France’s forces of law and disorder
French police have declared themselves “at war” with rioters. How did the state’s protectors become a threat to its future?
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The rotten heart of the French republic
The crisis in France only benefits the hard right, who will exploit it to reshape French politics.
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Annie Ernaux’s acts of revenge
The Nobel laureate on abortion, the “shame” of her upbringing and forging a new working-class literature.
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Letter from Marseille: the lawless metropolis
Riven by violence and drugs, France’s second city is descending into anarchy.
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How Michel Houellebecq diminished himself
Full of explicit depictions of bizarre, humiliating events, the French novelist’s new memoir reads like the ramblings of a buffoon.
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The French right can’t quit Russia
A former prime minister’s parliamentary testimony highlights persistent pro-Moscow sympathies among France’s elite.
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Is Emmanuel Macron running out of options?
The French president is at risk of being remembered not as an ambitious reformer but as the leader who handed…
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China’s wolf-warrior diplomacy is pushing it closer to Russia
The Chinese ambassador to France said that ex-Soviet states don’t have an “effective status under international law”.
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Emmanuel Macron’s appeasement tour is off to a rough start
As he visits the regions, can the French leader move on from the pension reform protests and relaunch his presidency?
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Emmanuel Macron’s vision for Europe still doesn’t match reality
As long as the defence of the continent depends on American goodwill, Europe cannot credibly distance itself from the US…
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The Night of the 12th: a grim look at an unsolved murder
The director Dominik Moll is known for his tightly-plotted French thrillers. Now, he takes on an unsolved true crime.
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Macron’s interior minister signals his authoritarian shift
As the French president endures weekly protests, Gérald Darmanin has emerged as his most prominent law and order hard-liner.
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Emmanuel Macron has no regrets
A combative and unremorseful interview by the French president, the first since forcing his retirement reform through parliament, is unlikely…
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Chaos erupts over Emmanuel Macron’s retirement reforms
The French president’s decision to bypass parliament has caused outrage and sparked significant protests this weekend.
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Emmanuel Macron has shown his contempt for democracy
His decision to override parliament to raise the retirement age has enraged MPs and the public.
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European unity over Ukraine is holding – for now
A new poll of European publics reveals that support for Kyiv has strengthened since Russia’s invasion a year ago.
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Sadiq Khan: Britain’s “extreme hard Brexit isn’t working”
The Mayor of London also decried the current arrangement with the EU as being “awful for London”.
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Emmanuel Macron is right to want to return African art to Africa
He just needs to do it faster.
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Can the left defeat Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform?
Trade unions and left-wing parties have threatened to “bring France to a standstill” in March if the president does not…
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How a bestselling novel reveals French sympathy for Putin
The Wizard of the Kremlin has provoked fierce debate in France, where support for Russia lingers on both the right…
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