Drought measures, fuel prices, fifa awards: the week ahead in france

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 POTENTIAL DROUGHT MEASURES Environment Minister Christophe Béchu is to meet with the prefects of the seven major river basins in France this evening to discuss potential

water restrictions which could come into effect in the next few weeks. Four departments - Isère, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Pyrénées-Orientales - are already subject to restrictions and under

reinforced vigilance. In these departments, people are being asked not to water their garden plants during specific hours, not to fill swimming pools nor wash cars and farmers are requested

to reduce their usage by up to 50%. To see more about current water restrictions in France, visit the official government website. You can also check water shortages in your area on the

website Propluvia. PRIME MINISTER VISITS FARMING SALON Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne is to visit the Salon de l’Agriculture at the Paris Expo at the Porte de Versailles today (February 27).

This 9-day show, attended by the public and professionals, is France’s largest agricultural show and is now in its 57th year. It runs until March 5. Its events include sales of farm

products from across France and the world as well as livestock sales and competitions, agricultural services and a section dedicated to plants, crops, and gardening. It is traditional for

presidents and prime ministers to attend. This year, the show’s mascot is a Salers breed cow named Ovalie. > L’affiche officielle du #SIA2023 est là 🐮 >  > Vous avez hâte de 

rencontrer Ovalie, vache de race Salers, qui sera > notre star de l’édition 2023 ! ? 🤩 >  > Prenez vos places dès maintenant sur la billetterie > 👉https://t.co/f3XtVkAEzn 

🎟#agriculture #vache > pic.twitter.com/MBlFAz0Hdz > — Salon International de l'Agriculture (@Salondelagri) November > 15, 2022 PENSION REFORM AND LEFT-WING OPPOSITION The

Nupes, a left-wing political alliance group which includes La France Insoumise (LFI), the Socialist Party (PS), the French Communist Party (PCF) and the Europe Ecologie Les Verts, is to meet

to discuss opposition plans to the government’s proposed pension reforms. Debate on the reforms, which controversially propose raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, pass to the senate

this week after leaving MPs without a vote due to running out of time. READ MORE: FRANCE BRACES FOR STANDSTILL ON MARCH 7 OVER PENSION REFORM PROTESTS COURT OF APPEAL DECISION ON PIERRE

PALMADE The court is set to return a decision on the house arrest of actor Pierre Palmade, 54, who caused a crash while under the influence of cocaine on February 10. The crash caused severe

injury to three people, one of whom also lost her baby. The decision is set to focus on whether Mr Palmade, who suffered a stroke on Saturday, should be held in a normal prison or in a

hospital addiction centre. READ MORE: CALLS FOR HARDER LINE ON DRUG DRIVING AFTER FRENCH ACTOR’S CRASH THE BEST FIFA FOOTBALL AWARDS 2022 TAKE PLACE IN PARIS ‘The Best’ annual event aims to

honour both players and coaches. Lionel Messi and Megan Rapinoe have been winners in recent years. There are awards for the best male player and best female player and the best men’s and

best women’s coaches as well as the FIFA Fan Award, and the FIFA Fair Play Award. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 PRESIDENT VISIT President Emmanuel Macron is to visit a college in Jarnac (Charente)

for an event on the theme of preventive medicine, a day before he begins a four-country tour of Africa from March 1. NUCLEAR STRIKE AND MARCH IN PARIS Workers at the Institut de

Radioprotection and Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) are set to march in defence of its operation, which they say faces a threat of disappearing due to government reform. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 ELEVEN

CHANGES COMING IN DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH This month sees restrictions on sales calls, rises to food prices, cap on petrol prices at some stations, fuel aid deadlines and more. See our

article below for key changes for March 2023. READ MORE: 11 CHANGES FOR RESIDENTS AND HOMEOWNERS IN FRANCE IN MARCH 2023 CLASSICAL MUSIC IN DIJON The 30th annual Les Victoires de la Musique

Classique takes place in Dijon at 21:00 at the Auditorium de l’Opéra. It is presented by Stéphane Bern and played on France Musique and France 3. It aims to showcase existing well-known

musicians, as well as shine a light on new and upcoming players. > Venez fêter avec nous la 30ème édition des Victoires de la > Musique Classique qui aura lieu le 1er mars, en 

compagnie de > #SorahElisabethLee, nommée dans la catégorie Révélation chef > d'orchestre 🎶#VictoiresClassique30ans @CIC @France3tv > @francemusique @Diapasonmag @OperaDijon 

pic.twitter.com/bmYvS4jZVg > — Les Victoires Classique (@VictClassique) February 26, 2023 THURSDAY, MARCH 2 PENSION REFORM DEBATE BEGINS IN THE SENATE President Macron has said that he

wants the Senate to “enrich” the pension reform law with “whatever it deems to be useful”. He also said: “The Senate has, several times, passed reforms similar to that being proposed by the

government now.” The highly-controversial bill has been debated in the Assemblée Nationale but failed to reach a vote. The government is hoping that the right-wing Les Républicains party in

the Senate will support the proposals. READ MORE: EXPLAINER: WHAT IS FRANCE’S ARTICLE 49.3 AND WHY IS IT IN THE NEWS? In the event of a non-agreement, the government can technically use

article 49.3 to push through the law but as this is in itself controversial it will be hoping to avoid this route. Another day of strikes against the proposed reforms is set to take place in

France on March 7. READ MORE: FRANCE BRACES FOR STANDSTILL ON MARCH 7 OVER PENSION REFORM PROTESTS READ MORE: FRANCE PENSION REFORM: STRIKE AND PROTEST DATES, CALENDAR FOR BILL FRIDAY,

MARCH 3 THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF TINTIN CREATOR Georges Prosper Remi, better known as Hergé, the Belgian cartoonist who created French-language favourite Tintin, died aged 75 on

March 3, 1983. He was born in 1907. His graphic novels, full name_ Les Aventures de Tintin_, would eventually be published in 70 languages worldwide, sell more than 200 copies and be adapted

for TV, radio, film and theatre. They began life as newspaper cartoons in 1929. READ MORE: TINTIN DRAWING SELLS FOR RECORD €3 MILLION AT FRENCH AUCTION SATURDAY, MARCH 4 RIVIERA VIOLET

FESTIVAL BEGINS The Violet Festival, which has taken place in Tourrettes-sur-Loup (Alpes-Maritimes) since 1952, opens today and will last until the end of Sunday, March 5. It was created by

Victor Linton, an artist of Scottish origin who came to live in the village. It celebrates the violet season and is a celebration of the arrival of spring. There is a floral procession,

dances, flower displays and shops selling products inspired by or made with the flower. > #SAVETHEDATE : 71ème Fête des #Violettes à #TourrettesSurLoup du > 4 au 5 mars >  > La 

célèbre cité des violettes vous attend pour son Corso fleuri & > bataille de fleurs ! >  > Plus d'infos👉https://t.co/v2MryMORKe >  > 📸tourrettes.sur.loup (IG) 

#CotedAzurFrance #Fete #Tradition > @CASAOfficiel pic.twitter.com/5re8umOox3 > — Côte d'Azur France (@VisitCotedazur) January 20, 2023 SUNDAY, MARCH 5 START OF THE PARIS-NICE

CYCLING RACE This professional cycling stage race has been held every year since 1933. It is known as La Course au Soleil (_The Race to the Sun_), because of its route from Paris, which is

usually cold in early March to the warmer city of Nice in the Côte d'Azur region. The most recent winner was Slovenian Primož Roglič. Part of the UCI World Tour season, it is organised

by ASO, which also manages the iconic races of Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France. The race will finish on Sunday, March 12. You can see its route here: > ☀ Voici le parcours de la 

8⃣1⃣ème édition de #ParisNice ! >  > ☀Here is the route of the 8⃣1⃣st edition of #ParisNice! > pic.twitter.com/PHnFwIfqlz > — Paris-Nice (@ParisNice) January 5, 2023 RELATED

ARTICLES RECAP: 12 CHANGES IN FRANCE - EYE TESTS, COVID RULES, HEAT PUMPS, FUEL