French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on June 2 that the strikes Israel had threatened against Beirut "will not take place," crediting a round of diplomacy that included a call between President Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump on Sunday and his own talks with Iranian and US counterparts. He pressed for a mutual Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire and the restoration of Lebanese state authority, with Israeli-Lebanese talks due in Washington this week, while insisting Lebanon must not become "a scapegoat" for the stalled Iran-US nuclear deal. Barrot also called the closure of the Strait of Hormuz unsustainable and said an agreement between Tehran and Washington was "within reach."

France's chief of defense staff, Gen. Fabien Mandon, warned senators in closed-door hearings that the French military is too small and arms production too slow, and that Germany may surpass France as Europe's top military power within five years. Mandon said the air force is too small and that European missile-maker MBDA, despite running factories 24 hours a day, has an inadequate number of production lines. The warnings come as the Senate votes this week on an updated military planning law that earmarks an extra €36 billion for defense by 2030 but does not fund additional aircraft or naval vessels.

One year before the French presidential election, the left is threatened with absence from the second round for the third consecutive time, according to a poll published today by Le Parisien and conducted by Ipsos. Combined left-wing candidates would secure at most one-third of voting intentions in the configurations tested. The left remains split between the radical bloc around Jean-Luc Mélenchon and a fragmented moderate camp unable to unite.

French Chief of Defence Staff General Fabien Mandon told a Senate committee that years of underinvestment in fighter aviation have left the Air and Space Force with insufficient aircraft. The updated military programming law prioritizes developing the Rafale F5 standard over increasing fleet size, delaying delivery of 22 Rafale F4s to 2033-2034. Mandon advocates for mass-produced long-range drones as a complementary capability, noting that the Rafale F5 will be able to connect with drones via sovereign data links and new missile types. He acknowledged the current fleet of 183 combat aircraft is overused by 15% and that the format is not at the right level.

French President Emmanuel Macron will host Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Wednesday for talks covering key European issues, including continued support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, European security and defense, and bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy and defense. The meeting aims to deepen bilateral relations and prepare for the next EU multiannual financial framework.

The French National Assembly's law committee has started examining a constitutional reform that would grant Corsica autonomy, including legislative powers over local matters. The reform, promised by President Macron in 2022-2023, faces a complex approval process requiring passage by both chambers and a three-fifths majority of Congress. Key points of contention include the recognition of a Corsican 'community' and the possibility of a 'Corsican preference' in housing. Local residents express skepticism due to past disappointments and political uncertainties ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The French National Assembly voted on May 28, 2026, to repeal the Code Noir, a colonial-era law that classified enslaved people as property, which had remained on the books despite the 1848 abolition of slavery. Following the repeal, historian Olivette Otele of SOAS has publicly called for France to now open a national debate on reparations for the legacy of slavery, arguing that the removal of the Code Noir removes a legal obstacle to such discussions.

The French Socialist Party (PS) will hold an electronic vote in early July 2026 for its members to decide the party's strategy for the 2027 presidential election. The preferred option is a two-stage primary: first, PS members select their candidate, then that candidate participates in a broader left-wing primary excluding La France Insoumise. The plan is supported by PS leader Olivier Faure and Green leader Marine Tondelier but criticized by former President François Hollande and MEP Raphaël Glucksmann.