16th June 2013

There's a local Riviera blog which says that quitting the EU could spell expat disaster. Well, yes!  Disaster for us certainly. Why? An EU withdrawal for British expats in France would be vindictive and severe. So, life for us would be a hassle - more than normal! Years ago Britons needed a Titre de sejour and queued for hours (or even days - so what's new) at the Prefecture alongside a rowdy mob of Asian and African immigrants all seeking the necessary papers to live legally here. British driving licences were not recognised so Britons had to switch to a French licence within 12 months or take the French driving test - yes, in French. Professional qualifications were not mutually recognised (in many cases they still aren't) so much was off limits and a working permit was near impossible to obtain.  And, the French Secu wouldn't cover either British visitors to France nor British retirees like us for mutual healthcare benefits - unless you could prove solvency and had your own private health insurance. Right. Have you ever looked at insurance rates for the over 65s? I told Him indoors all this and reminded him that he wasn't getting any younger. 'It's not  younger I wanna get, but older!' says he. Some things never change.