Global oil prices are climbing and stock markets are falling, including a €17 billion loss for Greek stocks, as investors perceive no immediate end to the ongoing war, exacerbating Middle East tensions and driving up fuel costs. Markets are particularly rattled by concerns over potential blockages of key chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, with Wall Street's 'fear gauge' spiking and Asian airlines raising ticket prices. Irish economists warn of escalating global recession risks, while New Zealand's Pharmac monitors medicine supply risks, all contributing to looming energy and supply crises.
French Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced plans for an additional 8.5 billion euros in ammunition orders by 2030, a measure taken in the context of the Middle East war and as part of an update to the military programming law.
In the recent French municipal elections, two out of eleven minister-candidates were defeated, while Sébastien Lecornu secured a position as first deputy.
A new poll reveals that French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has a more favorable image than President Emmanuel Macron, but is considered too dependent on the president to successfully run in 2027.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu presented a constitutional reform text for New Caledonia to senators, emphasizing that the 'status quo is not viable' and that rejecting the agreement would be an unprecedented refusal by Parliament.
The ongoing Middle East conflict continues to drive up petrol and diesel prices across Europe, prompting various national responses, including a government announcing fuel excise cuts and Croatia introducing measures to control fuel prices.
French minister Sébastien Lecornu has warned against proposals for a VAT reduction on fuels, calling such measures 'demagogic and useless,' while the Prime Minister has asked ministers for proposals to protect consumers from energy price volatility.
Amidst official candidacies from Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, allies of Emmanuel Macron are reportedly considering Jean Castex or Sébastien Lecornu as fallback presidential candidates, viewing them as more loyal defenders of the president's legacy.
Following the INSEE's announcement of a lower-than-expected deficit of 5.1% for 2025, French Minister Sébastien Lecornu expressed cautious optimism about the public deficit potentially falling below 5% by 2026.
French minister Sébastien Lecornu sent a letter to newly elected mayors after the municipal elections, stating 'the ballot boxes have crowned no one' and promising 'neither coercion nor immobility' from the government.
Alors que Sébastien Lecornu a annoncé «500 contrôles» de prix dans les stations-service, le médiatique représentant des centres E.Leclerc a estimé que l’État se trompait de cible.
Following significant floods in Western France over the past two weeks, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that 294 communes would be recognized as natural disaster areas.
The French government has classified 294 communes as natural disaster zones following recent floods, with the Prime Minister assuring continued mobilization to support affected mayors and residents.
