children and communities around the world through two powerful universal languages: art and sport.”

As the 2024 Summer Olympic Games approach, the three entities are in the process of finalising plans for a range of activities that will promote their collective missions.

 

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Photo credit of Princess Charlene with Cathy Oerter (left) and Alexandra de Navacelle de Coubertin (right): Eric Mathon / Palais Princier de Monaco