The Debate

What can an 11th-century comic strip about the Norman Conquest of England tell us about the spectre of sea change in 2026 Europe? France’s president is on hand for the hottest ticket in London, the first-ever cross-Channel visit of the Bayeux Tapestry, which, for the record, is not a tapestry but a delicate scroll of embroidered cloth that chronicles a radical turning point in our continent’s history. Should France’s outgoing president and the British monarch who welcomes him be likened more to the defending Saxons or the invading Normans?

Fast forward to the present and Europe has got plenty of ramparts to man, sandwiched between a hostile Russia and a withdrawing United States. How fast can Emmanuel Macron and new Prime Minister Andy Burnham level up to spearhead an alternative to an unravelling NATO? They're already leading a coalition of the willing for Ukraine. 

And why is the momentum with far-right populists with friends in Moscow and Washington, one of whom is currently favoured to become Macron's successor in eight months' time? Is it too late for mainstream forces to change the course of history?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Juliette Brown, Charles Wente.

A lot happened during summer recess: France's constitutional council struck down the core of a new law to ban social media for under-15s, but it did validate the extension to high schoolers of a phone ban already in effect for younger pupils. Why one but not the other? On the first day of school across this country and others, we size up what's best for future citizens, parents and teachers, all grappling in this age of distraction with the lure of screens. 

Over in the US last week, state attorneys general succeeded where legislators have not, forcing the parent group of Instagram and Facebook to put curbs on screen time for teens. Meta opted to settle for $17 billion rather than face the prospect of its boss Mark Zuckerberg answering questions under oath about encouraging addiction to his products. But social media is just one challenge. 

Teaching, homework and grading is increasingly happening in the virtual world. What's the impact on humanity’s ability to hone its reading, writing and arithmetic skills, and to learn critical thinking? How to learn and to clear enough mind space to reflect? It's quite the learning curve for all of us. 

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Juliette Brown, Charles Wente.

It may well be one of the tragic consequences of global warming. Scientists will tell us whether receding glaciers are to blame for last Wednesday’s ice shelf collapse that triggered a catastrophic flood, cascading down more than 3,000 metres from the Chinese border into Nepal.

We get the latest and draw consequences for Nepal and its Himalayan superpower neighbours China and India, and for the rest of humanity, as we gauge rescue and recovery in an area that not only boasts the world's tallest mountains but also serves as Asia's water tower.

How do we prepare for the next big emergency and the drastic long-term changes to our natural habitats?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Daniel Whittington, Juliette Brown, Charles Wente.

After a stunning performance in Argentina’s come-from-behind win against England, 39-year-old Lionel Messi secured the defending World Cup champions their second final in a row – much to the delight of organizers. Taking note of Messi’s star power, the US bent the rules to include him on the Inter Miami side in the Club World Cup last year. In this edition we ask: what legacy will there be for the biggest World Cup ever, with its three countries, 64 teams and record-smashing ticket pricing?

What will the world remember from World Cup 2026? Will it be the on-field drama or the American-style packaging of the spectacle: commercial breaks disguised as water breaks, TV cutaways to celebrities during the action and red cards overturned to please the host country's leader? What will the final bring? Will US President Donald Trump be flanked by his Argentinian counterpart and far-right ally Javier Milei? Will they pose with Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of a left-led Spain Trump has threatened to cut ties with?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Riham Mahir, Andrew Hilliar.

In this edition, we take a look at the French love for food – in this case, chain rotisserie chicken and the current squabble over it that has turned political.

When the Master Poulet fast-food chicken chain opened up a branch in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Ouen, the Socialist Mayor Karim Bouamranne saw red, as the heat lamps and the smell of rotisserie until 2am did not gel with his vision for a modernized city centre. Meanwhile, hard-left mayor of neighbouring Saint-Denis, Bally Bagayoko savoured the moment to praise Master Poulet’s product and price.  A FRANCE 24 journalist went to Saint-Ouen to take a closer look at the controversy.

Our guests talk affordability, convenience and the right to healthy eating. They also address the concept of “food ghettos”, a nation of growing inequality where quality produce is more expensive in working class neighbourhoods. Finally, while the left tears itself apart over the issue, we ask how to find the common ground to better feed the French?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Piera Rocco, Andrew Hilliar.

Who needs nuclear weapons when you have the Strait of Hormuz? While ordinary Iranians are far worse off than on February 28th – when the US and Israel launched a war that killed the Supreme Leader on day one – the Islamic Republic has since shown it has massive leverage in the war and is betting that Donald Trump’s threats of invasion are empty.

Iran's leadership can now paint US president Donald Trump as the villain after he threatened a 20 percent toll on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday – though he has since walked the toll back. With missiles flying across the Gulf and as the price of crude climbs to a four-week high, we ask broader questions: why this cycle of war, talks, televised signing ceremonies and then return to hostilities? Are we just spectators in this performative drama? How can the cycle be broken?

Produced by François Picard, Andrew Hilliar, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Juliette Brown.

Forget last week's Nato summit, where Donald Trump put the alliance through another rollercoaster. It's Bastille Day in Paris, with the “Coalition of the willing” – Nato minus the United States – gathering for a more measured summit on the eve of the traditional military parade down the Champs-Élysées, where aircraft from Germany, Ukraine, the UK, Sweden and Greece will join the flypast.

Beyond the pageantry and the photo opportunities, however, lies the hard reality of doing more without Washington's military and financial muscle. For what could be Keir Starmer's last summit as British prime minister, the UK has signed up to a €60bn EU defence loan scheme, Germany has pledged €90 million to help build Ukrainian long-range drones, and Ukraine itself has the wind in its sails. Its long-range strikes are forcing fuel shortages in Russia, yet it remains unable to stop ballistic missiles from killing civilians or prevent Russian forces from inching forward in the Donbas industrial heartland.

As Moscow continues to feed the meat grinder on a brutal frontline, how do Europeans prepare for what comes next?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Piera Rocco, Andrew Hilliar.

It's not even Bastille Day yet, and France is already in the grip of its third heatwave of the season. Hospitals are under strain, wildfires are spreading, riverbeds are running dry, work and study are being disrupted—and there's even a shortage of ice. Many of you reacted strongly to our recent discussion on whether air conditioning is the answer. We'll briefly revisit that debate, but also look at the bigger picture: why is France still so unprepared for extreme heat?

We'll ask why new construction has so often failed to deliver on the promise of homes that stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer—and what solutions exist for the vast majority who can't simply build a new house from scratch. Can Paris preserve the charm of its iconic zinc rooftops without turning top-floor apartments into ovens? How do we help those who can't afford costly heat pumps or extensive insulation?

As climate change deepens inequality, competition is also intensifying for the water needed to grow crops, cool nuclear power plants, and restore depleted soils. At a time when the political mood favors rolling back regulations, where should policymakers draw the line?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Guillaume Gougeon, Ilayda Habip and Piera Rocco

The world’s longest-running democracy is celebrating its 250th anniversary. It is a milestone for a United States that still seems like a new world to many Europeans. Since 1789, the US has been governed under the same constitution while in France, there have been five republics, three monarchies and three dictatorships – including the Nazi occupation. In this edition, we ask: what is the significance of this Fourth of July? 

What does this celebration really mean? Is it about 1776 and the birth of a nation, or remembering 250 years of events that shaped a common present? Perhaps it is a celebration of the world’s premier superpower that won the Cold War, has dominated trade and finance and gave the world so much music, movies and literature? At a time when the current president is loosening traditional alliances, where global admiration for democracy in America is plummeting, we look at why the US seems to have changed so suddenly – and so much.

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.

Some days they talk. Some days they fight. Iran and the United States have settled into a pattern since the truce signed last month. This Wednesday in Doha, both sides are present in indirect negotiations. Whatever comes of that, the attention is now shifting to Tehran, where the Islamic Republic is preparing for Saturday's kickoff of four days of state funeral proceedings for slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran can boast of a growing list of foreign dignitaries – a show of strength for a regime that's rebounded since Khamenei was killed on the very first day of the war. His funeral is certainly intended as a victory lap for a leadership that's always revered martyrdom. But does that mask the reality that the Iran war has resulted, according to some, in a lose-lose situation? And with Khamenei's son and successor yet to show signs of life, who really is in charge?

Are we also witnessing the funeral of a theocracy, replaced instead with a military dictatorship? More broadly, how will the masters of Tehran deal both with a region that's working on how to bypass its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and a population that still has to grapple with corruption, rampant inflation and the cruel legacy of the New Year's crackdown on protests that left untold numbers dead or imprisoned?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Riham Mahir, Charles Wente.