The global stakes of France’s political and fiscal crisis

  • Thu, October 29, 2026 • 10:30 am ET
  • Virtual event

Experts discuss what the crisis means for France’s upcoming elections as well as Paris’s role in defending Europe, supporting Ukraine, and guiding the transatlantic relationship.

On Thursday, October 29 at 10:30 a.m. ET, the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center will host a conversation on France’s crisis and what it may mean for Paris, Europe, Ukraine, and the United States.

What began as student demonstrations over school conditions has grown into a nationwide movement against the rising cost of living, energy inflation, cuts to public services, and the Macron government. The unrest comes at a precarious moment: France’s borrowing costs have climbed to their highest level since 2002, a divided parliament is battling over an austerity budget, and the country is heading into a pivotal presidential election, where the extremes are polling high.

This conversation will address what the protests mean for French politics and the upcoming elections, as well as what lies ahead for France’s standing as Europe’s leading destination for foreign investment. It will also explore what France’s preoccupation at home means for European defense, military support for Ukraine, and the transatlantic relationship.

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Speakers

Quentin Ariès
Deputy Editor-in-Chief,
Contexte

Christopher Dembik
Senior Investment Adviser,
Pictet Asset Management

Lisa Homel
Associate Director, Europe Center,
Atlantic Council

Aurélie Vittot
Visiting Fellow, Europe Center,
Atlantic Council

Moderated by

Charles Lichfield
Director, Economic Foresight & Analysis,
GeoEconomics Center
Atlantic Council

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