Macron Presses Washington on Hormuz as Paris Plans European NATO

At the eighth European Political Community summit in Yerevan, President Emmanuel Macron called for a coordinated international reopening of the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the United States and questioned the unilateral US-led initiative announced earlier in the week. Macron said France would not participate in any military operation conducted under an unclear framework, and that the parallel Franco-British plan would remain on hold while hostilities persisted.

European officials, including French counterparts, are quietly advancing contingency plans for a "European NATO" that could maintain deterrence against Russia if Washington withdraws troops, withholds support, or refuses to invoke Article 5, the Wall Street Journal reported on 4 May. The talks run informally on the sidelines of NATO meetings and focus on who would take over air and missile defence, reinforcement routes, logistics, and nuclear credibility — questions France's independent deterrent already puts Paris close to. European planners are working to a 2029 Russian-threat timeline against a 2035 European-readiness target, against the background of NATO's 2 May standoff in which several European allies resisted joining the US-led Hormuz initiative.

Minister Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs Anne Le Hénanff announced €200 million in emergency funding to harden cybersecurity across French ministries after the 15 April data breach at the National Agency for Secure Documents (ANTS). Le Hénanff said the funds would be used for flash audits and to raise protection levels but acknowledged the sum was insufficient. The prime minister has separately created a new National Authority for Digital and AI to centralise cybersecurity coordination across government.

La France Insoumise MP Emmanuel Fernandes called for the cancellation of a 30 May banquet in Colmar organised by a company linked to billionaire Stérin, citing fears of unrest and the platforming of racist ideas. The Républicain mayor of Colmar refused, denouncing what he called a "hysterization of the debate" and rejecting the parliamentary intervention.