Paris bars an Israeli minister as the day's diplomatic ledger refuses to clear
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot's entry ban on Itamar Ben-Gvir and call for EU sanctions framed the day, but France's diplomatic agenda crowded in from every side: an Algerian law criminalising 1830-1962 colonisation as a state crime, a fresh suspension of EU biometric checks at Dover after two-and-a-half-hour queues, a covertly-returned asylum seeker who exposed the UK "one in, one out" scheme, and at home Gabriel Attal's open run at 2027 and a Le Monde-reported search of the presidential residence in a Shortcut Events contracts probe.
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France bans Itamar Ben-Gvir from entry and demands EU sanctions over flotilla detentions
France banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from its territory on May 23, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot saying the decision answered Ben-Gvir's "unacceptable" treatment of French and European citizens detained from the Global Sumud Flotilla. Barrot joined Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani in pressing the EU for sanctions, a move Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka has already vowed to block in the unanimity-bound Council. The bar comes as activists returning from Israeli custody allege beatings and sexual assault, including 15 cases the flotilla's organisers say were documented after the May 18 interception off Cyprus.
Algeria enacts law criminalizing French colonization as state crime
Algeria published a law in its official gazette on May 21, 2026, criminalizing French colonization as a state crime. The legislation, adopted by parliament in early March, lists 31 imprescriptible crimes committed from 1830 to 1962. It abandons the idea of generalized apologies or reparations.
France suspends biometric border checks at Dover after hours-long queues
French border police temporarily suspended biometric checks at the Port of Dover on Saturday after thousands of holidaymakers faced delays of up to two and a half hours at the terminal. The port said French authorities invoked Article 9 of the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) regulations to reduce processing times, while conventional checks remain in place. The disruption came during a hot bank holiday weekend that is the first peak period since the EES became fully operational last month.
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Every other event tracked in France, with a one-line preview.
fr15French nuclear attack submarine Perle to be decommissioned after 33 years
The French Navy's Rubis-class nuclear attack submarine Perle has departed Toulon for Cherbourg for decommissioning and dismantling, scheduled for 2026. Over its 33-year career, the Perle sailed nearly one million nautical miles and spent the equivalent of 12 years submerged. Its retirement leaves France with only four operational SNAs (three Suffren-class and Améthyste) until the SNA de Grasse enters service in 2027.
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French nuclear attack submarine Perle to be decommissioned after 33 years
The French Navy's Rubis-class nuclear attack submarine Perle has departed Toulon for Cherbourg for decommissioning and dismantling, scheduled for 2026. Over its 33-year career, the Perle sailed nearly one million nautical miles and spent the equivalent of 12 years submerged. Its retirement leaves France with only four operational SNAs (three Suffren-class and Améthyste) until the SNA de Grasse enters service in 2027.
The French Navy's Rubis-class nuclear attack submarine Perle has departed Toulon for Cherbourg for decommissioning and dismantling, scheduled for 2026. Over its 33-year career, the Perle sailed nearly one million nautical miles and spent the equivalent of 12 years submerged. Its retirement leaves France with only four operational SNAs (three Suffren-class and Améthyste) until the SNA de Grasse enters service in 2027.
fr13Vanuatu PM escalates sovereignty dispute with France over Matthew and Hunter islands
Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat has intensified the long-standing territorial dispute with France over the uninhabited Matthew and Hunter islands, declaring before Parliament that Vanuatu's independence will remain incomplete until sovereignty over the islands is secured. The statement, reported by the Vanuatu Daily Post, was accompanied by a photomontage of French President Emmanuel Macron and Napat above the two islets. The dispute, which began in 1983, has been aggravated by France's internal political situation in New Caledonia. Napat's remarks underscore the issue as the top priority of Vanuatu's foreign policy, as outlined in its 2024 diplomatic roadmap, reflecting growing frustration in Port-Vila over France's internal affairs interfering with the territorial claim.
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Vanuatu PM escalates sovereignty dispute with France over Matthew and Hunter islands
Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat has intensified the long-standing territorial dispute with France over the uninhabited Matthew and Hunter islands, declaring before Parliament that Vanuatu's independence will remain incomplete until sovereignty over the islands is secured. The statement, reported by the Vanuatu Daily Post, was accompanied by a photomontage of French President Emmanuel Macron and Napat above the two islets. The dispute, which began in 1983, has been aggravated by France's internal political situation in New Caledonia. Napat's remarks underscore the issue as the top priority of Vanuatu's foreign policy, as outlined in its 2024 diplomatic roadmap, reflecting growing frustration in Port-Vila over France's internal affairs interfering with the territorial claim.
Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat has intensified the long-standing territorial dispute with France over the uninhabited Matthew and Hunter islands, declaring before Parliament that Vanuatu's independence will remain incomplete until sovereignty over the islands is secured. The statement, reported by the Vanuatu Daily Post, was accompanied by a photomontage of French President Emmanuel Macron and Napat above the two islets. The dispute, which began in 1983, has been aggravated by France's internal political situation in New Caledonia. Napat's remarks underscore the issue as the top priority of Vanuatu's foreign policy, as outlined in its 2024 diplomatic roadmap, reflecting growing frustration in Port-Vila over France's internal affairs interfering with the territorial claim.