France in June 2026: the most important developments in politics
In France in June 2026, the G7 summit was the dominant political event. Leaders gathered in France from June 13, with the Ukraine war and a new US-Iran agreement at the top of the agenda. President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the US-Iran deal on June 14 and urged swift implementation. When the summit opened on June 15, Donald Trump threatened tariffs on European wine and champagne, and Macron pushed back. On June 17 Macron said the group had shown new unity on Ukraine and a "deep shift" in the US approach; he hosted Trump for dinner at Versailles, which drew criticism from the French left. On June 18 Macron declared the summit a success, while Trump defended his stance on the Iran deal and criticized Israel.
EU enlargement was the second most reported story. On June 5 Friedrich Merz and Macron pushed for faster enlargement, aiming to bring Western Balkan countries into the bloc by 2028. Berlin and Paris also plan to limit the voting rights of new members and to restructure the EU's diplomatic service.
On Ukraine, Zelensky met Keir Starmer, Macron and Merz in London on June 7, and the leaders set out five principles for peace with Russia. French, German and British envoys met Russian diplomats in Moscow on June 11, and Sergei Lavrov said they brought nothing new. France called for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and on June 19 Macron urged Benjamin Netanyahu to show responsibility. On June 29 Iran rejected a demining plan for the Strait of Hormuz backed by Macron and Oman, calling it a provocation.
At home, public outcry followed the murder of a girl named Lyhanna; the government ordered a nationwide review of 70,000 allegations of child sexual violence, and the justice minister refused to resign. The National Assembly approved an assisted dying bill on June 30, and the first round of the 2027 presidential election was set for April 18. Macron and Giorgia Meloni held their first bilateral summit in Antibes on June 25 and Macron said relations were improving.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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