The European Union has further strengthened its migration control measures off the coast of Senegal and Mauritania, resulting in longer migratory routes and a decrease in arrivals to the Canary Islands. The UNHCR reports a significant drop in arrivals, with 4,808 people reaching the archipelago since the beginning of 2026, a decrease from previous years. These measures, which have been in place since the previous event, have led to a decrease in arrivals while interception numbers have risen, indicating the effectiveness of the new control measures.

The French government's 'reversible' 2027 budget, set to be presented on September 30, prioritizes defense and education spending, avoiding tax increases and aiming to control public spending. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu emphasizes the budget's flexibility and the government's commitment to fiscal stability. The budget includes measures that could be reversed by the new government after upcoming elections, with cuts in other areas considered. France's economy contracted 0.2% in the first quarter of 2026, and the government's annual growth target of 0.7% is at risk. The budget rules out tax increases and proposes a slower rise in state spending than inflation. Defense is set to receive an additional €6.4 billion, while education will see an €800 million increase. Funding for employment programs, development aid, agriculture, and health may be reduced. The government is also considering extending an exceptional levy on large company profits and increasing higher pensions at a rate below inflation.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a cabinet meeting to address the 2027 budget, recent cyberattacks on public institutions, and economic challenges including rising borrowing costs and the threat of a no-confidence vote. The meeting reviewed the broader government cybersecurity plan launched in April, which includes €200 million in funding. The government has confirmed a third data breach at the tax authority involving succession-related data and has apologized. Security measures include mandatory strong authentication and USB tokens for staff. The government plans to increase the ANSSI budget and allocate 200 million euros to fight cybercrime by 2030.

A LGBTQ rights campaigner and police officer, Pierre Picavet, was violently attacked outside a bar in Paris, suffering multiple injuries including internal bleeding, a head wound, and a black eye. The suspect, born in 2006, is facing charges for the homophobic attack. Picavet, a police officer and president of FLAG!, vowed to continue his fight against discrimination despite the attack. The suspect has been charged with a homophobic attack and is due in court.

Background: A severe June heatwave in France has already overwhelmed hospitals, forced event cancellations, and caused drownings and a child's death. New development: France has recorded 301 drownings since 19 June, a 14% increase compared to 2025, according to Sports Minister Marina Ferrari. Many accidents occurred in unsupervised areas like canals and open water, with elderly people also affected in private pools. The heatwaves have also caused wildfires and forced a nuclear power plant shutdown, with France logging 7,300 excess deaths between late May and 22 July.

Raphaël Glucksmann, leader of Place Publique, announced his candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election on TF1, and will participate in the left-wing primary organized with the Socialist Party in October. Socialist Party deputy Arthur Delaporte welcomed the announcement, saying it reduces the number of left-wing candidates and hopes the primary will foster debate and unite socialists, ecologists, communists, and disaffected LFI voters.

Background: French PM Sébastien Lecornu is pushing a reform-oriented 2027 budget with structural reforms and fiscal stability, facing opposition threats. Today: On August 23, at the party's summer university near Valence, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise, vowed that LFI will censure the Lecornu government over its 2027 budget, which he claims will worsen France's economic situation and push it into recession. He proposed alternative economic measures including taxing large fortunes and multinationals, instituting a superprofits tax, increasing wages, eliminating predatory tax niches, and freezing state debts at the European Central Bank. He also criticized Lecornu's warning against delaying budget adoption until after the presidential election, calling it a lesson from those who caused the disaster.

During the closing speech of La France Insoumise's summer university near Valence, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, candidate for the 2027 French presidential election, accused prefects of bias against LFI deputies, demanding they 'return to their offices' and stop legal proceedings. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez responded on X, defending prefects' neutrality and stating they need no lessons in impartiality. This exchange marks an early clash in the presidential campaign, highlighting tensions between the left-wing party and state representatives.

Former French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire published a 60-page manifesto on August 22, titled 'un manifeste pour une autre France', ahead of the 2027 presidential election, in which he does not exclude participating. The manifesto outlines three priorities: authority, prosperity, and sovereignty. On authority, he proposes restricting state action to security, protection, education, and health, delegating everything else. On prosperity, he argues against the idea of working less and earning more, blaming 1981 pension choices for France's rising debt. On sovereignty, he reiterates the call for a federation of six nations (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Netherlands) to give Europe political weight in the EU. This follows his earlier proposal for such a federation with a constitution and new capital.

Background: French presidential candidate Édouard Philippe has proposed a total immigration freeze in Mayotte and a return center in East Africa. During his campaign visit to Mayotte, Philippe engaged in public activities to soften his austere image, including traditional dancing and attending a local football match, and made informal remarks to a child about the upcoming school year. He reiterated his plan to unite the right and center, from Bruno Retailleau to Gabriel Attal, with a timeline of between November and February. His tour continues to La Réunion for 48 hours starting August 23.

Background: French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for an official visit on August 23-24, including the first meeting of the Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council. The visit began with the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup at the Grand Palais in Paris, attended by Macron, MBS, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who served as ambassador. The event was relocated from Riyadh to Paris following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran. The leaders are scheduled to hold the first meeting of the Franco-Saudi strategic partnership council at the Elysée on Monday, with agreements on health, transport, and energy to be signed. The visit marks MBS's full rehabilitation in Paris eight years after the Khashoggi murder, driven by economic interests and Riyadh's diplomatic importance. Rights groups, including RSF, have urged Macron to raise press freedom and the release of imprisoned journalists.

Over 100 former senior diplomats from France and the UK have published an unprecedented joint letter in Le Monde and the Guardian, accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing and seeking to destroy any prospect of a viable Palestinian state. The letter calls on their governments to impose sanctions, including suspending trade agreements and arms transfers, banning settlement trade, and upholding international court rulings. It highlights ongoing violence in the West Bank, house demolitions, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, urging France and the UK to act to prevent accusations of double standards and to support Palestinian self-determination.

Background: French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard warned of a deep agricultural crisis from drought, heatwaves, and wildfires, with government plans for water storage and emergency aid. Today: Severe drought and heatwaves have forced French cattle farmers to dip into winter fodder stocks early, with the FNPL reporting widespread use by late July. Farmers like Philippe Dufour in Seine-et-Marne have consumed 30-40% of winter forage, facing increased costs and livestock health issues. The government's emergency support plan, to be rolled out on 3 September, aims to bolster cash flow and revitalize production, as Genevard calls the drought 'exceptional' and affecting all regions. The situation has worsened: Dufour, a Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle farmer, has used 30-40% of his winter forage before November, incurring additional costs of €15,000 per month and reporting livestock health issues such as miscarriages and weaker calves. In the Landes, farmers began drawing on stocks in July, needing an extra 13,000 tonnes of fodder. Genevard has now specified that the 2026 drought is 'exceptional' and affects every region, including Brittany.

Background: Two French journalists, Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, and their Togolese fixer Fred Vedomey were arrested on July 27 in northern Togo while filming a documentary, and have been held on charges of false statements. Togo's government issued its first official statement on Saturday, asserting it holds 'serious and consistent evidence' against them, including unauthorized drone use in security-sensitive areas, lack of proper filming permits, and that the authorization was signed only in the name of the fixer, Fred Vedomey, and strictly limited to specific localities not covering the Savanes region. The government also cited 'several irregularities' in the mission's preparation and execution. The men appeared before prosecutors on August 17. They deny the charges, and rights groups, including RSF, continue to demand their release, with RSF highlighting that Perez Pezzani suffers from serious health problems and requesting urgent medical evacuation to France. The Togolese Press Association also demanded release, warning of damage to Togo's international reputation.

The Thomas More Institute, a French think tank, has released a report identifying 50 political decisions over the past 50 years that it argues have caused France's decline. The report criticizes European integration, particularly the Single Market, Maastricht, and Lisbon treaties, for transferring national sovereignty without creating a true European sovereignty, and highlights incompatibilities between EU commitments and French interests. The report spans from Valéry Giscard d'Estaing to Emmanuel Macron, covering areas such as economy, security, immigration, and education.

A co-leader of the 'Phrygiens', a secret network of senior French civil servants supporting Jean-Luc Mélenchon's La France Insoumise (LFI), spoke to the press for the first time. The network, comprising 80 members, produces policy notes and reports for LFI's presidential campaign. Members are reportedly present in all ministries, including Bercy and the Banque de France, and work anonymously to avoid career risks. The network is overseen by LFI MP Clémence Guetté.