Following a series of wildfires across southern Europe earlier this summer, a new blaze near Le Porge in the Gironde region of southwestern France has burned between 1,400 and 2,000 hectares of pine forest in the Landes de Gascogne massif, forcing the evacuation of up to 12,000 residents and tourists, including from six campsites and a naturist estate north of Cap Ferret. No casualties have been reported. Authorities have banned forestry work with combustion engines in Gironde, which is on red alert. The fire may have been sparked by a cleaning machine on a forest track. The fire season has started earlier than usual due to heatwaves and drought linked to climate change.

The French government announced it will double the annual cap on medical deductibles (franchises) from €100 to €200, and increase co-payments (ticket modérateur) for dental care, medical transport, and less effective drugs. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist stated the measures are expected to save the state between €1 and €2 billion, including €750 million from the deductible increase. Four decrees have been sent for consultation with insurance and social bodies. The government aims to fund hospital investment and maintain access to care, while Rist rejected claims of state disengagement, citing a Social Security deficit of over €20 billion.

The French Air and Space Force will equip an A400M transport aircraft with an Airbus-developed firefighting module to support the Civil Security Directorate (DGSCGC) in combating wildfires. The experimental deployment follows successful trials in Spain and aims to complement existing water bomber fleets, with crew qualification starting July 20 and potential field engagements within ten days.

The French government had previously announced a €710 million fuel aid package on May 21, including doubling the employer fuel bonus and extending the 'heavy drivers' allowance. On July 23, Economy Minister Roland Lescure extended the 'grands rouleurs' subsidy until August 31 as petrol prices rose above €2 per liter amid renewed Middle East tensions. He also announced a meeting with distributors on Monday at Bercy to prevent excessive margins during the holiday period. TotalEnergies, reporting doubled Q2 profits, reinstated price caps on gasoline at €1.99 per liter and on diesel at €2.25 per liter at its stations in mainland France. Lescure acknowledged the profits were not surprising given high oil prices and signaled that the debate on exceptional profits would feature in the upcoming budget.

The French Constitutional Council has received 26 referrals in 2025, the highest in 15 years, and 11 more in the first half of 2026, driven by both opposition groups (LR, LFI, RN) and the government itself. Key laws referred include the agricultural emergency law, the Ripost security law, the social media ban for under-15s, and the end-of-life aid law. The government's own referral of the end-of-life law has sparked debate about the Council's role and impartiality, with some senators accusing the prime minister of using the Council as a "catch-up chamber." Questions prioritaires de constitutionnalité (QPC) are also rising, with 55 in 2025 and 31 in the first half of 2026.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is seeking to shape the 2027 state budget with structural reforms, distinguishing operating from investment spending, while maintaining fiscal stability and avoiding tax increases. He proposes targeted savings in health (reducing reimbursement for low-efficacy drugs, limiting frequent consultations), environmental measures (restoring the Green Fund to €1 billion, directing FCTVA to ecological projects), and long-term reforms (multi-year school maps, AI bonus-malus in ministries). He warns against political obstruction ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Opposition parties (La France Insoumise, Rassemblement National) threaten to block the budget, potentially forcing a special law until the election.

Background: The National Rally has faced repeated refusals from French banks for loans to finance its 2027 presidential campaign. Today, officials from French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's office met with banking executives to explore easing financing issues for the National Rally and other parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Options include a multi-bank loan with partial state guarantee to avoid foreign financing. An aide from the prime minister’s office stated it is essential that all candidates can access French funding to avoid foreign financing networks. A person close to Lecornu denied that the prime minister's office was negotiating on behalf of the far right.

French startup AndroMach, supported by CNES and DGA, completed a successful test campaign of the Banger cryogenic rocket engine for its Envol hypersonic suborbital drone at the DGA test center in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles. The engine was ignited 21 times and accumulated 7 minutes of combustion, demonstrating reusability. The reusable drone, designed to reach Mach 5 and 200 km altitude, will serve for microgravity experiments, technology testing, and complex trajectory targets. First prototype flight is planned for 2026-27, with operational capability by 2028. The company plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Souvtech Invest.