News Digest: When Will France Announce Its New Government?

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy looks set to become the first leader since WWII to serve time in prison (if you’re wondering, the last was Philippe Petain, head of France’s Nazi-collaborating Vichy regime). The verdict came in last Thursday, with Sarkozy sentenced to five years in prison along with a €100,000 fine and a ban from holding public office by the Paris Criminal Court for “extremely serious offences liable to undermine public trust in those who represent them.”

He’s charged with a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 presidential campaign using money sourced from then-Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The court determined that although there was no concrete evidence that money actually changed hands or was used in his campaign, Sarkozy nonetheless allowed his close associates (two of whom have also been sentenced to jail time) to lay the groundwork for the corrupt scheme. Under French law, this is still a serious crime, especially at the level of a presidential election.

It’s not Sarkozy’s first brush with the law. The former President, who served from 2007 to 2012, was stripped of his Legion of Honour medal in June after being found guilty in a separate case of attempting to bribe a judge. He was also convicted last year of illegal campaign financing for his unsuccessful 2012 re-election bid. This time, however, it appears that Sarkozy will serve time in prison, even if he appeals the verdict. It marks a notable change in the leniency often afforded those in power, with judges sending a powerful message that politicians will not be afforded special treatment in the eyes of the law.

You can read more about the verdict here and here.

Back to present-day politics, and while France has a new Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, the country is still without an official government. Lecornu is apparently taking the time to lay out his vision for the crucial 2026 budget prior to appointing his government, stating that “Ministers who want to join the government will have to endorse it”.

Talking to Le Parisien, he was also quoted as saying “The government will be appointed before the start of the parliamentary session”, which begins tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1st. Either he’s leaving the announcement until the last minute, or it will be decided after he has given his general policy speech to the Assemblée Nationale, which is expected on Thursday. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

Either way, the newly appointed government will have to get a move on if it wants to meet the deadlines for the 2026 Budget. A draft is supposed to be presented to parliament on October 14th and move to the Senate by November 24th.

As we move into October, a fresh wave of strike action has been proposed. After an unsuccessful meeting with Prime Minister Lecornu, the Intersyndicale group that represents eight of France’s main unions has announced another day of nationwide strikes this Thursday, October 2nd. The first of these widespread strikes, which took place on September 18th, saw some 500,000 people take to the streets in protest. It’s uncertain whether this week will bring similar numbers, but strikes are expected to affect schools, train travel, and city public transport across the country. Demonstrations are expected in Paris and other major cities.

Less than a year after the impeccably reconstructed Notre Dame Cathedral reopened its doors to visitors, the cathedral’s famous towers have now reopened to visitors. The iconic towers first opened for a special advance viewing during the European Heritage Days (Sept 20th-21st), but since last Wednesday, they have now officially opened to the public.

While visiting the cathedral itself is free of charge, climbing the towers requires advance booking, and admission tickets cost €16 per person. Tours take about 45 minutes and require climbing 424 steps, but you’ll be rewarded with one of the most famous views in Paris.

Book your tickets via the official website here. It’s highly recommended to book ahead – popular dates and times are already beginning to sell out.