diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index d296c95..98aa29d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 version next
+- Fix french babel breaking contemporary style (#219)
 - Fix birthdate not showing up in contemporary style (#244)
 - Fix Inspire HEP social link (#241)
 - Change moderncvcolors.tex to a .sty file for MikTeX compatibility (#199)
diff --git a/moderncvdebugtools.sty b/moderncvdebugtools.sty
index c19651a..a88c29f 100644
--- a/moderncvdebugtools.sty
+++ b/moderncvdebugtools.sty
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 %                required packages
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 \RequirePackage{tikz}
+\usetikzlibrary{babel}
 
 
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/moderncvheadvii.sty b/moderncvheadvii.sty
index bab32cc..6e6f1a1 100644
--- a/moderncvheadvii.sty
+++ b/moderncvheadvii.sty
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 \RequirePackage{qrcode}
 \RequirePackage{tikz}
-\usetikzlibrary{tikzmark,fit}
+\usetikzlibrary{tikzmark,fit,babel}
 
 
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/moderncviconstikz.sty b/moderncviconstikz.sty
index 29355b8..f3f09ad 100644
--- a/moderncviconstikz.sty
+++ b/moderncviconstikz.sty
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 %                required packages
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 \RequirePackage{tikz}
+\usetikzlibrary{babel}
 \RequirePackage{etoolbox}
 \RequirePackage{xcolor}
 
diff --git a/moderncvskillmatrix.sty b/moderncvskillmatrix.sty
index 9f03be1..5c2099e 100644
--- a/moderncvskillmatrix.sty
+++ b/moderncvskillmatrix.sty
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@
 %                required packages
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 \RequirePackage{tikz}
+\usetikzlibrary{babel}
 \RequirePackage{multirow}
 % package arydshln is needed for the dashed lines but is incompatible with fancy style
 \if@moderncvbodyv%
diff --git a/moderncvverticaltimeline.sty b/moderncvverticaltimeline.sty
index 1ee94a5..1231689 100644
--- a/moderncvverticaltimeline.sty
+++ b/moderncvverticaltimeline.sty
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 %                required packages
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 \RequirePackage{tikz}
+\usetikzlibrary{babel}
 
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 %                vertical timeline implementation