- 3d ago
French presidential contenders clash over economy and borders at Braderie de Lille
Gabriel Attal, Marine Tondelier, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon campaigned among 5,000 stands at the Braderie de Lille on Saturday, presenting competing visions on debt, purchasing power, and unity ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
- Aug 31
Marine Le Pen proposes referendum to ban and fine Islamic veil in French public spaces
National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy and party leader Marine Le Pen announced plans to fine women wearing headscarves in public spaces through a national referendum if elected in 2027, drawing widespread criticism from rivals.
- Aug 28
France to index minimum welfare benefits while weighing limits on pension growth in 2027 budget
Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou confirmed that RSA and Aspa benefits will track inflation in 2027, while urging retirees to accept shared fiscal restraint across the 400 billion euro pension system.
- Aug 27
Xavier Bertrand confirms 2027 French presidential bid as an independent candidate
Hauts-de-France regional president Xavier Bertrand confirmed his plans to contest the 2027 French presidential election during the Medef business conference, ruling out any participation in a centre-right primary.
- Aug 24
Raphael Glucksmann enters 2027 French presidential race through October social-democratic primary
The Place Publique MEP will compete in an October primary organized with the Socialist Party, promising a 15 billion euro wage plan funded by higher taxes on the top 1% while rejecting alliances with the radical left.
- Aug 24
Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Laurent Nuñez clash over the impartiality of French prefects
La France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon demanded an impartial state at his party summer school, prompting Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to defend the constitutional neutrality of regional prefects.
- Aug 23
Mélenchon proposes ecological conscription and eco-regions at LFI summer school
Jean-Luc Mélenchon closed his party's summer gathering in Châteauneuf-sur-Isère with proposals to reorganize France into river-basin eco-regions and establish mandatory civil defense conscription.
- Jul 26
France marks decade since Father Hamel's murder at altar with call for peace and fraternity
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu leads a memorial mass and speeches in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, joined by François Hollande and other officials, as the town reaffirms a message of peace.
- Jul 26
Former economy minister Bruno Le Maire calls for 'system change' ahead of 2027 French presidential race
Two years out of office, Bruno Le Maire sketches a presidential platform built on 'rupture' and a new French model, without formally announcing a bid.
- Jul 25
A400M military transport plane drops retardant for first time on massive Gironde wildfire, 167,000 evacuated
The Airbus A400M, repurposed to carry 20 tonnes of fire retardant, dropped its first red line near Lacanau on Saturday, joining the battle against a wildfire that has consumed 32,700 hectares and forced 167,000 residents to flee.
- Jul 7
French court to rule on Marine Le Pen's presidential bid as appeal verdict looms
The Paris Court of Appeal will announce whether Marine Le Pen can run for president in 2027, after her conviction for misusing EU funds. The ruling, expected around 1:30 p.m., could end her political career or clear her path to the Élysée.
- Jul 5
Édouard Philippe launches 2027 presidential bid with Paris rally, casting himself as the unifying right‑centre candidate
The former prime minister drew about 5,000 supporters to the Adidas Arena on 5 July, unveiling his "Croire en nous" slogan and a programme centred on children, schools, and public‑finance discipline.
- Jul 1
Wauquiez opens door to Philippe, tells Retailleau to 'know how to withdraw' from 2027 race
Laurent Wauquiez, head of Les Républicains' parliamentary group, urged rival Bruno Retailleau to step aside if his presidential bid fails to gain traction, while praising Horizons candidate Edouard Philippe as capable of 'embodying order and seriousness.'
- Jun 30
France sets 2027 presidential election for 18 April and 2 May, right-wing attacks May Day overlap
The French government confirmed on Wednesday that the 2027 presidential election will be held on 18 April (first round) and 2 May (runoff). The decision places the decisive vote immediately after Labour Day, when election campaigning is banned, prompting sharp objections from the right.
- Jun 29
France ends record heatwave with over 1,000 dead, braces for new one as 30,000 air conditioners head to hospitals
After a 10-day heatwave that killed more than 1,000 people and saw Paris hit 42°C, Météo-France warns of a new bout of extreme heat this weekend. The government has ordered 30,000 air conditioners for hospitals and promised a new extreme-heat plan.
- Jun 15
Braun-Pivet dismisses punitive proposals over Lyhanna case, urges comprehensive approach
The French National Assembly president argued that life sentences, imprescriptibility, and chemical castration would not protect children, advocating instead for sex education, better medical care, and improved information sharing about offenders.
- May 30
Gabriel Attal Launches French Presidential Bid with Paris Rally, Targeting Far-Right and Far-Left
Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal held his first major campaign rally in Paris on Saturday, positioning himself as a candidate of "action and hope" against what he called the "merchants of hate" on the political extremes.
