France

Economics

Politics

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two consecutive no-confidence votes in the National Assembly thanks to the abstentions of center-left and center-right lawmakers, Reuters reported on Oct. 16.

France: Prime Minister Lecornu Survives No-Confidence Votes, Sacrificing Macron's Pensions Reform

Newly reappointed French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu delivered his first policy address to the National Assembly, announcing the suspension of President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform until January 2028 and reiterating his pledge not to use Article 49.3 to pass a budget without a parliamentary vote, Le Figaro reported on Oct. 14. 

France: Prime Minister Freezes Pension Reform, Plans to Unveil 2026 Budget

Madagascar

Military & Security

The French military exfiltrated Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina from Madagascar on Oct. 12, Radio France Internationale reported on Oct. 13.

Madagascar: France Exfiltrates President After Army Corps Defects in Support of Gen Z Protesters

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced his new Cabinet on Oct. 12, two days after being reappointed by President Emmanuel Macron following his resignation on Oct. 6, Le Monde reported the same day.

France: Lecornu Reappointed Prime Minister, To Present Budget and Policy Program to Parliament 

French President Emmanuel Macron will appoint a new prime minister by Oct. 10 based on the conclusions of two days of consultations led by resigning Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu with parliamentary groups, Le Figaro reported on Oct. 8, citing a statement from the presidency.

France: Macron To Appoint New Prime Minister by Oct. 10, Avoid Snap Election

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu pledged not to invoke Article 49.3 of the constitution, a mechanism that allows the government to adopt legislation without parliamentary approval, to pass the 2026 budget, Le Figaro reported on Oct. 3.

France: Prime Minister Rules Out Bypassing Parliament in Passing 2026 Budget

A new wave of strikes and demonstrations broke out across France on Oct. 2 in response to planned spending cuts in the government's 2026 budget, France24 reported the same day.

France: Budget Cuts Spark New Wave of Nationwide Strikes and Demonstrations

Europe

Russia

French authorities opened an investigation into the Benin-flagged oil tanker Boracay, blacklisted by the European Union as part of Russia's "shadow fleet," over suspected links to recent drone incursions into Danish airspace that forced temporary airport closures, AFP reported on Oct. 1.

France, Russia: Paris Investigates Possible Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Involvement in Denmark Drone Incursions

Assessments

Cameroon

United States

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Japan

Palestinians on Oct. 10 on Al-Rashid road headed toward Gaza City. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might visit the Middle East just as 20 hostages are meant to be released by Hamas after surviving two years in captivity as the White House pushes for the solidification of a frail ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Tries To Solidify the Gaza Ceasefire, a Presidential Vote in Cameroon

Outgoing French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrives to deliver a statement at the Hotel Matignon in Paris after submitting his resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron on Oct. 6, 2025. 

Lecornu's resignation leaves President Macron with few good options to ease the ongoing political gridlock over the budget, portending further market volatility, social unrest and, potentially, a fiscal crisis.

French Political Crisis Deepens as Another Prime Minister Resigns

Syria

Turkey

Tajikistan

Azerbaijan

Georgia

The assembly hall of the Syrian parliament Oct. 1 in Damascus. An Oct. 5 indirect election for parliament will mark the first time Syrians have had an electoral say in their government since the 1960s.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan's Election, Syria's Political Transition

Australia

United Kingdom

Dignitaries attend a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestinian statehood, during the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2025, in New York City. 

Western countries' growing recognition of Palestinian statehood is largely symbolic and will likely galvanize Israel's push for West Bank annexation, risking further Israeli diplomatic isolation abroad and sporadic violence at home.

The West's Growing Support for Palestinian Statehood Will Have Limited Concrete Impacts

Mexico

Portugal

Spain

Italy

An anti-tourism protest in June in Barcelona, Spain. Anti-tourism sentiment is certain to grow in major tourist destinations, though it will be unevenly distributed globally, particularly as the tourism sector could face potential challenges in the future.

Social Issues

Anti-tourism sentiment is certain to grow in major tourist destinations, though it will be unevenly distributed globally, particularly as the tourism sector could face potential challenges in the future.

The Causes and Implications of the Rise in Anti-Tourism Sentiment

Snapshots

France's then-Prime Minister Francois Bayrou (C) delivers his general policy statement during an extraordinary parliamentary session prior to a confidence vote over the government's austerity budget at the National Assembly in Paris on Sept. 8, 2025.

Spending cuts proposed by the ousted prime minister and the prospect of further austerity measures have energized a new grassroots movement, raising the specter of another yellow vest-style uprising.

In France, Prime Minister Bayrou's Ouster Deepens Political Paralysis and Fiscal Uncertainty

Ethiopia

Brazil

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou leaves after the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Aug. 27, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: France's Bayrou Faces a Confidence Vote, Ethiopia Inaugurates Its Mega-Dam

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou arrives ahead of meetings with party leaders as part of political consultations at the Hotel de Matignon in Paris, on Sept. 4, 2025, ahead of the French National Assembly's vote of confidence.

Decisive action to significantly reduce fiscal deficits will remain elusive before and likely after France's next presidential election, given political fragmentation and polarization that will prevent a stable legislative majority.

French Debt Soars As Parliament Unlikely To Reach Fiscal Consolidation

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou speaks during a press conference in Paris on Aug. 25, 2025. 

In the likely case that the Prime Minister Bayrou loses the Sept. 8 vote, Macron will either have to appoint another weak government or call early legislative elections, prolonging political instability and heightening financial risks.

New Political Crisis Grips France as Bayrou Gambles on Confidence Vote

Iran

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

Germany

The Maanshan nuclear power plant is seen next to a beach in Pingtung, in southern Taiwan, on April 29, 2025.

Energy

The Weekly Rundown: Iran Meets With European Powers, Taiwan Holds a Nuclear Referendum

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a press conference on July 10, 2025, in London.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The series of agreements will deepen cooperation between Europe's two nuclear powers at a time of strategic flux and institutional fragmentation across the Continent.

New U.K.-France Defense Deals Mark a Step Toward a European Nuclear Deterrent

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Netanyahu's U.S. Visit, a Franco-British Summit

<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: Prime Minister Lecornu Survives No-Confidence Votes, Sacrificing Macron's Pensions Reform

France: Prime Minister Freezes Pension Reform, Plans to Unveil 2026 Budget

Madagascar: France Exfiltrates President After Army Corps Defects in Support of Gen Z Protesters

France: Lecornu Reappointed Prime Minister, To Present Budget and Policy Program to Parliament

France: Macron To Appoint New Prime Minister by Oct. 10, Avoid Snap Election

France: Prime Minister Rules Out Bypassing Parliament in Passing 2026 Budget

France: Budget Cuts Spark New Wave of Nationwide Strikes and Demonstrations

France, Russia: Paris Investigates Possible Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Involvement in Denmark Drone Incursions

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