What’s happening in France this week

From the start of a new school year to basketball games to tune into and more opportunities to swim in the Seine River, here’s what is happening in France this week.

Monday

Back to school – Monday, September 1st marks the first day of the new school year for children across France.

Sick notes – From Monday, doctors must submit medical leave notes using a secure form to combat fraud. This likely will not affect patients very much, as the vast majority of notes were already being submitted using the secure system.

Phased retirement – From September 1st, employees over the age of 60 – as opposed to the current age limit of 62 – who meet certain conditions will be able to apply to their employer to gradually reduce their working hours, and top up their salary with part of their pension.

Blood donations – Starting on Monday, people can donate blood as early as two months after getting a tattoo or piercing (compared to four months previously), while more efficient testing means that anyone who has had acupuncture, mesotherapy, varicose vein sclerosis, colonoscopy, or fibroscopy can donate again after two months.

Gas prices to drop – After a sharp tax increase in August, gas prices are expected to drop 2.4 percent for a household with gas heating on September 1st, 2025, due to an easing in European wholesale markets.

Tuesday

Energy strikes – Workers in the energy sector, including employees at EDF, will strike on September 2nd, announced CGT union leader Sophie Binet. Usually, energy sector strikes don’t cause serious disruption. However, September could be a month marked by lots of strike action and protests. Keep up with the latest at our Strikes section.

Eurobasket – The European Basketball Tournament has begun. France will play against Poland on Tuesday at 8.30pm in Poland at the Spodek Arena.

Wednesday

New cinema showings – French cinemas tend to release new films on Wednesdays. This week, they will release several films, including the French film Fils de about a young, ambitious parliamentarian, and the Japanese film Exit 8 about a man trapped in a Metro station. Full listing here.

Thursday

Eurobasket – France will play against Iceland at 2pm on Thursday in Poland at the Spodek Arena.

Friday

No taxi protest – Initially scheduled to restart actions on Friday, September 5th, as part of a long-running dispute with the government over fees for medical transport, unions representing taxi drivers said on Wednesday they would push back their mobilisation until after the vote of confidence on September 8th.

Saturday

Paralympic day – One year after Paris hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the country will celebrate la Journée Paralympique in Saint-Ouen (a northern suburb of Paris). Festivities will begin at 10.30am and last until midnight. More info here.

Sunday

Seine swimming – Sunday will mark the last day for swimming at the Grenelle Seine swimming site, which is located near the Eiffel Tower in the 15th arrondissement. The site at Bercy will remain open for another week.

What’s happening in France this week

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