Grassroots populism VS. centrist-leaning social-liberalism The French left has two very different options to try and stop a far-right takeover, with only one spot up for grabs. My latest for @politico.eu

In an incredible turn of events, France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned after less than three weeks in office, pushing France even further into unchartered territory

Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison to be served immediately. He will be summoned in the coming weeks and go to jail.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty taking part in a criminal association Sarkozy permitted his "close collaborators" to try to obtain funds from Gadhafi's Libyan regime ahead of his presidential run in 2007, the court found

The far-right National Rally has never been more popular, and stands a realistic chance of winning the presidency when the next election is held in 2027 But it remains constantly dogged by legal troubles. I looked into why ⤵️

French police are currently raiding the far-right National Rally's headquarters Prosecutors tell POLITICO that the raid concerns allegations of illegal campaign financing during the 2022 French presidential campaign, legislative elections and the 2024 European election

NEW: “The transformations that Paris made work better for everyone, including drivers.” I’m interviewed for this @politico.eu @victorglaf.bsky.social article on Paris Mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social’s truly remarkable city-building legacy. @carlosmorenofr.bsky.social is quoted along with many mayors.

Aix-Marseille University, in the South of France, is looking to draw in U.S. researchers at risk of seeing their funding cut Last week, its President Eric Berton even likened the situation to that of European academics who fled persecution by Nazi Germany

MEP Rima Hassan returned to Paris after joining the Gaza-bound Freedom flotilla and spending three days in Israeli custody I spoke with her about the experience, her political rise, what she hopes to achieve in Brussels and the controversies around her:

Les Républicains and the Socialists, the country’s old establishment parties, see a narrow window to reclaim relevance But the road ahead remains long after a decade of electoral disasters ⤵️

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has won the leadership of the country's main conservative party — a win which will push the party even further to the right and could open a new chapter in his journey towards the presidential election

A deadly stabbing inside a French mosque has sparked accusations of double standards against the French government — and cast a spotlight on deeper issues of Islamophobia in France ⤵️

The EU should issue a rebuke of Hungary for leaving the International Criminal Court if it cares about protecting international legal order, a Palestinian Oscar-winning director said.

France insists on the need for European unity on Trump tariffs as Meloni heads to Washington

Two high-ranking officials from France’s biggest far-right party publicly opened the door today to bringing down the government a week after Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzlement and subsequently barred from running for president.

Marine Le Pen claimed that millions of her supporters were outraged by last week’s verdict against her. Yet barely a few thousand showed up at a rally to support her today in Paris ⤵️

The court of appeals announced that a new trial in Marine Le Pen's case could take place in 2026 If the decision to ban Le Pen from running immediately is overturned, she could still stand in the next presidential election — even if she's found guilty

The French far-right spent months in apparent denial about Marine Le Pen's looming legal troubles With the presidential candidate now convicted and barred from running for office, her top allies are resorting to attacks against the court system

Live from the Paris courthouse, where the verdict in Marine Le Pen's trial will be delivered in about an hour. If the court follows the prosecutor's recommendations, the far-right candidate could be barred from running in the next presidential election. @politico.eu

The French far right could lose its presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, if a court finds her guilty of embezzlement Monday. Yet despite the extraordinary stakes, her party has done little to prepare for a bad outcome ⬇️

French prosecutors have requested that former president Sarkozy be sent behind bars for allegedly agreeing to take millions from former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 election campaign

French President Emmanuel Macron says the representatives of more than 30 countries who gathered in Paris have “unanimously” agreed sanctions should not be lifted against Russia until “peace has clearly been established” in Ukraine.

Despite Marine Le Pen's imminent trial and her father's death earlier this year, the Le Pen family's mark on French politics appears to be stronger than ever Today's front-page story for @politico.eu ⤵️

Two French far-right officials have been invited to an Israeli government conference despite decades-long accusations of antisemitism against their movement. The invitation has reignited tensions between Marine Le Pen and French Jewish organizations ⤵️

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza strip since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the enclave's Hamas-run health ministry said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney chose France for his first trip abroad, taking a series of not-so-subtle digs at Trump and emphasizing the need for a stronger relationship between Canada and Europe

We’re hiring: POLITICO Europe is looking for a Food and Agriculture reporter. Apply here — and don’t hesitate to get in touch directly if you would like to find out more. jobs.mpleo.net/en/politico/...

Macron wants France to spend more on defense, but is vigorously against raising taxes With a hung parliament and no consensus on funding, the French president's plans for a better-funded military could face deadlock @laukaya.bsky.social @sarah-paillou.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/fran...

🚨Exclu @politico.eu Roland Lescure ne digère pas la dernière annonce commerciale d’EDF. “L’accord était très clair : l’industrie d’abord, le reste ensuite. Ils sont en train de sacrifier l’industrie", tempête l'ex-ministre, pour qui "EDF n’a pas rempli sa part du contrat.”

Welfare vs warfare: Emmanuel Macron’s calls for more military spending without tax increases have sparked fears over future cuts to social programs. With @victorglaf.bsky.social and @sarah-paillou.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/fran...

European leaders will soon see a familiar face in Ottawa — Mark Carney The future Canadian PM's European connections in central banking and government shared their thoughts on his rise to power ⤵️

The lobbying budgets of the largest European defense companies surged around 40 percent between 2022 and 2023, a data investigation by POLITICO found. 👉 www.politico.eu/article/eu-d...

JD Vance denied referring to the UK when he criticized Ukraine peacekeeping assistance from "some random country that hasn't fought a war in 30 years." But his comments have fuelled a significant cross party backlash - my latest for @politico.eu. www.politico.eu/article/jd-v...

France's economy minister said the country’s plans to increase defense spending to more than 3 percent of GDP may require more taxes on the rich and setting up defense-focused investment funds for private actors.

In the latest episode of French-Algerian tensions, Macron issued a hands-off warning to his ministers after they attempted to turn up the dial with Algiers on immigration The French president spoke out against scrapping agreements between both countries

The French foreign affairs minister said he had "trouble understanding" Hegseth's call to halt cyber operations against Russia Paris has frequently accused Russia of using hybrid warfare techniques against France ⤵️

Emmanuel Macron calls for a new target of spending 3, 3.5% of GDP on defense. It’s the first time France publicly comes up with a new number. www.lefigaro.fr/internationa...

Former French President Hollande didn't fault his successor Macron's attempts to woo Trump But expressed skepticism at the tactic's efficiency ⤵️

Donald Trump views himself as the ultimate dealmaker. But his much-touted mineral agreement with Ukraine — which would give the US access to Kyiv's extensive raw material reserves — could end up yielding much less than he bargained for. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

French ministers pinned a knife attack last weekend on immigration just hours after the event A cabinet meeting on the issue will take place today, with a particular focus on a former French colony, Algeria, which is increasingly at the center of attacks from French officials ⬇️

Macron’s controversial pick for the constitutional court was approved by a 1 vote margin thanks to the far-right abstaining. Le Pen’s tacit support raises legitimacy concerns, especially as this court may decide if she can run while accused of embezzlement

Merz’s dream coalition hinges on the implosion of his smaller rivals: The fewer parties are left standing in Germany’s election, the stronger his grip on power. @hannecl.bsky.social and I did the math to figure out which parties could crash and burn to his benefit. Amazing art by Natália Delgado🎨

Top European leaders met in Paris on Monday but failed to ease fears about Trump's Ukraine plans — offering little beyond platitudes on aid and defense after a 3.5-hour meeting

Emmanuel Macron greets European leaders for a meeting on Ukraine and European security. Macron had a "frank" 20 minute conversation with Trump ahead of the meeting. @politico.eu

Any future attempts to legislate on hot-button issues could topple Bayrou given the limited support he enjoys. And a looming debate on immigration carries that risk

@mediapart.fr has published a series of testimonies and documents asserting that French PM Bayrou didn’t act on reports of abuse at the Catholic school where his children were enrolled Bayrou rejected the allegations and said he would sue for libel

"Macron could not have found a worst candidate" The French president's appointment of a close ally to lead the top constitutional court has sparked opposition backlash over fears of bias and politicization

I want to talk a bit about Politico Pro. What is it? It's a subscription-based news service whose target audience is anyone working closely with policy and legislation. It is not funded or subsidised by USAID. Most people are unfamiliar with it; here's what it is. 1/🧵

French PM Bayrou is set to survive four no-confidence motions this week as he pushes through an austerity budget Socialist and far-right MPs won't vote the motions for the sake of stability... while insisting that they're against both the budget and Bayrou

With few allies left in a hopeless fractured legislature and unable to run for a third term, the French president is shifting his focus to cultural matters to prove he’s no powerless lame duck.