The Ministry of Finance in Paris (Bercy). Jean-François Gornet / Flickr, CC BY-SA

The Ministry of Finance in Paris (Bercy). Jean-François Gornet / Flickr, CC BY-SA

France: Public Debt Surges Past €3.5 Trillion, Raising Serious Concerns

France has crossed a critical threshold as its public debt exceeded €3.5 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 117.5% of GDP. The French Court of Auditors has sounded the alarm over what it describes as an “alarming” fiscal situation, as public deficits hit record levels and debt-interest costs continue to soar.

Le Panthéon, Paris (Par Moonik — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Le Panthéon, Paris (Par Moonik — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Marc Bloch at the Panthéon: A republican ritual honoring the historian

On June 23, 2026, Marc Bloch and his wife, Simonne Vidal, will symbolically enter the Panthéon, completing a republican rite that recognizes the extraordinary contribution of the founder of the Annales School to French historiography.

Justice (Pixabay)

Justice (Pixabay)

The Lyhanna case: open season on judges

The disappearance and subsequent death of 11-year-old Lyhanna, whose body was found on June 4 in a grain silo in the Gers region, has triggered an unprecedented institutional crisis in France. Politicians are shifting the blame onto the prosecutors, who are doing the best they can with the resources at their disposal.

Weapons of war (photo illustration, UnlimPhotos)

Weapons of war (photo illustration, UnlimPhotos)

Arms deliveries to Israel: Eleven NGOs take the French government to court

Faced with revelations about the export of French military components to Israel after October 7, a coalition of associations is calling for the immediate suspension of arms licenses. Three separate appeals have been lodged with the Paris Administrative Court, according to Disclose magazine.