Global Scans · France · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Discontent with political elites and country performance is driving the discourse and demand for action from the French public. With Presidential elections due in May 2017 it remains to be seen whether another political earthquake may happen in one of the EU's founding countries.

• [New] French President Emmanuel Macron says his country will increase the size of its nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades. PBS News
• [New] France will temporarily allow the deployment of nuclear-armed jets to allies like the U.K., Germany and Poland. PBS News
• [New] France is ranked as one of the most complex in Europe due to its upcoming, highly ambitious, and hybrid CTC model set for implementation between 2026 and 2027. Precoro Procurement and Spend Management Blog
• [New] France and the UK are cooperating on an eLoran system that ships will be able to use in the English Channel and North Sea to complement and backup GNSS. RNTF
• [New] The ambitious government programs like France 2030, which allocate billions of euros to accelerate the digitization of healthcare education and administration. Market Data Forecast
• [New] Macron's European flotilla, led by France, and assembling in the Eastern Mediterranean, displays more than a touch of overkill: for the level of threat it faces, Cyprus must now be the best-defended country in the world. UnHerd
• [New] The forecast to 2035 sees demand driven by the construction of new sources (e.g., ESS in Sweden) and the major refurbishment of aging ones (e.g., SNS in the U.S., ILL in France). IndexBox Inc.
• [New] France pushes tougher rules; Germany fears retaliation. International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacture
• [New] The France Libre, which is to enter service in 2038, will have a capacity for 30 Rafale fighter jets and 2,000 sailors, for an estimated cost of 10 billion euros ($11.5 billion). Electricity Info
• [New] France reportedly will send Ukraine the newest version of the SAMP/T NG anti-aircraft missile system for battlefield testing against Russian ballistic missiles. Critical Threats
• [New] France's new 2026-2030 strategy sets out a comprehensive framework to counter foreign digital interference, combining Digital Services Act enforcement, AI risk oversight, enhanced attribution capacities and deeper European cooperation. EU DisinfoLab
• [New] France's nuclear policy council will convene shortly to adopt new strategic measures. Uzbek.Review is a publication by EUROUZ.eu
• [New] The UK has already allowed U.S. forces to use British military bases for agreed defensive purposes, while France dispatched Rafale fighter jets to shoot down drones threatening the airspace of its regional allies. The Washington Institute
• [New] Germany has advanced its deadline to 2045, with steep interim reductions, while France and Italy follow the EU's 2030 and 2050 milestones, with Italy aiming for rapid renewables growth despite its gas dependence. Lincoln International LLC
• [New] France is emerging as a processing hub (e.g., Solvay's La Rochelle restart), but scaling to CRMA targets will require much more capital and policy clarity. SpringerLink
• [New] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projections show France's GDP declining by 11% by 2050 and 16% by 2070 under current policies. New Economics Foundation
• [New] With fiber internet now widely available across France, the vast majority of households will have no issues at all. NERDBOT
• [New] The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, says he plans to take concrete steps with France before the end of 2026, including creating a nuclear strategy steering group and German conventional participation in French nuclear exercises. The Guardian
• [New] European governments have quietly begun adapting their policies for the hitherto unthinkable prospect that France, a founder member of the EU, may elect a far-right nationalist president in 2027. The Guardian
• Ukraine expects an additional delivery of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from France. Presage Global

Last updated: 01 April 2026