France | DD News

March 2, 2026 9:40 PM

Macron to boost nuclear arsenal, involve European allies in doctrine change

France will increase the size of its nuclear arsenal and strengthen its deterrent, with an increasing risk of conflicts globally crossing the nuclear threshold, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday. "We are currently experiencing a period of geopolitical upheaval fraught with risk," Macron said in a speech delivered from a submarine base in Brittany, adding that a "hardening" of the French deterrence model was needed. Unveiling the update to France's nuclear doctrine at a nuclear base on t...

February 20, 2026 9:26 PM

India AI Impact Summit 2026 Draws World Leaders as Global AI Dialogue Takes Centre Stage

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, running from February 16 to 21 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, has transformed the venue into a major global platform for artificial intelligence dialogue, with thirteen country pavilions from Australia, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, Estonia, Tajikistan and a collective African pavilion showcasing ideas, investments and collaborative intent. Due to overwhelming interest, the Government of India ...

February 19, 2026 1:07 PM

French President Macron hails India’s digital revolution, says future of AI lies in combining technology with humanity

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday lauded India’s digital transformation and its pioneering role in technology governance, describing it as a global benchmark, during his keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Opening his speech with a warm “Namaste,” Macron thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for hosting the summit and said he was pleased to return to India after his 2024 state visit. He framed his address around a compelling s...

February 16, 2026 9:36 AM

PM Modi to meet French President Macron in Mumbai, inaugurate India-France Year of Innovation 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on February 17, as part of the latter’s three-day official visit to India. President Macron will be in India from February 17 to 19 at the invitation of PM Modi. During the visit, he will participate in the AI Impact Summit hosted by India and hold bilateral discussions with the Prime Minister in Mumbai. This will be Macron’s fourth visit to India and his first to Mumbai. The two leaders are scheduled to hold...

January 21, 2026 9:47 PM

Trump mocks Macron’s sunglasses in Davos speech

U.S. President Donald Trump mocked French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday for the aviator sunglasses he was wearing during his own speech at Davos the day before. "I watched him yesterday, with those beautiful sunglasses. What the hell happened?" Trump said, speaking to global elites at the annual World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain resort. Macron's office has said the choice to wear the dark, reflective sunglasses during his speech, which took place indoors, was to protect his e...

January 19, 2026 9:34 PM

France edges towards budget deal with Socialists welcoming PM’s concessions

France was moving closer to a 2026 budget deal on Monday after the government presented a last-ditch proposal that made concessions to most political parties, senior Socialist lawmaker Boris Vallaud said, ahead of a cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon. President Emmanuel Macron's government lacks a majority in parliament and 2026 budget negotiations in the fragmented legislature have dragged on for months, forcing a rollover budget in the meantime to keep the country afloat. Needing to win sup...

January 19, 2026 9:39 AM

EU scrambles to avert Trump Greenland tariffs, prepares retaliation

European Union ambassadors reached broad agreement on Sunday to intensify efforts to dissuade U.S. President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on European allies, while also preparing retaliatory measures should the duties go ahead, EU diplomats said. Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland, a step major...

January 15, 2026 6:12 PM

French government survives no-confidence votes, now faces another budget battle

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes in parliament on Wednesday, clearing the way for the government to focus on yet another budget showdown in the coming days. The no-confidence motions, filed by the far-right National Rally (RN) and hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), aimed to protest the European Union's trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc. Despite French opposition, EU member states last week approved the signing of the long-debated deal with Argentina, B...

January 14, 2026 6:04 PM

No-confidence votes test French government as another budget battle looms

The French government faces two no-confidence votes on Wednesday that are not expected to pass, which would clear the way for the government to focus on yet another budget showdown in the coming days. The no-confidence motions, filed by the far-right National Rally (RN) and hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), aim to protest the European Union's trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc. Despite French opposition, EU member states last week approved the signing of the long-debated deal with Argentina,...

January 14, 2026 3:47 PM

Deaths outnumber births in France for first time since World War Two

France recorded more deaths than births in 2025 for the first time since the end of World War Two, a development that erodes its long-held demographic advantage over other European Union nations, official figures showed on Tuesday. The national statistics institute INSEE reported 651,000 deaths last year and 645,000 births, which have collapsed in number since the global COVID pandemic. France has traditionally had stronger demographics than most of Europe, but an aging population and falling ...