Lunchtime News Thursday 18th June 2020

Nice International Airport - Terminal 2 at Nice Côte d´Azur airport is to open entirely on July 1st.

France’s second largest airport platform is continuing its gradual recovery in air traffic and will offer a program in July to connect the Côte d'Azur to the whole of French territory, major European cities, the Maghreb and Israel.

The flight program for the month of July will be much more extensive than that of June. The airport continues to grow in strength and announces a network of 17 destinations in France and 62 abroad.

Tunnel linking the A8 motorway to the Voie Mathis in Nice for 2025 - Work has resumed on the west exit of the Voie Mathis in Nice. Ultimately the A8 motorway and the Voie Mathis will be linked by a tunnel expected to be completed for 2025.

Residents of the Saint-Augustin district are impatiently awaiting the new link which will put an end to over 30,000 vehicles circulating in the area.

The work was launched in April last year and is far from over as it will involve the SNCF station being moved and will also include a bus station and access to line 2 of the tram.

“Police Café” - A “police café” has been launched in the seaside resort of Cavalaire sur mer in the Var. The idea is to invite members of the public to meet officers of their local police force over a coffee and croissant and discuss any relevant issues for residents.

Thirty residents took part in the first “police café” rendezvous on Wednesday, June 17th organized at the Caffé Pellassy. The participants mostly in their fifties or retired, were welcomed in groups of 10 to respect the barrier gestures.

It was Olivier Duhain who proposed the idea to Philippe Leonelli, mayor of Cavalaire-sur-Mer, last January. However due to the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown and elections the event was postponed. The police café will now take place every second Wednesday of the month.

A similar initiative took place in Grasse in the Alpes-Maritmes, a few years ago. This city was the first municipality to attempt such an experiment.

Française des jeux - Lockdown in France has seen La Française des Jeux (FDJ) suffer an impact on its activity of nearly 200 million euros. The first French gambling operator made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday ahead of its general meeting, which will take place behind closed doors this afternoon. The company confirms, "for the lockdown period in France, a total impact close to 200 million euros on turnover”

Currently, the FDJ has noted a "gradual resumption of activity" thanks in particular to the "reopening of almost all of its points of sale" and to the "return of sporting competitions".

Bonus to companies that employ young people - France’s Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire has said that he is in favour of a bonus being paid to companies that hire a young person.

Speaking to France Inter this morning Le Maire said "I am in favour of a bonus for hiring young people, whether they are on permanent or fixed-term contracts for 6 months," and this could apply "from September".

He did not specify how much the premium could amount to, referring that the proposal is subject to "discussions" currently underway within the government adding that he thought the bonus was effective, fair and would reassure many young people. Concluding that he prefers this option than that of Xavier Bertrand president of the Hauts region who requested an exemption from charges.

The government has already announced measures in favour of apprenticeships, with a bonus of up to 8,000 euros for companies that hire an apprentice.