If the US Forces Me to Choose between My Two Nationalities, I Choose France – and Europe

THE GUARDIAN: Proposals to change US citizenship rules leaves dual citizens like me caught in the crossfire. If push comes to shove, I know where my loyalty lies

ast week, a Republican senator from my home state of Ohio, Bernie Moreno, introduced the Exclusive Citizenship Act. The proposed legislation would strip me of my American citizenship, because I chose to be French too. Just as Moreno seeks to bully me into choosing citizenship, the US is bullying Europe, trying to force it to pick between total submission to its erstwhile partner, or a break with it.

It is now official US policy that Europe is facing “civilisational erasure”, and that the US will actively support far-right, ethnonationalist, neofascist parties hostile to the EU. Standing by historic alliances is out, protecting Elon Musk and his fellow techno-nihilist broligarchs is in – as is reaping the Kremlin’s praises for it.

What should have been clear as early as November 2024 should, by now, be abundantly so. This version of the US is worse than simply “not our friend”: it is an actively hostile actor seeking to fracture European society in the same way that Russia sought to fracture British society by promoting Brexit, and US society by fuelling disinformation, Maga and Trump. And yet Europe (the UK included) has spent the past year coddling, backtracking, cajoling and capitulating. It has ignored insult after insult from the White House, punitive measure after punitive measure.

Have we not yet had enough of the humiliation? » | Alexander Hurst | Friday, December 12, 2025

Alexander Hurst is very wise. Were I to be he, I too would choose to be French over being American. France is a land of culture and refinement. America is a shithouse by comparison! Vive la belle France ! — © Mark Alexander

France Brings Back Limited Military Service with 3,000 Volunteers | BBC News

Nov 27, 2025 | A limited form of military service will be re-introduced in France in response to growing fears of a confrontation with Russia.

More than 25 years after conscription was phased out, the plan will see young men and women volunteering for a paid 10 months of military training.

The new "national service" will be brought in gradually from next summer, mainly for 18- and 19-year-olds, who will receive at least €800 (£700) a month.

Aux portes de Paris, le loup se rapproche peu à peu des grandes villes

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Un spécimen du canidé à la recherche de nouveaux territoires à coloniser vient d’être vu en Seine-et-Marne. Une aubaine pour les naturalistes, une menace pour les agriculteurs et les chasseurs.

Le loup fait progressivement son trou en Île-de-France... À l’automne, une fois les feuilles tombées et les récoltes engrangées, il est plus difficile pour les animaux sauvages, notamment les loups, de se camoufler. En Seine-et-Marne, un nouveau spécimen vient d’être vu. » | Par Éric De La Chesnais | vendredi 21 novembre 2025

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‘Priceless’ Jewellery Stolen from Louvre in Raid by ‘Experienced’ Thieves

THE GUARDIAN: French minister says highly professional criminals used angle grinder to access one of museum’s most ornate rooms

“Priceless” historic jewellery has been stolen from the Louvre in Paris after a highly professional robbery by men who used an angle grinder to break through glass and enter one of the museum’s most ornate rooms.

The world’s most-visited museum was suddenly closed for the day after the break-in targeted pieces in two glass cases in its Apollon gallery, where the French crown jewels are held.

The French interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, visited the scene and told France Inter radio that “priceless” jewels “of unmeasurable heritage value” were stolen after what was clearly a well-organised raid. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Sunday, October 19, 2025

«Président sans peuple», «Macron têtu» : la presse étrangère stupéfaite par le retour de Sébastien Lecornu à Matignon

Une capture d'écran de cet article. | Le premier ministre français Sébastien Lecornu lors d’une déclaration dans la cour de l’Hôtel Matignon à Paris, le 6 octobre 2025. Stephane Mahe / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : De Washington à Madrid, les médias étrangers décrivent une France en crise profonde après la reconduction surprise de Sébastien Lecornu au poste de premier ministre, quatre jours seulement après sa démission.

De Washington à Madrid, les médias étrangers décrivent une France en crise profonde après la reconduction surprise de Sébastien Lecornu au poste de premier ministre, quatre jours seulement après sa démission.

«Une décision choc.» Le titre de CNN résume à lui seul la stupeur de la presse internationale face au nouveau rebondissement politique français. Vendredi 10 octobre, Emmanuel Macron a reconduit Sébastien Lecornu à Matignon, quatre jours après avoir accepté sa démission. Une nomination qui intervient après l’effondrement de son premier gouvernement en seulement 14 heures et qui plonge bon nombre d’observateurs étrangers dans la perplexité.

De l’autre côté de l’Atlantique, le New York Times parle d’un «coup de fouet» destiné à calmer une «bouillante crise politique». «La France est en proie à des mois de blocage partisan à la chambre basse du Parlement, laissant le pays sans gouvernance stable et mettant en péril la capacité du pays à adopter un budget d’ici la fin de l’année alors même qu’il est confronté à une crise financière imminente», écrit le quotidien américain. Lequel souligne le paradoxe politique de cette nomination : «Juridiquement, rien n’empêchait M. Macron de reconduire M. Lecornu, un allié centriste du président français qui a été membre de tous les gouvernements depuis la première élection de M. Macron en 2017.» Mais le journal new-yorkais avertit : «Sur le plan politique, cette décision risque toutefois de mettre en colère de nombreux opposants à M. Macron, qui lui reprochent d’avoir refusé à plusieurs reprises de nommer un premier ministre susceptible de s’opposer à lui.» » | Par Ségolène Forgar | samedi 11 octobre 2025

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Macron Reappoints Lecornu as French PM, Four Days after His Resignation | BBC News

Oct 10, 2025 | President Emmanuel Macron has asked Sébastien Lecornu to return as French prime minister only four days after he stood down from the post.

Macron made the announcement late on Friday, hours after meeting all the main parties together at the Élysée Palace, except the leaders of the far right and far left.

Lecornu's return came as a surprise, as he said on national TV only two days ago he was not "chasing the job" and his "mission is over".


Emmanuel Macron reconduit Sébastien Lecornu pour un mandat plus périlleux que jamais : RÉCIT - Le président a maintenu le premier ministre en le chargeant de faire adopter un budget, après avoir réuni vendredi les partis, hors RN et LFI. »

Why Don’t French Women Get Fat?

This French lady explains why.

French PM Sébastien Lecornu Tries to Avert New Election as Political Crisis Continues | BBC News

Oct 8, 2025 | Outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said political parties have shown a "willingness" that could stave off the threat of new parliamentary elections.

Lecornu, on Monday, became the third French PM to leave his job in less than a year.

He has until Wednesday evening to come up with a plan for the "stability of the country" and has held talks with several political parties.

Macron Under Pressure to Call Snap Parliamentary Elections or Resign

THE GUARDIAN: French president’s former allies join opponents in demanding he act to end a spiralling political crisis

France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, is under intense pressure to call snap parliamentary elections or resign as former allies join his opponents in demanding he act to end a spiralling political crisis in the EU’s second biggest economy.

Macron’s first prime minister on Tuesday urged the president to step down amid mounting frustration even within the president’s own camp over one of the worst spells of political chaos in France since the foundation of its Fifth Republic in 1958.

Édouard Philippe, prime minister from 2017 to 2020 and now leader of a Macron-allied party, said he should announce an early presidential election once a budget for next year was adopted. Macron was re-elected in April 2022 for a five-year term, but since snap legislative elections in 2024 his appointees as prime minister have been unable to summon a parliamentary majority to pass a budget. » | Jon Henley in Paris | Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Macron Asks Outgoing French PM to Make Last-ditch Effort to Resolve Political Crisis

THE GUARDIAN: French president requests Sébastien Lecornu stay on for 48 hours after he quit complaining of ‘egos’

Hours after France’s new prime minister resigned less than a month after he was appointed, Emmanuel Macron has asked him to stay on for two more days in a last-ditch effort to chart a way out of the country’s rapidly deepening political crisis.

The French president on Monday evening gave Sébastien Lecornu – who had earlier become the third prime minister of the EU’s second-biggest economy to quit within a year – 48 hours to “conduct final negotiations … to define a platform for action and stability”.

Lecornu said he would inform Macron by Wednesday evening “whether this is possible or not”. Government sources told French media that Macron would “assume his responsibilities” if the effort failed. It was not immediately clear what this might entail. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Nîmes and Jon Henley in Paris | Monday, October 6, 2025

France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Resigns | BBC News

The Elysée palace made the announcement after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on Monday morning.

The shock move comes only 26 days after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the previous government of François Bayrou.

Parties across the board in the National Assembly had fiercely criticised the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was largely unchanged from Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.

Several parties are now clamouring for early elections, with some calling for Macron to resign too - although he has always said he will not stand down before his term ends in 2027.

Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a Macron loyalist - was France's fifth prime minister in under two years.

Avec 27 jours à Matignon, Sébastien Lecornu devient le premier ministre le plus éphémère de la Ve

LE FIGARO : Moins de 24 heures après la formation laborieuse de son gouvernement, le Normand a remis ce lundi matin sa démission à Emmanuel Macron qui l’a acceptée.

Les nouveaux ministres n’auront même pas eu le temps de défaire leurs cartons. Moins de 24 heures après la formation laborieuse de son gouvernement, Sébastien Lecornu a présenté ce lundi sa démission à Emmanuel Macron qui l’a acceptée. Tout juste constituée, son équipe était déjà au bord de l’implosion : ulcérés par le retour surprise de Bruno Le Maire aux Armées, Bruno Retailleau et ses collègues LR reconduits menaçaient depuis dimanche soir d’en claquer la porte. » | Par Célestine Gentilhomme | lundi 6 octobre 2025

BREAKING: France's Prime Minister Resigns - Piling More Pressure on President Macron

Oct 6, 2025 | France's prime minister Sebastien Lecornu has resigned - after less than a month in the job.

French President Emmanuel Macron has accepted his resignation, the Elysee Palace said.

Mr Lecornu's resignation comes hours after he appointed his cabinet - and after political rivals threatened to topple his government.

Macron Appoints New French Government in Attempt to End Political Deadlock

THE GUARDIAN: Rivals say president’s latest cabinet represents unwelcome continuity and hard-left party vows to file no-confidence motion amid fraught budget talks

French president Emmanuel Macron has named a new government as he struggles to pull the country out of a political crisis, while rivals threatened to topple the lineup quickly if it failed to break with Macron’s past policies.

The new cabinet was unveiled nearly a month after the appointment of prime minister Sebastien Lecornu, who sought to obtain cross-party support in a deeply divided parliament.

Lecornu – Macron’s seventh prime minister – named Roland Lescure, a close ally of the president, as finance minister. Lescure briefly spent time in the Socialist party early in his career.

His nomination on Sunday was widely seen as a nod to the left ahead of further delicate cross-party budget negotiations but leftwing lawmakers were unimpressed, with the hard-left France Unbowed party saying a no-confidence motion would be filed immediately. » | Agencies | Monday, October 6, 2025

Têtes de cochon devant des mosquées en région parisienne : onze personnes arrêtées en Serbie

LE FIGARO : Ces 11 individus auraient été entraînés par un autre ressortissant serbe, «actuellement en fuite» et «agissant sous les instructions d’un service de renseignement étranger», ajoute le communiqué du ministère de l’Intérieur, sans préciser de quelle nationalité.

Onze personnes ont été arrêtées en Serbie, soupçonnées d'avoir participé à plusieurs opérations en France et en Allemagne «incitant à la haine», notamment «en jetant de la peinture verte sur le Musée de l'Holocauste, plusieurs synagogues et un restaurant juif» et «en plaçant des têtes de cochon près de sites religieux musulmans», a indiqué la police lundi.

Ces 11 individus auraient été entraînés par un autre ressortissant serbe, «actuellement en fuite» et «agissant sous les instructions d'un service de renseignement étranger», ajoute le communiqué du ministère de l'Intérieur, sans préciser de quelle nationalité. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 29 septembre 2025

US Republicans Warn France, UK, Canada, Australia over Decision to Recognise Palestinian State

Sep 21, 2025 | A group of US Republicans has sent a letter to France, Canada, the UK and Australia, urging them to re-consider their decision to recognise a Palestinian state. It's warning there may be consequences if the countries move ahead with plan at the upcoming UN General Assembly.

Wealth Tax Would Be Deadly for French Economy, Says Europe’s Richest Man

THE GUARDIAN: LVMH owner Bernard Arnault, who could take €1bn hit, says proposed 2% levy ‘aims to destroy liberal economy’

Europe’s richest man, the luxury goods magnate Bernard Arnault, has said that a wealth tax that could cost him more than €1bn (£817m) would be deadly for France’s economy.

The French founder of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton said in a statement to the Sunday Times that calls for a 2% wealth tax on all assets “aims to destroy the liberal economy, the only one that works for the good of all”.

The idea of a wealth tax has steadily gained ground in France because of a political crisis, with the government trying to push through unpopular budget cuts. The idea of a 2% wealth tax on fortunes worth more than €100m has been proposed by Gabriel Zucman, an economics professor who has become a household name in France.

The economist argues that the tax – named the Zucman tax by others – could help France with its squeezed budget. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, this month appointed a new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, after the centrist François Bayrou failed to win support for an austerity budget. » | Jasper Jolly | Sunday, September 21, 2025

ISF, héritage, dividendes… Au-delà de l’impôt Zucman, les propositions socialistes pour «taxer les riches» : DÉCRYPTAGE - La taxe très polémique sur les plus grands patrimoines reste son cheval de bataille dans les négociations avec Matignon, mais le PS a d’autres mesures en tête pour créer des recettes. »

Bernard Arnault étrille Gabriel Zucman et sa taxe sur les riches : Le milliardaire français estime que l’économiste est un « militant d’extrême gauche » animé d’une « volonté clairement formulée de mettre à terre l’économie française ». »

DOSSIER : Taxe Zucman sur le patrimoine des grandes fortunes : notre dossier pour tout comprendre : Cet impôt plancher de 2 % sur le patrimoine des 0,01 % des Français les plus riches est préconisé par l’économiste Gabriel Zucman et défendu par la gauche. Serait-il adopté ? »

Strike Action Across France as Hundreds of Thousands Join Protests

THE GUARDIAN: Disruption seen across country as PM Sébastien Lecornu urged to rethink budget cuts

Hundreds of thousands of people have marched in street demonstrations across France as trade unions held a day of strike action to pressure the new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, to rethink budget cuts and act on wages, pensions and public services.

There was disruption to public transport as train, bus and tram drivers went on strike, hospital staff joined protests and nine out of 10 pharmacies were closed as pharmacists protested against pricing policies. About one in six teachers at primary and secondary schools went on strike, as well as school canteen staff and monitors. Several high schools from Paris to Amiens and Le Havre were blockaded by students. Protesters held more than 250 demonstrations and marched in cities from Paris to Marseille, Nantes, Lyon and Montpellier.

“The anger is huge, and so is the determination – my message to Mr Lecornu today is this: it’s the streets that must decide the budget,” said Sophie Binet, head of the leftwing CGT union, as Macron’s new prime minister scrambles to put together a budget for next year, as well as form a new government. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Thursday, September 18, 2025

«C’est mettre une cible dans notre dos» : le grand malaise des Français juifs devant la reconnaissance de la Palestine

LE FIGARO : ENQUÊTE - Ils se sentent «trahis» par leur pays et ses responsables politiques. Et regrettent la décision d’Emmanuel Macron, approuvée par 29 % seulement de leurs compatriotes.

Un « sondage », créé à la rentrée sur un groupe WhatsApp d’étudiants de l’université Paris 1, qui demande abruptement : « Les juifs, pour ou contre ? » . Un colloque sur l’histoire des Juifs de France, boycotté, ce week-end, par des chercheurs. La synagogue de Sète vandalisée dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi. Des mains rouges et des étoiles de David taguées par dizaines, cet été, sur des immeubles. Des commerces, des synagogues ou le Mémorial de la Shoah aspergés de peinture verte… C’est dans ce contexte de montée en puissance de l’« antisémitisme d’intimidation » que Paris doit formaliser, le 22 septembre, avec plusieurs autres pays, sa reconnaissance de l’État palestinien. Alors qu’ils célébreront ce jour-là Roch Hachana, le Nouvel An juif, les Français de confession juive ne cachent pas leur désarroi. » | Par Stéphane Kovacs | jeudi 18 septembre 2025

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Anti-Austerity Strikes and Protests Grip France

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Barely a week into the job, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu faces rising social unrest on top of political deadlock and financial turmoil.

Big anti-austerity street marches and labor strikes gripped France on Thursday, raising the pressure faced by Sébastien Lecornu, the country’s new prime minister, as he tries to pass a debt-reducing budget by the end of the year.

Teachers, railway workers, students and civil servants were among the hundreds of thousands taking part in the demonstrations and walkouts across France, which in recent weeks has experienced renewed political turmoil and growing concern over its precarious finances.

Demonstrators marched through the streets of Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice and other cities under the close watch of the riot police. The authorities have blanketed the country with 80,000 security officers to help contain potential violence and vandalism.

The protests were organized by labor unions angered by the plans of François Bayrou, Mr. Lecornu’s predecessor, to cut 44 billion euros, about $51 billion, from next year’s state budget. Mr. Bayrou was ousted by lawmakers last week and President Emmanuel Macron replaced him with Mr. Lecornu, a centrist and an ally.

But the anger over Mr. Bayrou’s cost-cutting has persisted. It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Lecornu, who had promised a “break” with the past, would scrap his predecessor’s plans or use them as a basis for lawmakers to amend.

Labor unions say that anything resembling Mr. Bayrou’s budget — which planned to freeze welfare payments at their current level — would place an unacceptable burden on lower- and middle-class workers while sparing the wealthy. » | Aurelien Breeden | Reporting from Paris | Thursday, September 18, 2025