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France

What is happening there and why it matters.

So it makes sense

France is the euro area’s second largest economy after Germany and the Union’s only nuclear power — it generates most of its electricity from nuclear plants, which gives it a different position in European energy debates. It is also a country where politics happens in the streets as much as in parliament: protest, strike and blockade are a normal continuation of a dispute there, not a breakdown of it. The summer of 2026 showed what troubles the country most — heatwaves with more than 2,000 excess deaths, wildfires and a drought that forced the state to send farmers hundreds of millions of euros and temporarily relax the rules for protected-origin cheeses.

Who governs
The president is Emmanuel Macron, serving his second and final term — the constitution bars a third, so he leaves in 2027. The prime minister is Sébastien Lecornu. His government survived a no-confidence vote in July 2026 brought by the Greens over its handling of the June heatwaves. On the budget the cabinet is trying to keep the deficit as close to 5 % of GDP as it can — in French politics public debt is the issue that brings governments down.
Who opposes
The polls have long been led by the National Rally (RN) — Marine Le Pen stands at around 35 % and in August 2026 broke with Jordan Bardella’s line by confirming she wants to return the retirement age to 62. The radical left is led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is courting an alliance with the Greens’ Marine Tondelier. To the centre-right stands Bruno Retailleau (Republicans), in the centre former prime ministers Gabriel Attal and Édouard Philippe, and on the centre-left MEP Raphaël Glucksmann. Glucksmann won the social-democratic left primary on 11 October 2026 in the first round with 66% of the vote and became the PS candidate; Mélenchon stayed out, so the left is not united.
Next election
Presidential election in 2027. Raphaël Glucksmann won the social-democratic left primary on 11 October 2026 in the first round with 66% of the vote.

Context verified 12. 10. 2026. We update it when the government changes or an election comes — the news below is live.

What French media say about themselves

last 4. 10. at 08:07
  • Thousands of people in Eure protested against pesticides in front of the Syngenta plant — This is part of a worldwide mobilization against the Syngenta group.
  • The appeals court will rule in the MoDem and Bayrou case on 17 December — Bayrou's defense described the charge as "empty".
  • Strike paralyzes Corsica Linea; ships to Korziku are stopped until Monday — The company has suspended operations; shops on the island already report empty shelves.
  • The Štátna rada confirmed Auchan's plan to cut 2,400 jobs — The massive layoffs have thus passed judicial review.
  • Prisons in France hold a record 90,020 prisoners as of 1 September — Prison overcrowding surpassed the previous maximum.
  • 2027 budget: Bercy reports €10bn in company efforts, while the real figure should be €20bn — Moody's and Barclays expressed doubts after Prime Minister Lecornu presented the proposal.
  • Lycée blockades: 735 schools disrupted, government speeds up the "casseurs-payeurs" law — A school in Metz burned down; according to BFMTV, investigators favor a deliberate act.
  • Le Penová insists on trusting Bardella; 39 newsrooms condemned her attack on Mediapart — Mediapart published antisemitic texts attributed to the RN leader; the party rejects the accusations.

How the neighbours see it

mentions of the country in media of surrounding states

What happened

14 reports over 14 days in 13 events

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