As devastating wildfires hit France's Atlantic coast, the presidential election campaign lacks a climate policy debate. Citizens volunteer to fight fires, while leading candidates Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon focus on firefighting resources rather than climate change. The government's crisis management is criticized, and the environmental minister's position is under pressure. This comes amid a broader political clash over forest management and environmental rules. The article also notes Macron's climate record, including nuclear power reliance and a climate law, but acknowledges setbacks from the Yellow Vest crisis.

Background: Wildfires across southern Europe, including France, Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Croatia, have forced mass evacuations amid record-breaking heatwaves linked to climate change. Today, wildfires continue to rage in Greece and France, with a blaze west of Athens forcing over 1,000 evacuations and a fire in France's Gironde region becoming the country's largest on record, burning 420 square kilometers. The UK records its driest July in nearly 200 years, with drought conditions spreading. The European Forest Fire Information System warns of continued high wildfire risk across parts of Europe, including the Netherlands, where a new fire has broken out. The wildfires in Greece and France continue to escalate. In Greece, a wildfire west of Athens jumped containment lines, forcing over 1,000 evacuations, including 250 rescued by boats from beaches near Porto Germeno. The fire was blamed on a faulty power line from a wind farm, leading to the arrest of two contractors on charges of negligent arson. In France, a massive wildfire in the Gironde region has burned about 420 square kilometers, making it the country's largest on record, and has destroyed 183 homes in Le Porge. More than 224,000 people had fled the area, the largest civilian evacuation outside wartime. A second fire in Provence has burned about 18 square kilometers and remains uncontained. The UK recorded its driest July in nearly 200 years, with all of Wales and more than half of England officially in drought. The European Forest Fire Information System warns of high wildfire risk across parts of Europe through August 5, including in the Netherlands, where a large blaze in Limburg prompted train halts and air force helicopter support.

Wildfires in the Gironde region of southwestern France have uncovered a cache of approximately 400 unexploded World War II-era shells and munitions in the village of Le Porge. The blazes, which destroyed over 180 homes and burned more than 40,000 hectares, caused some shells to detonate, with over 100 explosions heard. Bomb disposal teams have recovered 75 shells so far, and two housing estates remain sealed off. The discovery has complicated the return of residents and added a secondary emergency to the fire's aftermath.

Gabriel Attal, the Renaissance candidate for the French presidency, announced a series of measures to combat illegal installations by Travellers, as reported in an interview with Le Figaro on August 3. The proposals include stricter pre-declaration requirements, a national register for convoys of 20 or more caravans, full cost recovery for damages, and penalties for unauthorized utility hookups. Attal framed the initiative as ensuring all lifestyles respect the law of the Republic, and he plans to visit Vendée to highlight the issue.

Background: A massive migrant influx into Spain's Ceuta exclave, with 60,000 crossings, triggered a political firestorm and right-wing backlash, including from US President Donald Trump and UK opposition parties. Today: French far-right leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella have seized on the Ceuta images to push anti-immigration rhetoric ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Le Pen called the situation 'a folly' and demanded urgent reinforcement of French border controls, while Bardella described it as 'a coordinated migratory invasion of European territory' and called for an emergency European Parliament session. The French government subsequently announced enhanced border checks. Le Pen also pledged to restrict Schengen free movement to EU citizens only if elected in 2027. Despite most of the 60,000 migrants having already returned to Morocco, the episode has become electoral fuel for the National Rally, reinforcing their narrative of 'migratory submersion'. At least 72 migrants died during the crossing.

Following two suicides of agents in the French Prime Minister's services in March and several suicide attempts, a preliminary judicial inquiry and internal investigations at Matignon have been opened. A complaint was filed by an agent for moral harassment and endangering the life of others, citing a toxic work environment exacerbated by frequent changes of Prime Minister and public sector reforms.

The Guardian reported that French theme park company Puy du Fou continued pursuing a joint venture with associates of sanctioned Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev after the EU blacklisted him in 2014. Documents show staff proposed a ruble payment structure to avoid sanctions effects and planned a park in occupied Crimea. Puy du Fou claims it complied with sanctions and withdrew, but the records cast doubt on this. The company is currently seeking approval for a £600 million theme park in Oxfordshire, England.

Background: France ordered the expulsion of Russian commentator Xenia Fedorova, former RT France head, over alleged Kremlin propaganda, and froze her assets in late July. Today, a Paris administrative court rejected her appeal against the expulsion order, ruling she failed to demonstrate that the order would cause her serious personal consequences. Fedorova, currently outside France and stating she will not return until the measures are lifted, denounced the actions as 'censorship' and 'political pressure', while her employers, Canal+ and Lagardère, condemned the ruling as a serious violation of freedom of expression. The case underscores ongoing concerns about Russian disinformation ahead of the 2027 French presidential election.