https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed France's President Emmanuel Macron warned on Thursday that a controversial Russian journalist employed by a right-wing tycoon was churning out Kremlin propaganda, as he weighed in on a debate about freedom of speech and foreign influence. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260605/macron-targets-russian-commentator-for-french-tv Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:44:46 +0200 macron-targets-russian-commentator-for-french-tv French lawmakers have recognised the state’s “partial responsibility” in allowing a toxic pesticide to be used in the French West Indies despite health warnings, inflicting long-term harm on the islands and their people. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260603/france-shares-blame-for-west-indies-pesticide-scandal-mps-say Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:44:52 +0200 france-shares-blame-for-west-indies-pesticide-scandal-mps-say With local elections out of the way, attention has turned to next year's presidential race - in April and May 2027, French people will go to the polls and pick their next president. Here's how the race is shaping up so far. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250411/analysis-who-will-win-frances-next-presidential-election Fri, 11 Apr 2025 17:16:52 +0200 analysis-who-will-win-frances-next-presidential-election With almost a year of his presidency left to run, Emmanuel Macron has effectively lost control of his government and his succession - John Lichfield looks at where it all went wrong for the young man once touted as the future for France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260527/opinion-emmanuel-macron-where-did-it-all-go-wrong Wed, 27 May 2026 10:10:48 +0200 opinion-emmanuel-macron-where-did-it-all-go-wrong Paris prosecutors have opened a probe to investigate whether an Israeli company interfered in local French elections, after a number of far-left candidates claimed they were targeted by disinformation campaigns. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260527/france-probes-alleged-election-interference-by-israeli-company Wed, 27 May 2026 08:45:00 +0200 france-probes-alleged-election-interference-by-israeli-company France announced on Saturday it had banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from entry for a video mocking bound activists seized by Israeli soldiers on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260523/france-bans-israeli-security-minister-ben-gvir-from-country Sat, 23 May 2026 15:36:10 +0200 france-bans-israeli-security-minister-ben-gvir-from-country With governments across Europe tightening citizenship and residency requirements, language and country knowledge tests are often framed as measures of integration. But are governments really talking to domestic political audiences? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260523/are-government-language-tests-in-europe-integration-policy-or-just-political-posturing Sat, 23 May 2026 10:24:29 +0200 are-government-language-tests-in-europe-integration-policy-or-just-political-posturing The story of the French film producers, the Breton billionaire and the blacklist is complicated but - argues John Lichfield - should be taken seriously as a genuine danger to France's culture. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260520/opinion-bollores-influence-on-french-cinema-tv-and-media-is-dangerous Wed, 20 May 2026 09:50:24 +0200 opinion-bollores-influence-on-french-cinema-tv-and-media-is-dangerous France's former prime minister Gabriel Attal said on Friday he would run for president next year, becoming the second prominent centrist to challenge the far right when Emmanuel Macron steps down. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260522/frances-centrist-ex-pm-gabriel-attal-37-says-running-for-president Fri, 22 May 2026 13:57:06 +0200 frances-centrist-ex-pm-gabriel-attal-37-says-running-for-president President Emmanuel Macron endorsed the symbolic repeal of royal decrees that governed slavery in French colonies, as France confronts its history and the sensitive issue of reparations. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260522/macron-urges-caution-on-reparations-as-france-confronts-slavery-legacy Fri, 22 May 2026 08:44:32 +0200 macron-urges-caution-on-reparations-as-france-confronts-slavery-legacy A year out from a presidential election that could see France elect a far-right nationalist leader, the country's filmmakers are releasing a series of movies set amid the fascism of World War II. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260521/french-films-tackle-war-and-fascism-as-crunch-election-looms Thu, 21 May 2026 16:44:50 +0200 french-films-tackle-war-and-fascism-as-crunch-election-looms French lawmakers on Wednesday narrowly approved President Emmanuel Macron's former chief of staff to govern the central bank, with Emmanuel Moulin winning just enough votes to secure the job. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260520/french-mps-back-macron-associate-to-run-bank-of-france Wed, 20 May 2026 14:21:23 +0200 french-mps-back-macron-associate-to-run-bank-of-france French investigators are probing allegations of embezzlement involving high-profile presidential candidate Edouard Philippe over the allocation of a digital hub contract in the northern port city of Le Havre where he is mayor, prosecutors have said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260520/french-presidential-candidate-philippe-targeted-in-embezzlement-probe Wed, 20 May 2026 13:07:26 +0200 french-presidential-candidate-philippe-targeted-in-embezzlement-probe The launch of an investigation into the awarding of contracts by a French mayor wouldn't normally merit headline news - but this mayor is one of the favourites for France's crucial 2027 presidential election. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260520/explained-could-an-embezzlement-probe-cost-french-centrist-philippe-the-election Wed, 20 May 2026 14:14:10 +0200 explained-could-an-embezzlement-probe-cost-french-centrist-philippe-the-election France’s government has waded into a row that has sent shockwaves through the domestic cinema industry after the head of France’s biggest film producer, Canal+, said the group would no longer work with signatories of a petition against billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260520/french-government-slams-disproportionate-canal-riposte-to-anti-bollore-petition Wed, 20 May 2026 09:20:50 +0200 french-government-slams-disproportionate-canal-riposte-to-anti-bollore-petition EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal in the early hours of Wednesday to implement the bloc's nearly year-old trade pact with the United States, with President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs unless it is done by July 4th. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260520/eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats Wed, 20 May 2026 09:15:17 +0200 eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats The head of France's biggest film producer, Canal+, said on Sunday that the group would no longer work with 600 industry professionals who signed a petition against right-wing billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260518/shock-threat-by-billionaire-bollores-canal-group-rocks-french-cinema Mon, 18 May 2026 08:37:30 +0200 shock-threat-by-billionaire-bollores-canal-group-rocks-french-cinema France's justice minister will head to Algeria next week to discuss improving cooperation and the fate of a detained French journalist, his office said Saturday, as ties warm following a diplomatic spat. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260516/frances-justice-minister-to-visit-algeria-amid-diplomatic-thaw Sat, 16 May 2026 16:01:46 +0200 frances-justice-minister-to-visit-algeria-amid-diplomatic-thaw In the final part of his mini series on the forthcoming French presidential elections, John Lichfield looks at the chances of the Far Right. Despite their runaway lead in polling for Round One, they could yet lose in the second round of the election in 2027. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260513/opinion-the-french-far-right-have-a-runaway-poll-lead-but-may-yet-lose-the-2027-election Wed, 13 May 2026 10:06:28 +0200 opinion-the-french-far-right-have-a-runaway-poll-lead-but-may-yet-lose-the-2027-election You might not have thought about it too much as you enjoyed an extra day off work, but it is perhaps unexpected that France - proudly secular since 1905 - has so many public holidays based around Catholic festivals. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220816/reader-question-why-does-secular-france-have-catholic-holidays Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:49:00 +0200 reader-question-why-does-secular-france-have-catholic-holidays