Background: France's unemployment rate rose to 8.3% in Q2 2026, the highest since 2020, with youth unemployment at 21.6%. Today: The increase has triggered a public dispute between Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and former PM Édouard Philippe over the causes. Lecornu cites the Full Employment Law's new calculation methods and economic tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, while Philippe blames policy failures and advocates for his previous supply-side approach. Economists warn of accelerating layoffs and weak hiring intentions due to empty order books, with youth unemployment exceeding 21%. The government's earlier reliance on state aid to boost apprenticeships has been reversed since 2024 due to fiscal constraints, contributing to the current trend.

Background: The French Constitutional Council has seen record referrals in 2025-2026, becoming a key arbiter of sensitive legislation. Today, the Council is set to rule before the end of summer on several high-profile laws, including assisted dying, a social media ban for under-15s, agricultural measures, and the Ripost security bill. The assisted dying law has drawn five referrals, with disputes over the reflection period and conscience clauses. Political pressure is mounting, with calls for recusal of some members, but the Council president insists decisions are legal, not political. The rulings could have significant implications for French social policy and the balance of power between branches of government. The assisted dying law has prompted five referrals, with opponents challenging the two-day reflection period and the scope of conscience clauses. Political pressure has intensified, with LR leader Bruno Retailleau calling for recusal of some Council members, while Council president Richard Ferrand insists decisions are legal, not political. The Council previously struck down a neonicotinoid pesticide measure and the abolition of Low-Emission Zones, drawing criticism from right-wing politicians. The Ripost bill has grown to 69 articles, including measures on illegal raves and drug-related driving license suspensions.

Background: French authorities previously accused Israeli company BlackCore of attempting to interfere in French elections by spreading fabricated information to smear LFI candidates. Today: Viginum, France's state agency for detecting foreign digital interference, publicly identified Israeli actors behind a disinformation campaign named 'Rokh Solis' targeting La France insoumise and three of its candidates during the 2026 municipal elections. The operation spread false accusations of sexual assault and pedophilia, created fake electoral guides, and aimed to polarize public debate. The campaign may be linked to Israeli private company Blackcore, though sponsors remain unidentified; Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation. Viginum's public report, released June 11, details the 'Rokh Solis' operation that first appeared in March 2026, days before the first round of municipal elections. The campaign uniquely targeted LFI and three candidates: Sébastien Delogu (Marseille), François Piquemal (Toulouse), and David Guiraud (Roubaix). Tactics included QR codes on electoral posters linking to a fake blog by a purported former collaborator accusing Delogu of rape and sexual assault, false pedophilia accusations against Piquemal, and Facebook pages attacking LFI's pro-Palestinian positions. The operation also created a fake electoral guide for Muslims and a fake Catholic identity movement to polarize debate. Viginum found Hebrew characters in metadata and accounts located in Israel, linking the campaign to Israeli private company Blackcore, though sponsors remain unidentified. The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation. Viginum noted the operation had limited online visibility despite artificial amplification attempts.

Background: The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo's Ituri province, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has been ongoing since May, with over 4,000 confirmed cases and 1,850 deaths as of August 7, making it the deadliest in the country's history. Today, the outbreak has surpassed 2,000 deaths and 4,500 confirmed cases, with a case fatality rate of 45.9%. The death toll is accelerating, with the second 1,000 deaths occurring in just three weeks. The virus has spread to a sixth province, Bas-Uele, after a man traveled from Isiro to Buta and died. The WHO warns the outbreak could surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak as the deadliest in history. No approved vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain, but two vaccines developed specifically for this strain are now being tested in humans for the first time, and clinical trials for two treatments are underway. The UK's MHRA has approved the first human trials of a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford. WHO experts have recommended a full-scale human trial of the Ervebo vaccine to test cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain, with doses from a 500,000-stockpile made available. The US has allocated over $242 million in additional funding, bringing total assistance to over $500 million. The response is hampered by health worker strikes, aid cuts, rebel threats, and misinformation; notably, health workers at the Nizi treatment center in Ituri went on strike over unpaid wages, temporarily closing the center. The outbreak is believed to have begun in February, and a study in Nature Medicine suggests it originated from a zoonotic spillover event. Uganda has reported 20 cases, all in Kampala, with no community transmission.

APIG, representing about 300 French daily newspapers, has filed a complaint with France's Competition Authority over Google's AI Overviews feature, launched in France in late July. The alliance alleges Google used news content without prior authorization or remuneration, violating commitments made in 2022 and a 2019 law. They cite estimates of 33-38% traffic losses in European markets and seek to restore fair negotiation conditions. This follows a 2024 fine of 250 million euros on Google and an EU investigation into similar practices.

France has enacted a law banning unsolicited telemarketing calls across all sectors, effective August 11, requiring prior consumer consent and imposing fines up to €75,000 for individuals and €375,000 for companies per violation. The measure, praised by consumer groups as a 'small revolution', aims to curb harassment and fraud, with exceptions for existing contracts. The ban has sparked concerns in Morocco, where the call center industry, heavily reliant on the French market, faces potential job losses of up to 50,000. France joins other European countries like Germany and the Netherlands in stricter telemarketing regulations.

French prosecutors in Auxerre have opened an investigation after a 68-year-old activist from the left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI) was attacked by three individuals in Chevannes, Yonne, on Sunday, August 9. The attackers knocked him off his bicycle, beat and strangled him, and reportedly boasted of voting for Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally. LFI condemned the attack as an act of far-right violence, noting a pattern of such incidents in the department. The victim suffered bruises and an eyebrow injury, with 8 days of temporary incapacity prescribed.

After wildfires destroyed 42,000 hectares in Gironde, Xavier Daney, mayor of Arès and vice-president of the Communauté d'agglomération du Bassin d'Arcachon Nord, criticized France's centralized governance, arguing that national laws fail to account for regional differences. He called for local officials to be heard by the central government and proposed creating aquatic biodiversity reserves to mitigate flood risks, as the burned forest will no longer absorb water in winter. Daney urged a meeting with top state authorities to present local proposals.