France
Major tourist attraction set to close in Paris
Centre Pompidou, Paris’s famous contemporary art gallery, will start to close for renovations in the northern autumn before a complete shutdown next year.
- by Julietta Jameson
Latest
The billionaire ‘French Rupert Murdoch’ shaking up the election
The rise of Marine Le Pen to front-runner in the French election is closely intertwined with the emergence of a powerful conservative media machine backed by billionaire Vincent Bolloré.
- by Benoit Berthelot and Tara Patel
French ‘Excalibur’ mysteriously disappears after 1300 years stuck in a rock
Durandal was claimed to be the sword of Roland, a legendary knight and officer of Charlemagne. It was lodged in stone 10 metres above the ground.
- by Henry Samuel
Emmanuel Macron’s election gamble failed. Now he’s nowhere to be seen
In the lead-up to the campaign, Macron’s aides wanted him to keep a low profile given the depth of his unpopularity. But the president couldn’t help himself.
- by Ania Nussbaum and Samy Adghirni
Updated
World elections
French voters slap Macron, propel far-right to strong lead in election first round
French polling agencies indicated that President Emmanuel Macron’s grouping of centrist parties could finish a distant third in the first-round ballot.
- by Barbara Surk and Helena Alves
You’ll never look at a van Gogh the same way again after visiting here
Every time you see a van Gogh painting, you’ll think of this place, hot in the sun and exploding with colour and passion.
- by Brian Johnston
Seine awash with bacteria one month before open-water Olympic swimming
For the third consecutive week, water in the Paris river has exhibited unsafe levels of E.coli, raising concerns with the Olympics weeks away.
- by Rob Harris
To win over the locals, this is the one thing travellers must do
French people are the rudest, most arrogant people in the world. Is it really true, or simply a cliche perpetrated by a bitter Brit?
- by Belinda Jackson
From ‘bistro-mausoleum’ to tech and culture hub: How Paris got its mojo back
France may be grappling with massive social divisions, but its latest evolutions have helped it regain some of its historic savoir faire.
- by Brook Turner
Opinion
Government debt
Macron’s snap election could trigger the next debt crisis
This weekend’s elections have the potential to blow out France’s debt and threaten the stability of the eurozone and its single currency.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Explainer
World elections
‘Le TikTok king’: How a 28-year-old could be France’s new prime minister
Snap elections in France have put a spotlight on the leader of its major far-right party. Who is he? And why is French politics in turmoil?
- by Angus Holland and Jackson Graham
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/france-9ug