France in January 2026: the most important developments in society
In France in January 2026, the dominant social story was the farmers' protest against the proposed EU trade deal with the Mercosur countries. A convoy of farmers headed to Paris in early January to put proposals to the government, and protests continued, including a port blockade. On 13 January, around 350 tractors drove into central Paris near Parliament in a protest organized by the FNSEA union over low incomes and the trade deal. The government announced an emergency agricultural law, the protest ended and the tractors left the city. On 27 January, six people were arrested after clashes between farmers and police in Toulouse, and UN experts expressed alarm over the arrests.
A second theme was infant formula. On 21 January, Lactalis recalled batches of baby formula because of a toxin, according to health authorities. Health authorities linked two infant deaths to Nestle baby milk. The consumer group Foodwatch filed a legal complaint in a Paris court over the handling of the recalls. By 31 January France had tightened regulations on infant formula, with Nestle and Danone facing public backlash.
Weather also made news. Snow and ice caused deadly road accidents, flight cancellations and traffic restrictions across the country in early January. Late in the month, heavy rain flooded Brittany, with evacuations in Quimperle, and oil similar to fuel spilled by the tanker Erika in 1999 was found on birds washed ashore there. Drinking water for about 80,000 people in northern France exceeded pesticide safety standards, and a landslide closed a key road to Andorra indefinitely.
Other developments included the National Assembly's vote to abolish the legal concept of a marital duty to have sex, a ban on social media use for children under 15, and the adoption of a bill on combating antisemitism. Official figures showed that France's population declined in 2025, with deaths outnumbering births for the first time since World War II. On 18 January a floor collapsed during a party in a Paris building, injuring 20 people.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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