Documents obtained by Delfi Estonia and shared with the OCCRP investigative network detail Russian hybrid-warfare operations planned for 2025-2026, including planting pig heads near Paris mosques, vandalizing a Holocaust museum, and defacing a monument to Charles de Gaulle while framing "Ukrainian nationalists." Publicized by Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, the files attribute the operations to the sanctioned Social Design Agency, said to be overseen by officials in the Russian presidential administration, and include a disinformation campaign over real estate allegedly owned by Volodymyr Zelensky. The Center called the network evidence of a systematic, long-term hybrid threat to Europe.

The French Senate on May 27 proposed adding €14 billion to the government's updated military programming law, raising the total for 2024-2030 to €450 billion. Senate defense committee president Cédric Perrin said the extra funds are needed to align defense spending with NATO's 3.5% of GDP target by 2035, which the current government plan would not reach. The proposal would bring military spending to 2.7% of GDP by 2030, up from the government's projected 2.5%.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced on Wednesday, May 27, that staff who have been removed from schools for inappropriate behavior with minors will be placed on a blacklist preventing any re-employment in education, even without a criminal conviction. The measure is part of a broader child protection bill presented by Health Minister Stéphanie Rist and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin. The bill also introduces continuous background checks for all personnel working with children.

French medical NGO Médecins du Monde says two of its Instagram accounts were permanently disabled by Meta in May, part of a broader pattern of restrictions affecting sexual health and LGBTQIA+ groups. A coalition of Dutch and European rights organizations sent Meta a formal notice on 20 May citing the EU Digital Services Act, alleging digital discrimination. Repro Uncensored says it received more than 130 reports in April alone, with cases in 2025 already exceeding the total for 2024.

The French government presented a bill on child protection to the Council of Ministers, one year after a parliamentary inquiry highlighted systemic failures in the child welfare system (ASE). The bill includes measures to prioritize family placements, speed up adoption procedures, and strengthen background checks, but critics say it lacks ambition and does not constitute the 'refoundation' promised. The bill is expected to be debated before the presidential election.

French banker Matthieu Pigasse, head of Centerview Partners' Paris office, has secured a highly political and complex contract to restructure Venezuela's estimated $170-200 billion debt. The mandate, confirmed by the Wall Street Journal and Le Monde, involves major creditors including China, Russia, and US oil companies. Pigasse beat rival Thomas Lambert of Lazard for the role, which could yield commissions of €10-20 million.

French luxury department store Galeries Lafayette closed its Beijing flagship store on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, after 13 years of operation. The closure was attributed to weak consumer spending and changing shopping habits in China, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and property market downturn. The store's 48,000-square-meter location was emptied of merchandise and displays before indefinite closure. The chain continues to operate stores in Shanghai and Shenzhen. This highlights the ongoing challenges in the Chinese luxury market as consumer expectations shift toward convenience, experiences, and wellbeing.

Georges-François Leclerc, former chief of staff to President Emmanuel Macron, was appointed prefect of the Ile-de-France region in a cabinet meeting on May 27, succeeding Marc Guillaume, who was named vice-president of the Council of State. The appointment is part of a broader reshuffle of prefectural positions across several French departments and regions, including Brice Blondel replacing Leclerc in Yvelines, Fabrice Rigolet-Roze in Occitanie/Haute-Garonne, Michel Prosic in Charente-Maritime, Véronique Deprez-Boudier in Haute-Corse, Pascal Gauci in Aube, and Sébastien Cauwel in Tarn-et-Garonne.