The Code Noir (or Black Code) is a law many were shocked to discover still existed in France. It dates back 400 years and outlines the rules that governed slavery in French Caribbean colonies rules that allowed slave owners to treat their labourers as property that could be bought, sold and inherited; rules that permitted cruel punishment such as beatings often to death and hangings.
Brigitte Macron has denied claims she slapped her husband in the face last year after reading text exchanges between him and French-Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani, according to a report. The first lady of France, 73, caused a stir in May last year when she appeared to push president Emmanuel Macron, 48, in front of cameras as they prepared to disembark a plane during a state visit to Vietnam. At the time, her husband insisted they had only been joking, but a new book presented claims this week that Mrs Macron was enraged after seeing an alleged text exchange between Emmanuel and the actress Farahani.
French history is littered with spectacular comebacks, from the Emperor Napoleon to Charles de Gaulle to Edith Piaf. Could François Hollande, the cuddliest of politicians but tougher than he seems, return to the Elysée Palace nine years after his presidency fizzled into insignificance?
Leftist mayors have transformed Paris over the past 25 years to include countless cycling lanes, a cleaner Seine river, and even fresher air. But concerns over safety and rubbish collection could usher in a return of the right in local polls starting on Sunday.
He has everything it takes to do well. He's someone who people listen to, he knows where he wants to go and he has a lot of experience. This is not the candidacy of a party, but that of a Lyonnais, Aulas announced when he launched his campaign in September.
France will hold municipal elections on March 15 and 22, votes seen as a key test ahead of next year's presidential election. The two-round ballot will measure the strength of the far-right National Rally (RN) and showcase what types of alliances could emerge in an increasingly fragmented landscape.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
CNews is the country's most-watched 24-hours TV news station but it scarcely reports the news. It provides a running commentary of loud-mouthed opinion. Emmanuel Macron is a charlatan; the Left is wicked; immigrants are mostly violent criminals; Donald Trump is a breath of fresh air; Vladimir Putin has some faults but many qualities; France is swamped with crime because of the moral weakness of the ruling elite.
The Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, was given little chance of survival, let alone finding a budget deal, when he was appointed for a second time in October. He deserves some credit for backing the heavy truck of the French political system out of a cul-de-sac (English for voie sans issue). Otherwise, what have we learned? That France still refuses to face up to a deficit crisis a half-century in the making;
A selection of parties on the French left have announced their intention to hold primaries to field a candidate of the 'united left' in the 2027 presidential elections, to better face the challenge of the far-right candidate. Making the announcement on Saturday, Green party leader Marine Tondelier said: "We don't have the right not to offer a perspective to the working classes, to the people of the left."
Following the news that French troops are now in Greenland as part of a joint NATO force, we take a look at the reaction in the US, and what happens next for France and the rest of Europe. And with the current situation between the two countries, we asked our American readers if they felt they were being treated differently in France.
Neither move from the far right or hard left garnered enough votes to topple Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's cabinet but they acted as a reminder of strong opposition from within the legislature that ousted his two predecessors. Lecornu accused the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) and far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) of "shooting the executive branch in the back" and "further stalling budget" talks for the year that has already started.
Neither the move from the far right nor hard left are expected to garner enough votes to be a serious threat, but they show Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu still faces strong opposition from within the parliament that toppled his two predecessors. France has been mired in political crisis since Macron in 2024 called snap polls which he hoped would consolidate his majority but instead ended up in a deeply divided lower house.
French political drama, cultural landmarks, key public figures and a bit of French language - see how much you remember about 2025 in France with our quiz of the year. The year 2025 has been a bit of a rollercoaster in France - from political drama to high profile heists, via a series of cultural landmarks. See how much of it you remember with our Quiz of the Year.
The Talking France podcast team has a special episode looking ahead to what's happening in France in 2026 - from travel and immigration changes to cultural diary dates and what on earth might happen with French politics. Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's Emma Pearson, John Lichfield and - for her last episode - Genevieve Mansfield for a special look ahead to next year in France.
The version of the bill lawmakers approved includes the suspension of a 2023 reform to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 - a concession that secured the support of the Socialists, a swing group in parliament. France, the eurozone's second-largest economy, is under pressure to rein in its deficit and soaring debt, but efforts have been hampered by a political deadlock.
Remembering This week marked the 10-year anniversary of the devastating terror attacks at the Bataclan, Stade de France and city bars and restaurants that claimed 130 lives. The ceremony at the newly-opened garden of remembrance, close to Hotel de Ville, was very beautiful and moving - including Jesse Hughes, leader of the Eagles of Death Metal band, who were playing at the Bataclan that night, singing You'll Never Walk Alone with a choir made up of attack survivors and relatives.
History suggests it will sell well. If you want to be taken seriously as a politician in France, it's not enough to have win an election and vote in parliament, make laws, and represent your constituents to the best of your ability. You also, it seems, have to write a book demonstrating the scale and breadth of your convictions, and laying out your inarguable views.
The Louvre in Paris reopened on Wednesday, three days after thieves made off with historic jewellery worth an estimated 88 million euros ($102 million) in a spectacular heist that has raised urgent questions over security lapses at the museum. Visitors queued to enter through the Louvre's glass pyramid for the first time since Sunday's brazen robbery, in which hooded assailants broke through a second-floor window using a stolen movers' lift before making off with jewels from the royal collection.
