The European Parliament has agreed to ban AI services that "undress" people without consent, with safeguards mandatory in EU-operating systems from December and member states given until 14 June 2027 to criminalise non-consensual sharing of intimate or AI-generated sexual images. Named victims spanning Slovenia, France, Italy, Germany, Argentina and Northern Ireland -- including Slovenian abortion-rights activist Nika Kovac, French journalist Salomé Saqué, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and former Northern Irish lawmaker Cara Hunter -- describe pornographic deepfakes used as what Kovac calls "psychological torture" meant to drive them out of public life. A 2025 European Parliament report found pornographic deepfakes shared online had grown 16-fold in two years; identity-protection research found 98 percent of online deepfakes were pornographic and 99 percent targeted women.

French President Emmanuel Macron signed a national electrification pact with some 200 companies at the Elysée Palace on Tuesday, aiming to double the share of domestically-produced electricity in France's energy mix to 60% by 2030. The plan, which builds on private investment pledges rather than new government funding, targets creating or maintaining more than 600,000 jobs. The government will double state support to €10 billion a year through 2030 to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.

The French National Assembly voted 254-0 on May 28 to repeal the Code Noir, a series of 17th- and 18th-century royal edicts that classified enslaved people as 'movable property' and were never formally abrogated after slavery was abolished in 1848. The bill, introduced by Guadeloupean MP Max Mathiasin, now moves to the Senate for debate. President Emmanuel Macron backed the measure on May 21, calling the laws' continued existence 'a form of offense.'

Spain's Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo announced that Madrid does not politically support a French-led non-paper calling for stronger EU trade defenses against China, reversing its earlier technical-level endorsement. The reversal highlights internal EU divisions on China policy, with Spain favoring engagement over confrontation, particularly given its reliance on Chinese investment in solar and automotive sectors. The move comes ahead of a European Commission debate on EU-China relations and trade defense measures.

Rima Hassan, a French MEP from La France Insoumise, filed a complaint on May 28 for invasion of privacy and abuse of authority after police exploited her phone's geolocation data for nearly three months (January 1 to March 28) in a flagrant investigation for public apology of terrorism related to a March 26 X post. Her lawyer claims the surveillance was disproportionate and illegal, as she had always cooperated with authorities. Hassan is scheduled for trial on July 7 in Paris.

A deputy from the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN), Jean-Philippe Tanguy, suggested that an advisor to party leader Jordan Bardella may have unknowingly attended a lunch with Kremlin propagandist Xenia Fedorova. The lunch, reported by Le Monde, also included a minister, a bishop, and other high-profile figures. This incident raises questions about potential Russian influence on French political figures.

French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced during a visit to Fleury-Mérogis prison on Thursday that a courtroom will be built within the prison complex by the end of 2027. The measure aims to limit the extraction of dangerous detainees for trials, notably for the upcoming trial of Mohamed Amra, who escaped in a deadly attack on a prison van in May 2024. Darmanin also proposed a second, larger trial room in Paris, modeled on the temporary courtroom used for the November 2015 attacks trial, but no timeline was given.

An investigation by Lighthouse Reports and partners reveals how VFS Global, a multinational visa processing company, has profited from the privatization of visa management for France and other governments. The report highlights exploitative fees, structural failures, and corrupt practices within the company, which serves 71 governments.