Understanding politics across borders and divides
Published: October 20, 2026 A student-led protest movement over school conditions in France merged on October 17 with a wider revolt over living costs, and the largest day of mobilization so far ended in rioting, looting and arson in Paris and other cities. The movement began in mid-September over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and the … Read more
Last Updated: July 2026 Overview Europe is the most permissive region in the world on abortion law and one of the more restrictive on gestational limits, which is a combination that surprises people who follow the debate through American framing. Nearly every European state allows abortion on request in early pregnancy, but twelve weeks is … Read more
Published: July 21, 2026 France has voted to create a legal right to assisted dying, ending one of the longest and most contentious social-policy debates of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency. On July 15, 2026, the National Assembly gave final approval to the bill by 291 votes to 241, allowing adults with incurable, advanced illnesses to … Read more
Published: July 19, 2026 Overview France has spent two years in a slow-burning political crisis, and 2026 is the year it settled into an uneasy holding pattern. A hung parliament produced by President Emmanuel Macron’s gamble on a 2024 snap election has churned through prime ministers at a remarkable rate, toppling governments over the single … Read more