Roland Lescure
Photo: © European Union, 2026, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
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- Oct 13
France's 2027 budget faces a majority gap as the central bank governor urges action
The National Assembly began examining the 2027 finance bill on Tuesday, 13 October, as the government, the Banque de France and the IMF all pressed for a swift budget with the deficit kept at 5% of GDP.
- Oct 12
Cyberattack pushes French supermarket fridges to 50 degrees Celsius, as Dutch chain shuts systems
Attackers took remote control of refrigeration systems in hundreds of French stores on Monday, 12 October, and France's cybersecurity agency says the campaign may still be running. Intermarché alone reported losses of tens of millions of euros in a single day.
- Oct 9
EU finance ministers agree scaled-back plan to centralise stock exchange supervision at ESMA
Finance ministers in Luxembourg exempted Deutsche Börse and smaller venues from direct ESMA oversight, cutting the Commission's original perimeter. Belgium abstained from the vote.
- Oct 8
French minister invites UK back to EU as Burnham keeps rejoining option open
Burnham is in Germany for talks with Friedrich Merz while he keeps a second Brexit referendum open. Roland Lescure said Britain can return to the EU 'anytime', and the offer comes as French borrowing costs reach a level not seen since 2002.
- Oct 7
France's debt worries spread to bond markets as Krugman and Allianz warn of contagion
Investors are demanding more to hold French bonds, with the 10-year yield approaching 5% and foreign banks and investors holding about 36% of the debt. Allianz Research says the market's capacity to absorb large French bond trades has fallen more than 50%.
- Oct 2
Bull doubles supercomputer assembly at Angers plant following €80 million expansion
French state-owned manufacturer Bull has opened an expanded production facility in Angers, doubling its assembly capacity to 12 racks per month while addressing European supply chain dependencies.
- Oct 1
France unveils €54 billion austerity budget as debt hits 119% of GDP and bond yields rise
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu presented the 2027 draft budget featuring €54 billion in spending cuts, seeking to stabilize public finances as sovereign debt reached 119% of GDP and 10-year bond yields climbed to 4.89%.
- Sep 30
France unveils 2027 budget with 20 billion euro corporate effort and pension curbs
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu presented the 2027 draft finance bills to rein in public debt at 119% of GDP, combining corporate contributions with 5.5 billion euros in savings from pensioners.
- Sep 29
French public debt climbs to 119% of GDP as Lecornu prepares 54 billion euro budget adjustment
National statistics office Insee reported that France accrued nearly 3.6 trillion euros in public liabilities by the end of June 2026, as 10-year borrowing costs widened against German bonds to levels not seen since 2012.
- Sep 12
French Treasury warns climate inaction could reduce GDP by 3.6% and widen deficit by 2050
A report presented by Economy Minister Roland Lescure on 11 September 2026 projects that climate inaction could shrink French GDP by 3.6% and widen the public deficit by 1.8 percentage points of GDP by 2050.
- Aug 28
Fitch maintains France sovereign rating at A+ as deficit forecasts rise
Fitch Ratings affirmed France's credit rating at A+ with a stable outlook on 28 August 2026, while raising its public deficit projections to 5.2% in 2026 and 5.5% in 2027 ahead of autumn budget debates.
- Aug 28
France to index minimum welfare benefits while weighing limits on pension growth in 2027 budget
Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou confirmed that RSA and Aspa benefits will track inflation in 2027, while urging retirees to accept shared fiscal restraint across the 400 billion euro pension system.
- Aug 24
France prepares to extend targeted fuel subsidies and energy vouchers into 2027 budget
The French government is working to extend targeted fuel assistance beyond 31 August and plans to include energy cheque renewals in the 2027 budget as pump prices remain above 2 euros per litre.
- Jul 28
France's largest fire in 50 years burns 42,000 hectares and forces 220,000 evacuations near Bordeaux
The largest wildfire in France in 50 years has burned 42,000 hectares in Gironde, forced 220,000 evacuations, and destroyed 240 homes. Firefighters are racing to contain it before a new heatwave arrives on Tuesday.
- Jul 6
French fuel tax receipts fall €80 million as drivers slash consumption after price surge
French fuel tax revenues fell by more than €80 million in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, as a Middle East war-driven price spike caused drivers to cut consumption, the government said Monday.
- Jun 7
Orange, Bouygues and Free sign €20.35 billion deal to acquire SFR from Altice France, reshaping the French telecoms market
Bouygues Telecom, Free-iliad and Orange signed an agreement with Altice France on Saturday evening to acquire rival operator SFR, a transaction that would reduce the French mobile market from four players to three.
