France

Politics

French far-right National Rally (RN) party leader Marine Le Pen was found guilty of systematically embezzling EU funds by the Paris criminal court on March 31 and sentenced to four years in prison -- two of which are suspended -- alongside an immediate five-year ban from public office, Le Figaro reported the same day.

France: Far-Right Leader Marine Le Pen Convicted in Embezzlement Trial, Banned from Office for 5 Years

Economics

The French Parliament rejected a no-confidence motion tabled by the far-left France Unbowed party (LFI) against Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's minority government for using Article 49.3 of the French Constitution to pass part of the social security budget without a vote, Le Monde reported Feb. 10. 

France: PM Bayrou Survives Another No-Confidence Vote Over 2025 Budget

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

France will commit 109 billion euros ($112.5 billion) in private sector artificial intelligence investments over the coming years, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in a broadcast with France 2 on Feb. 9.

France: Macron Announces 109B Euro Investment in AI

Cyber

France and India will cohost the AI Action Summit in Paris on Feb. 10-11, during which attendees will look broadly at artificial intelligence risks such as environmental impact, income inequality and bias, Reuters reported on Feb. 10. 

Cyberspace, France: AI Action Summit Held in Paris

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou survived a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly after only 128 lawmakers (primarily from the far left) voted in favor of deposing him, short of the 289 votes needed, France 24 reported on Feb. 5. 

France: Bayrou's Minority Government Survives No-Confidence Vote

What Happened: French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said he would trigger Article 49.3 of the French Constitution to force the 2025 budget bill through Parliament without a vote, paving the way for a no-confidence motion from opposition parties, Le Monde reported on Feb. 2.

France: Government's Attempt To Force Budget Through Parliament Triggers No-Confidence Motion

Chad

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Russia

Military & Security

France completed the withdrawal of its military forces from Chad, Africanews reported on Jan 30.

Chad, France: France Hands Over Last Army Base in Chad

United States

Europe

Germany

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House as a "challenge" during a joint press conference in Paris, France, but emphasized Europe’s strength, unity and determination while remaining a "constructive and self-confident partner" for the United States, Reuters reported on Jan. 22.

France, Germany: Lame Ducks Macron and Scholz Pledge Unity in Dealing With Trump's U.S.

Snapshots

Netherlands

Spain

Italy

Ireland

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order after delivering remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an April 2 event in the Rose Garden in Washington. The U.S.–EU trade dispute is on track to escalate as Brussels prepares retaliation against Washington's sweeping 20% tariff on EU goods, increasing the risk of a protracted tit-for-tat trade war that would disrupt supply chains, slow growth on both sides of the Atlantic and strain broader cooperation. 

Global Trade

The developments could see a protracted tit-for-tat trade war that disrupts supply chains, slows growth on both sides of the Atlantic and strains broader cooperation.

Brussels Prepares to Respond to the Latest Trump Tariffs

French far-right Leader Marine Le Pen leaves the courtroom after a guilty verdict in her embezzlement case trial on March 31, 2025 in Paris, France. 

Marine Le Pen’s conviction for embezzling EU funds and an immediate five-year ban from public office has shaken French politics, threatening government stability and fueling far-right outrage ahead of the 2027 election.

Le Pen's Five-Year Political Ban Sets the Stage for Renewed Political Instability in France

Assessments

China

South Korea

United Kingdom

Ukraine

People wave flags and chant slogans during a protest in front of the municipality headquarters in support of arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. To Announce Tariffs, Protests in Turkey Rage On

Algeria

Morocco

France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) meets with Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (R) at the Borgo Egnazia resort on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Savelletri, Italy, on June 13, 2024. 

Energy

A migration dispute between France and Algeria will likely lead to sanctions, trade restrictions and frozen energy deals amid broader disagreements over Western Sahara.


Divisions Between France and Algeria Deepen Over Migration Dispute

Ukrainian flags are flown alongside EU flags outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 24, 2025, for the third anniversary of Russia'’s large-scale invasion.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Amid the prospect of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, European leaders are mulling putting boots on the ground in Ukraine to help deter Russian aggression, which could take several forms, each varying in effectiveness and feasibility.

Weighing the Options for a European Deployment in Ukraine

South Africa

The Reichstag on Jan. 22 in Berlin. The center-right alliance between the Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, is widely expected to emerge as the largest bloc in the Bundestag after the Feb. 23 general election and lead the next coalition government.

The Weekly Rundown: German Elections, Macron and Starmer Meet Trump

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou (center) addresses the National Assembly in Paris, France, on Feb. 5, 2025, ahead of a vote on a no-confidence motion against him. 

The approval of a budget for 2025 averts an immediate political crisis and offers short-term relief to markets, yet France's politics are still unstable and its medium-term fiscal policy direction remains uncertain.

France Passes Its 2025 Budget, but Political and Economic Challenges Persist

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Indonesia

India

The West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 17 in Washington. Donald Trump will be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: The Gaza Ceasefire, Trump's Inauguration

Mozambique

Syria

Anti-riot police officers with dogs walk past burning barricades made by protesters in Maputo, Mozambique, on Nov. 7, 2024. 

The Weekly Rundown: A New French Government, a Ruling on Mozambique's Disputed Election

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

(From left to right) Argentine President Javier Milei, Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Paraguayan President Santiago Pena pose for a photo during the Mercosur summit in Montevideo on Dec. 6, 2024. 

The agreement offers significant market access and diversification opportunities for both trade blocs, but it also faces a complex ratification process and potential political backlash in Europe.

25 Years in the Making: Reviewing the EU-Mercosur Trade Deal

Ghana

Iran

Protesters call for the ouster of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 6, 2024.

The Weekly Rundown: An Impeachment Vote in South Korea, Syria's Government Wavers

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier delivers a speech at the National Assembly, the French Parliament's lower house, in Paris on Dec. 2, 2024.

France faces heightened political instability as no-confidence votes threaten the government following Prime Minister Barnier's use of Article 49.3 to pass the 2025 budget without parliamentary approval.

Barnier's Budget Gambit Triggers Political Showdown in French Parliament

<p>France is a country in Western Europe bound in the south by the Alps, Pyrenees Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. To the west and north is the Atlantic Ocean, and on its eastern border lies the river Rhine and the low mountains of the Ardennes, Vosges and Jura. Mountains, rivers and seas help protect France at all points but one: the North European Plain. As a result, France&#39;s main geographic challenge is safeguarding its eastern border on the path of this historic invasion route. The lack of internal geographic barriers contributed to France&#39;s social cohesion, which in turn led France to become one of the world&#39;s first modern nation-states. The Beauce region represents France&#39;s core. Its navigable rivers, warm climate, sufficient rainfall and fertile soils have made France one of the world&#39;s leading agricultural powers. At the extreme northern border of the Beauce region, where the rivers Marne and Seine meet, lies Paris &mdash; France&#39;s economic and political center. Paris&#39; strategic location on these rivers gives it administrative control of trading routes from the Beauce region to the rest of France and Europe In modern times, the most existential threats to France have come from its powerful eastern neighbor, Germany. Between 1871 and 1945, France and Germany fought three major wars &mdash; all on the North European Plain. After World War II, France attempted to contain Germany largely through the creation of the European Union. The economic and political crisis plaguing Europe has put France&#39;s containment strategy into question.</p>

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

The Fate of the Eurozone

European Disintegration

SITUATION REPORTS

France: Far-Right Leader Marine Le Pen Convicted in Embezzlement Trial, Banned from Office for 5 Years

France: PM Bayrou Survives Another No-Confidence Vote Over 2025 Budget

France: Macron Announces 109B Euro Investment in AI

Cyberspace, France: AI Action Summit Held in Paris

France: Bayrou's Minority Government Survives No-Confidence Vote

France: Government's Attempt To Force Budget Through Parliament Triggers No-Confidence Motion

Chad, France: France Hands Over Last Army Base in Chad

France, Germany: Lame Ducks Macron and Scholz Pledge Unity in Dealing With Trump's U.S.

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