France

Economics

Politics

France's National Assembly narrowly approved the government's social security budget, including provisions suspending recent pension reforms, with 247 votes in favor, 234 against and 93 abstentions, Le Monde reported on Dec. 9.

France: National Assembly Narrowly Approves Social Security Budget

Lawmakers in France's lower house of parliament will vote on the government's social security budget bill on Dec. 9, only days after the chamber narrowly endorsed its taxation measures, Le Figaro reported the same day. 

France: Parliament To Vote on Social Security Budget Bill

United States

Germany

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv will present a revised 20-point peace framework to U.S. officials on Dec. 9 following consultations with British, French and German leaders in London, United Kingdom, Reuters reported on Dec. 8.

Ukraine, Europe: Kyiv Prepares Counterproposal for Washington as Territorial Deadlock Persists

Benin

Cote d'Ivoire

Ghana

Nigeria

Sierra Leone

Military & Security

The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, announced the immediate deployment of a standby force comprising troops from Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone to Benin following a failed Dec. 7 coup attempt against President Patrice Talon, Jeune Afrique reported on Dec. 8.

West Africa: ECOWAS To Deploy Troops to Benin Following Failed Coup Attempt

China

Europe

French President Emmanuel Macron called for more Chinese investment in Europe and for Beijing to boost domestic consumption to address widening trade imbalances during a meeting in Beijing with President Xi Jinping, warning that a trade war would be the worst way to manage these tensions, Reuters reported Dec. 4.

France, China: Macron Calls on China To Address 'Unsustainable' Trade Imbalances

Germany and France are weighing a scaled-back version of their 100 billion euro ($116 billion) flagship Future Combat Air System (FCAS) joint program, potentially dropping the next-generation fighter project to focus instead on developing a shared command-and-control "combat cloud," the Financial Times reported on Nov. 17, citing officials from both governments.

Germany, France: FCAS Joint Fighter Jet Program Wavers Amid Industrial Disputes

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

Assessments

South Africa

Chile

The Ukrainian flag is projected on the facade of Berlaymont, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels on Nov. 18 to commemorate the Nov. 18, 2024, Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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

The Weekly Rundown: A European Council Decision on Ukraine Financing, South Africa Braces for Commission Findings

A photo taken on Dec. 8, 2025, shows an armored vehicle at the entrance of a blocked road in Cotonou, Benin, near the headquarters of the state broadcaster Benin TV.

The coup attempt will increase political and security risks ahead of Benin's 2026 elections, while the swift, Nigeria-led ECOWAS intervention suggests Abuja is assuming a more assertive regional role with tacit French backing following Paris's troop drawdown.

Benin's Foiled Coup Signals Strengthening Franco-Nigerian Coordination in West Africa

Cameroon

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

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

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

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

<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: National Assembly Narrowly Approves Social Security Budget

France: Parliament To Vote on Social Security Budget Bill

Ukraine, Europe: Kyiv Prepares Counterproposal for Washington as Territorial Deadlock Persists

West Africa: ECOWAS To Deploy Troops to Benin Following Failed Coup Attempt

France, China: Macron Calls on China To Address 'Unsustainable' Trade Imbalances

Germany, France: FCAS Joint Fighter Jet Program Wavers Amid Industrial Disputes

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

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

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