Sébastien Lecornu
Prime Minister of France since 2025
Photo: U.S. Secretary of Defense, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
- 2d ago
Louvre director warns the museum could close without a renovation
Louvre director Christophe Leribault says the Paris museum could eventually have to shut to the public without a renovation, days before the first anniversary of the 2025 jewel heist. Security works are under way, but he calls the wider overhaul the only way to secure its future.
- 4d ago
France's 2027 budget faces a majority gap as the central bank governor urges action
The National Assembly began examining the 2027 finance bill on Tuesday, 13 October, as the government, the Banque de France and the IMF all pressed for a swift budget with the deficit kept at 5% of GDP.
- 5d ago
TotalEnergies pledges 8 to 12 cent diesel cut as France releases strategic fuel stocks
Patrick Pouyanné said the cut will follow the release of 10 million barrels from France's strategic stocks, starting in early November. TotalEnergies also committed to 20 cents off non-road diesel used by farmers, construction firms and fishermen.
- 5d ago
Cyberattack pushes French supermarket fridges to 50 degrees Celsius, as Dutch chain shuts systems
Attackers took remote control of refrigeration systems in hundreds of French stores on Monday, 12 October, and France's cybersecurity agency says the campaign may still be running. Intermarché alone reported losses of tens of millions of euros in a single day.
- 6d ago
Macron's favorable rating drops to 15%, lowest since he took office in 2017
Only 15% of respondents in the latest Ipsos BVA-Cesi barometer view Emmanuel Macron favorably, while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu rises two points to 22%. Energy costs, purchasing power and debt top voter concerns.
- Oct 10
About 200 French schools close as student protests spread and Greta Thunberg joins
More than 6,600 arrests have been made nationwide since the protests began in September. On Tuesday, 13 October, about 200 schools closed, and Greta Thunberg joined pupils outside a lycée in Saint-Denis.
- Oct 8
Student protests in France draw 71,500 nationwide as Lecornu faces pressure
Students marched across France on Thursday, with 24,500 in Paris and clashes at Place de la Bastille. The government has promised funded education measures only by the end of October.
- Oct 6
French government launches fact-checking tool on X to defend 2027 budget against business lobby
The French government activated an official account on X on 5 October 2026 to contest corporate tax estimates by business federation Medef as debates over the 2027 budget intensify.
- Oct 5
French National Assembly committee alters 2027 budget and rejects 1.4 billion euro pension tax cut
The National Assembly Finance Committee amended France's 2027 draft budget, stripping a 1.4 billion euro reduction in retiree tax allowances and adding nearly 4 billion euros in spending before plenary debates on 13 October.
- Oct 1
French lawmakers begin debate on 69-article bill against sexual violence
The French National Assembly will examine a 69-article bill starting 1 October 2026 to reform judicial procedures, police response, and child protection following high-profile abuse cases.
- Oct 1
France unveils €54 billion austerity budget as debt hits 119% of GDP and bond yields rise
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu presented the 2027 draft budget featuring €54 billion in spending cuts, seeking to stabilize public finances as sovereign debt reached 119% of GDP and 10-year bond yields climbed to 4.89%.
- Oct 1
European bond spreads widen as French 10-year yield climbs to 4.92% and German Bund demand surges
Sovereign bond spreads across France and Italy widened against German Bunds on 2 October 2026, driven by French fiscal consolidation plans and a global reassessment of public debt trajectories.
- Sep 30
France unveils 2027 budget with 20 billion euro corporate effort and pension curbs
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu presented the 2027 draft finance bills to rein in public debt at 119% of GDP, combining corporate contributions with 5.5 billion euros in savings from pensioners.
- Sep 30
CMA CGM cancels French flag registration for seven new container ships over 2027 corporate surtax
The Marseille-based shipping group will register seven of ten ordered giant container ships under foreign registries after the French government targeted firms earning over €2.1 billion in its 2027 budget.
- Sep 30
France launches 540 million euro heat pump leasing scheme for 55,000 low-income homes
France has selected six industrial consortiums to provide turnkey heat pump installations starting 1 October 2026, offering 9,800 euros in average aid per household to replace gas and oil boilers.
- Sep 29
French public debt climbs to 119% of GDP as Lecornu prepares 54 billion euro budget adjustment
National statistics office Insee reported that France accrued nearly 3.6 trillion euros in public liabilities by the end of June 2026, as 10-year borrowing costs widened against German bonds to levels not seen since 2012.
- Sep 29
France declares Gironde megafire extinguished after scorching 42,000 hectares
French authorities have officially declared the Saumos wildfire in Gironde extinguished, 69 days after it ignited and forced 224,000 people to evacuate across 23 municipalities.
- Sep 26
Pope Leo XIV draws 700,000 faithful to Paris mass on Place de la Concorde
Pope Leo XIV celebrated the first open-air mass on the Place de la Concorde on Saturday, drawing an estimated 700,000 attendees before traveling to Lourdes.
- Sep 26
Pope Leo XIV draws 700,000 to Paris open-air Mass during four-day visit to France
Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass at Place de la Concorde following a youth vigil at Stade de France and meetings with state leaders and migrants.
- Sep 19
Scope downgrades France to A+ as public debt is forecast to reach 121.7% of GDP
Scope Ratings downgraded French sovereign debt to A+ on 18 September 2026, as the government projected public debt to reach 121.7% of GDP by 2027 and proposed 54 billion euros in consolidation.
