I was recently across in Paris to visit the Archives Nationales. They were closed on one of the days because of the widespread strikes organised in protest against planned pension reforms. While the archive was closed, I popped into the studio at France24 to talk about the pesnion reforms more broadly: On my way back from the studio, I stopped by the Place de l’Opéra … Continue reading Pension Reform & Strikes
I appeared on the France24 show ‘The Debate’ to discuss the planned introduction of pension reforms in France. The clip is available below, outlining the different approaches to passing the bill, its historical precedents, and the likely public and syndical reactions to the plans. From the channel’s description: “French pension reform plan: Macron between a rock and a hard place? • FRANCE 24 English The … Continue reading F24 Debate: Pension Reform Plan
Years ago, when doing research for my postgraduate dissertation at ANOM in Aix-en-Provence, I found an odd police report amongst documents relating to the 1956 Loi Cadre. In it, French security services recounted a surveillance report of a music and poetry performance by Keïta Fodéba in Paris in 1949. That discordant image of spies in the backseat of a recital was enough to have me … Continue reading Re-encountering the ‘Ballets Africains’ in the Museum of Man
I was invited to contribute a quickfire blog piece to the website Comment Central. You can find the blog by clicking on the image below: Continue reading Can Macron March Again?
I’ve been doing a regular slot for France24 in their flagship ‘Perspectives’ slot, looking at the latest in the 2022 French Presidential election as it develops. It’s been a helpful way to gather thoughts, track the progress of the campaign and to contribute in some small way to wider discussions about the political choices on offer. On 7th March, I spoke in a segment they … Continue reading Perspective: French Presidential Election 2022 on France24
On the 12th February, two boys Augustin and Anatole had a sign confiscated on the way into the France vs Ireland Six Nations rugby match. Their father, a journalist, took to Twitter to express his disbelief, before the French Rugby Federation came good, reassuring them that the team’s captain had received the message of support. This was not a political message, they confirmed, and Antoine … Continue reading Sovereign fairy tales: the President’s new clothes?
This story started with a second-hand book I had ordered from a bookseller in Toulouse. Exploring its uncut pages and recontextualising its material history led me to reflect on the idea of research stories and sparked creative ideas about our affective relationship with archives and collections. Later, in the classroom, the story continued as students reacted creatively to items from Special Collections, challenging my own … Continue reading Launching Paper Trails: Second-hand book to living book (with sandwiches in between)
I recently wrote up a blog post about my experiences adapting to the pandemic, with some reflections on my own pedagogy, as well as experiences of being a student (on my degree apprenticeship) at the same time. You can find that piece over on the French History Network blog by following this link. I’ll be taking part in a roundtable on Online Pedagogy at my … Continue reading Adjustments: Learning and Teaching in Lockdown
The opening of the trial against people accused of damaging the Arc de Triomphe during Gilets Jaunes protests represents an emotive and symbolic process, as noted in recent press coverage of the event. But does the COVID context rewrite the echoes of the past which pervaded the protests? At the time, in December 2018, national and international news focussed intently on the destruction of national … Continue reading Postcards of the Past: Gilets Jaunes on Trial
Like most cities, New York is awash with memorials which speak of civic, national and international memories of past conflicts. Yet, in writing a lecture, I enjoyed discovering more about a memorial on its outskirts which struck me as decidedly unusual. I was writing a lecture about the aftermath of war, De Gaulle’s presidency, and the ways in which the legacies of conflict shaped diplomacy. … Continue reading “A Greater and Better Humanity”: Memory and trails of De Gaulle
Dr Andrew W. M. Smith 