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 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 A conference on financing the African Union's peace efforts will be held in Paris by the end of this year, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday while on a visit to Ethiopia. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260514/frances-macron-announces-funding-conference-for-africa-peace-efforts Thu, 14 May 2026 09:07:42 +0200 frances-macron-announces-funding-conference-for-africa-peace-efforts French prosecutors on Wednesday requested a seven-year prison sentence for former president Nicolas Sarkozy in an appeal trial on charges that he sought Libyan financing for his 2007 election. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260513/french-prosecutors-demand-seven-year-sentence-for-sarkozy Wed, 13 May 2026 17:10:21 +0200 french-prosecutors-demand-seven-year-sentence-for-sarkozy France and Algeria set aside a two-year diplomatic falling-out to agree to intensified cooperation on domestic security and defence in a meeting on Saturday between Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune and French armed forces minister Alice Rufo. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260510/france-and-algeria-agree-to-boost-cooperation-after-diplomatic-spat Sun, 10 May 2026 09:28:50 +0200 france-and-algeria-agree-to-boost-cooperation-after-diplomatic-spat In the latest in his series of profiles on candidates for the 2027 French presidential election, John Lichfield looks at whether the Centre can unite and, united, can beat the far right. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260506/opinion-remains-of-macrons-centrists-still-have-the-best-chance-of-beating-the-far-right Wed, 06 May 2026 09:43:56 +0200 opinion-remains-of-macrons-centrists-still-have-the-best-chance-of-beating-the-far-right France's parliament on Thursday definitively adopted legislation to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260508/french-parliament-votes-to-ease-returns-of-looted-art-to-ex-colonies Fri, 08 May 2026 14:56:05 +0200 french-parliament-votes-to-ease-returns-of-looted-art-to-ex-colonies President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday embarks on a visit to Africa aimed at renewing France's engagement with the continent after years of strained ties with former French‑speaking colonies. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260508/macron-seeks-to-cement-africa-legacy-with-kenya-summit Fri, 08 May 2026 14:07:56 +0200 macron-seeks-to-cement-africa-legacy-with-kenya-summit Paris will return its ambassador to Algeria and send a senior envoy to ceremonies marking a colonial-era massacre in its former colony to improve frayed relations, the French presidency said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260508/france-sending-envoy-back-to-algeria-to-ease-relations Fri, 08 May 2026 12:06:31 +0200 france-sending-envoy-back-to-algeria-to-ease-relations European Union prosecutors have launched a probe into a possible misappropriation of EU funds, after a complaint alleged France's far-right National Rally had used European grants to benefit its leader Jordan Bardella, a source close to the case told AFP Thursday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260507/eu-prosecutors-probe-alleged-misuse-of-funds-linked-to-french-far-right-leader-bardella-sources-report Thu, 07 May 2026 16:28:31 +0200 eu-prosecutors-probe-alleged-misuse-of-funds-linked-to-french-far-right-leader-bardella-sources-report Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will not serve time with an electronic ankle tag as punishment for illegal funding of his 2012 re-election bid, an informed source said Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260507/frances-ex-president-sarkozy-escapes-second-ankle-tag-sentence Thu, 07 May 2026 08:08:36 +0200 frances-ex-president-sarkozy-escapes-second-ankle-tag-sentence MPs in France’s National Assembly have approved measures extending the detention period for ‘dangerous’ foreign nationals to seven months. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260506/french-mps-vote-to-extend-detention-period-for-dangerous-foreigners Wed, 06 May 2026 14:53:19 +0200 french-mps-vote-to-extend-detention-period-for-dangerous-foreigners The US has given the European Union an ultimatum - grant access to sensitive police data or else lose access to visa-free travel for EU citizens. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260506/us-threatens-to-scrap-eu-visa-waivers-over-data-sharing-demands Wed, 06 May 2026 12:42:51 +0200 us-threatens-to-scrap-eu-visa-waivers-over-data-sharing-demands French President Emmanuel Macron is mulling appointing his former chief of staff as head of the country’s central bank, his office said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260506/macron-taps-ex-aide-to-head-frances-central-bank Wed, 06 May 2026 08:53:18 +0200 macron-taps-ex-aide-to-head-frances-central-bank France's president donned his crooning hat during a state dinner on Monday, leading Armenian leaders in a rendition of "La Bohème," the 1965 classic by the late Charles Aznavour, a singer beloved in both countries. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260505/france-and-armenia-leaders-unite-in-song-of-shared-son Tue, 05 May 2026 12:34:21 +0200 france-and-armenia-leaders-unite-in-song-of-shared-son Dominique de Villepin, a potential candidate in France's 2027 presidential election, on Monday returned two Napoleon statuettes he received as gifts while foreign minister, but disputed they were worth nearly €125 000. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260505/french-former-foreign-minister-returns-gifted-statues Tue, 05 May 2026 08:23:52 +0200 french-former-foreign-minister-returns-gifted-statues French university canteens began offering one-euro meals to all students regardless of income on Monday, in a measure designed to address financial hardship. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260505/france-launches-one-euro-university-meals-for-all-students Tue, 05 May 2026 08:12:48 +0200 france-launches-one-euro-university-meals-for-all-students 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 Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France's hard-left La France Insoumise party, on Sunday evening confirmed he would make another run for the presidency in 2027, his fourth bid for the top job. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260504/frances-hard-left-leader-melenchon-confirms-presidential-run Mon, 04 May 2026 08:41:20 +0200 frances-hard-left-leader-melenchon-confirms-presidential-run