France's Russia rhetoric collides with what its own consulates are issuing
Confidential Commission figures showed EU consulates issued more than 620,000 Schengen visas to Russian citizens in 2025, a 10.2 percent rise, with France posting a 23 percent jump and Paris pressing to keep the data out of the Schengen Barometer. Domestically, PM Sébastien Lecornu pushed for swift adoption of an emergency agriculture bill due on the Assembly floor May 19; defence drone startup Harmattan AI became France's first military-tech unicorn on a $200 million Dassault-backed round; and Gabriel Attal proposed a liaison committee with Édouard Philippe to head off a 2027 LFI-RN runoff.
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France led 10.2% rise in EU Schengen visas to Russians in 2025, confidential Commission data shows
EU governments issued more than 620,000 Schengen visas to Russian citizens in 2025, a 10.2 percent rise from 2024, with France, Italy and Spain accounting for nearly three-quarters of applications, according to confidential European Commission figures circulated to capitals and seen by Euractiv. France posted the steepest year-on-year jump at 23 percent, cutting against the Commission's November 2025 ban on multiple-entry Schengen visas for Russians, which Brussels had justified by citing sabotage, espionage and weaponized migration. After eight member states demanded an explanation, the figures Paris had asked the Commission to remove from the internal Schengen Barometer reappeared in May in a separate technical document.
French PM Lecornu urges rapid adoption of emergency agriculture law amid tense context
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Thursday urged swift adoption of the emergency agriculture bill, warning against obstruction as the text heads to the National Assembly floor on May 19. The bill, passed in committee on May 6, includes measures on water storage and livestock farming. Lecornu said the issue of phytopharmaceutical products could be addressed in a separate bill to avoid delaying the urgent package.
French drone startup Harmattan AI becomes first military tech unicorn with $200 million funding
Harmattan AI, a French defense drone startup founded in April 2024 by 26-year-old Mouad M'Ghari, has become the country's first military technology unicorn after raising $200 million (about €170 million) in January. The funding round included Dassault Aviation, maker of the Rafale fighter jet. The company has moved from a small Paris workshop to a new factory in Wissous capable of producing up to 10,000 drones per month, set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin.
Gabriel Attal warns of LFI-RN runoff risk, proposes liaison committee with Edouard Philippe
Former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Thursday he would consider a joint strategy with Edouard Philippe to prevent a second-round runoff between La France Insoumise (LFI) and the far-right National Rally (RN) in the 2027 presidential election. Attal told franceinfo he has proposed a liaison committee with Philippe's representatives to coordinate on timing and conditions for a potential alliance. He declined to say whether he would withdraw in favor of Philippe if polls show Philippe ahead.
All Events
Every other event tracked in France, with a one-line preview.
fr33French National Assembly President Braun-Pivet criticizes Macron's vertical power and lack of parliamentary consultation
In an interview on France 2's "4 Vérités" program, Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, admitted that power under Emmanuel Macron has been too vertical and that the Assembly was not sufficiently listened to. She acknowledged collective failures in democratic methods, including the absence of referendums and consultations, and expressed disagreement with the current line of the Renaissance party led by Gabriel Attal. Braun-Pivet called for a more collective approach to decision-making and criticized the party's focus on personalities rather than substance.
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French National Assembly President Braun-Pivet criticizes Macron's vertical power and lack of parliamentary consultation
In an interview on France 2's "4 Vérités" program, Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, admitted that power under Emmanuel Macron has been too vertical and that the Assembly was not sufficiently listened to. She acknowledged collective failures in democratic methods, including the absence of referendums and consultations, and expressed disagreement with the current line of the Renaissance party led by Gabriel Attal. Braun-Pivet called for a more collective approach to decision-making and criticized the party's focus on personalities rather than substance.
In an interview on France 2's "4 Vérités" program, Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, admitted that power under Emmanuel Macron has been too vertical and that the Assembly was not sufficiently listened to. She acknowledged collective failures in democratic methods, including the absence of referendums and consultations, and expressed disagreement with the current line of the Renaissance party led by Gabriel Attal. Braun-Pivet called for a more collective approach to decision-making and criticized the party's focus on personalities rather than substance.
fr30Marseille anti-drug activist Amine Kessaci urges stronger state action against narcotrafficking
Amine Kessaci, a prominent anti-drug activist and deputy mayor of Marseille, called on the French state to provide all necessary means to end the war on narcotrafficking. Speaking as a bill to protect residents and whistleblowers threatened by traffickers is debated in the Senate, Kessaci argued current laws are insufficient and urged the government to include anti-trafficking measures in its upcoming security law. He highlighted the evolution of drug trafficking into organized mafia-style crime and the need for financial resources to protect and relocate threatened individuals.
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Marseille anti-drug activist Amine Kessaci urges stronger state action against narcotrafficking
Amine Kessaci, a prominent anti-drug activist and deputy mayor of Marseille, called on the French state to provide all necessary means to end the war on narcotrafficking. Speaking as a bill to protect residents and whistleblowers threatened by traffickers is debated in the Senate, Kessaci argued current laws are insufficient and urged the government to include anti-trafficking measures in its upcoming security law. He highlighted the evolution of drug trafficking into organized mafia-style crime and the need for financial resources to protect and relocate threatened individuals.
Amine Kessaci, a prominent anti-drug activist and deputy mayor of Marseille, called on the French state to provide all necessary means to end the war on narcotrafficking. Speaking as a bill to protect residents and whistleblowers threatened by traffickers is debated in the Senate, Kessaci argued current laws are insufficient and urged the government to include anti-trafficking measures in its upcoming security law. He highlighted the evolution of drug trafficking into organized mafia-style crime and the need for financial resources to protect and relocate threatened individuals.
fr23France launches inspection into tax-deductible donations to far-right group Némésis
French Minister of Public Accounts David Amiel announced a joint inspection with the Interior Ministry into the tax deductibility of donations to associations of general interest, after reports that the far-right group Némésis had been exploiting the system for financing. The move follows a revelation by Libération that the group had been using tax-deductible donations to fund its activities.
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France launches inspection into tax-deductible donations to far-right group Némésis
French Minister of Public Accounts David Amiel announced a joint inspection with the Interior Ministry into the tax deductibility of donations to associations of general interest, after reports that the far-right group Némésis had been exploiting the system for financing. The move follows a revelation by Libération that the group had been using tax-deductible donations to fund its activities.
French Minister of Public Accounts David Amiel announced a joint inspection with the Interior Ministry into the tax deductibility of donations to associations of general interest, after reports that the far-right group Némésis had been exploiting the system for financing. The move follows a revelation by Libération that the group had been using tax-deductible donations to fund its activities.
fr20French prosecutor seeks acquittal of hospital in end-of-life sedation case
The Paris prosecutor argued that Cognacq-Jay hospital did not commit a criminal offense by refusing deep continuous sedation to a dying patient, a practice allowed under the Claeys-Leonetti law. The case, brought by the patient's son Grégoire Gentil, coincides with the return of France's end-of-life bill to the Senate for debate.
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French prosecutor seeks acquittal of hospital in end-of-life sedation case
The Paris prosecutor argued that Cognacq-Jay hospital did not commit a criminal offense by refusing deep continuous sedation to a dying patient, a practice allowed under the Claeys-Leonetti law. The case, brought by the patient's son Grégoire Gentil, coincides with the return of France's end-of-life bill to the Senate for debate.
The Paris prosecutor argued that Cognacq-Jay hospital did not commit a criminal offense by refusing deep continuous sedation to a dying patient, a practice allowed under the Claeys-Leonetti law. The case, brought by the patient's son Grégoire Gentil, coincides with the return of France's end-of-life bill to the Senate for debate.
fr15French court spares former president Sarkozy second ankle-tag sentence due to age
A French court ruled that former president Nicolas Sarkozy, 71, will not serve a second sentence under electronic ankle monitoring for illegal overspending on his 2012 re-election campaign (the Bygmalion case), citing his advanced age. Sarkozy had already served a prior ankle-tag sentence in a separate corruption case (Bismuth). The decision highlights ongoing legal proceedings against the former head of state.
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French court spares former president Sarkozy second ankle-tag sentence due to age
A French court ruled that former president Nicolas Sarkozy, 71, will not serve a second sentence under electronic ankle monitoring for illegal overspending on his 2012 re-election campaign (the Bygmalion case), citing his advanced age. Sarkozy had already served a prior ankle-tag sentence in a separate corruption case (Bismuth). The decision highlights ongoing legal proceedings against the former head of state.
A French court ruled that former president Nicolas Sarkozy, 71, will not serve a second sentence under electronic ankle monitoring for illegal overspending on his 2012 re-election campaign (the Bygmalion case), citing his advanced age. Sarkozy had already served a prior ankle-tag sentence in a separate corruption case (Bismuth). The decision highlights ongoing legal proceedings against the former head of state.