After the most violent riots France has known in years, followed by further violence and looting in Paris on Sunday evening, the concern in European capitals, including London, is palpable. What began as peaceful protests by French secondary school pupils demanding better conditions descended into destruction, arson and chaos, with extreme violence directed at institutions, public buildings, shops and anyone attempting to intervene. Similar unrest has erupted in Belgium and Italy, though the violence there has not reached the same intensity as in France. Is it only a matter of time?
Many European countries face similar problems: a rising cost of living, fuelled in part by higher energy prices amid the war between Iran and the US; the threat of conflict with Russia; AI’s impact on the jobs market; demographic decline; and, perhaps most importantly, unsustainable public debt.
Why up to 20 maternity units in England may close
Smaller maternity units delivering 1,500-2,000 babies a year are becoming less feasible because of a lack of obstetricians and a sharp rise in C-sections.
What you need to know
- Matthew Hopkins, acute care director at NHS Alliance, said the current system is “not fit for purpose”.
- As many as 20 of England’s 155 NHS maternity units could shut, he told .
- Some smaller units struggled to maintain safe staffing numbers.
- Units in rural and coastal areas are most at risk.
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Politicians urged to make change
Hopkins said: “Difficult decisions lie ahead, consolidating maternity services to support safer, more sustainable care.”
“If politicians … are keen to see safe maternity services in their area, it is going to need courage to grasp the nettle that needs to be grasped in order to improve maternity services,” he added.
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The other side of the argument
Hannah Leonard, the chief policy officer of the Royal College of Midwives, disagreed with the call to close smaller units.
“Women and families rely on local maternity units to be there when they need them, and we must ensure there are high-quality services close to home,” she said.
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Why Putin’s shadow fleet now poses greater danger to UK
“Spoofing” strategies are being deployed by Moscow for ships that frequently transit the Channel and Britain’s coast – some of which are known to carry weapons.
How are they doing this?
- New analysis suggests Russia is deepening its manipulation of the automatic identification system (AIS).
- Russia is equipping its vessels with technology which interferes with the AIS system to make it look like the same ship is in two places – often hundreds of miles apart – at the same time.
- New analysis by Ollie Ballinger from UCL showed at least a dozen “shadow fleet” vessels – all but one sailing under a Russian flag – have used a version of the technique in recent weeks.
What other spoofing techniques are being deployed?
The growth in another technique, known as an AIS “handshake”, was revealed by The i Paper last month.
A shadow fleet tanker sails close to another vessel and swaps AIS credentials. The tanker continues its journey while appearing to trackers as the fishing boat.
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What is the risk to the UK?
Any interference with the AIS system represents a significant navigation risk. In a report earlier this year, the Royal Institute of Navigation said such activity presents “a significant cyber security vulnerability and urgent risks to maritime safety”.
There are also fears that shadow tankers are being equipped with weapons or used as launch pads for surveillance drones.
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Australian MP critical after being ‘deliberately’ hit by truck
Independent MP Helen Haines, 65, was hit by an SUV near her office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday at 3.35pm local time.
What you need to know
Haines was hit by a Toyota SUV while was unloading the boot of her car.
She was critically injured and has been airlifted to hospital.
Victoria Police said officers are investigating if the incident was “intentional”. A member of the public detained a 43-year-old man at the scene, it said.
‘A thoroughly decent human being’
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Haines as “incredibly hardworking, she is fiercely intelligent, but most importantly she is a thoroughly decent human being – full of integrity and is respected right across parliament”.
Federal opposition leader Angus Taylor said: “This is a shocking day for our nation.”
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What we know about deadly fire at Canadian military base
Four service members were killed and dozens more injured at a fire at a military base in Alberta, Canada, on Saturday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney described it as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on domestic soil.
What happened?
The service members were participating in military training when a violent grass fire broke out near Canadian Forces Base Wainwright.
Officials identified the dead as Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark.
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What caused the fire?
Uncommonly strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly and shift direction towards the range administrative area… We do not believe this to be a result of any oil and gas infrastructure nor any outside interference.
Major-General Wade Rutland tells the press briefing
The aftermath of the blaze
According to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at a press briefing on Sunday evening, 39 people were in hospital and at least 19 in critical condition.
Defence minister David McGuinty said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in investigating the incident. He said authorities were still working to determine what happened.
Flags at half-staff
“The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our armed forces whom we have lost,” Carney said on Sunday,
He confirmed that flags would fly at half-staff on federal buildings across the country in honour of those affected by the tragedy.
Dog owners urged to desensitise pets to fireworks now
People should begin exposing their pets to the sound of fireworks now, in preparation for Bonfire Night, a charity has advised.
Guide Dogs has created a National Fireworks Archive to help.
Combatting anxiety
- The archive is a free training video of fireworks footage to help owners gradually introduce their pets to the sounds.
- Almost two thirds (63 per cent ) of the UK’s dogs are affected by fireworks anxiety, according to research by Guide Dogs.
- However 79 per cent of dog owners say they do not do anything to prepare for Bonfire Night.
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How can you prepare your dog?
Introduce gradually
Keep sessions short at about two to five minutes, once or twice a day to begin with.
Increase with caution
The volume can be increased only when the dog remains relaxed, with different sounds introduced carefully.
Make a safe space
Create a quiet, cosy den with blankets, toys and familiar scents, with treats hidden inside throughout the day.
What to do on the day
- Owners should take their dog out for a final toilet break before dark.
- Then close the curtains, turn on the TV or radio, prepare a food item and let the dog choose where to settle.
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How playing music out loud on buses could result in £100 fine
Local authorities are being encouraged to use new powers to levy fines for nuisance behaviour on buses, including littering, vaping and listening to music without headphones.
What could the rules be?
Today the Government launched a nationwide campaign to crack down on antisocial behaviour.- It encourages passengers to “share the journey, not the noise” or face fines of up to £1,00.
Guidance published on Monday by the Department for Transport sets out how new legislation can be used.
Any new rules must be signed off by the Transport Secretary, and will be enforced by specialist transport safety officers.
Antisocial behaviour on public transport has become an increasingly prominent issue, with the Liberal Democrats calling for action against “headphone dodgers” last year.
Ben Plowden, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “If these new powers are properly and visibly enforced, they should help everyone feel safe and comfortable on public transport and enjoy the ride.”
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For Britain, the stakes could barely be higher. Should France turn inwards under a far-right president after its elections in April, any attempt to reset relations with the European Union would be considerably harder, complicating Andy Burnham’s ambitions to move closer to the EU. This could also leave Britain more isolated in its support for Ukraine, just as European security faces mounting threats. Britain may have left the EU, but it cannot insulate itself from a continent coming apart.
France’s public debt has reached 119 per cent of GDP, while its budget deficit remains stubbornly high. The insurrectional atmosphere of recent days will hardly reassure its partners and financial markets. Investors with French government bonds, more than half of which are held abroad, are growing increasingly alarmed about a seemingly ungovernable country that is unable to rein in public spending.
Yet protesters in France want more subsidies, more money, more investment. For once, the state’s only realistic option may be to manage what it already spends more effectively. French public spending stands at 57 per cent of GDP, among the highest in the OECD. Despite successive attempts at pension reform, the French remain deeply attached to retiring at around 62, roughly five years earlier than their closest neighbours. The country faces a difficult reckoning with what it can afford, a reality many voters are reluctant to confront.
Add into the equation the presidential elections due in April 2027 and the recipe for disaster becomes even more alarming. Poll after poll puts far-right candidate Marine Le Pen firmly in the lead, with hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon as her expected rival in the second round. The prospect of a run-off between the two would pit rival forms of populism against each other. Both promise to “tax the rich”, increase public spending and even lower the retirement age and, for Mélenchon, “cancel French debt held by the European Central Bank”. Both are pro-Russian and both thrive on popular anger and resentment at the existing political order.
Their differences lie mostly in what they consider national identity to be. Le Pen promises law and order while Mélenchon presents himself as the champion of a radical break with “the system” – of which he is a pure product, having entered politics as a senator at the age of 35.
Neither offers an easy answer to France’s predicament.
French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu and interior minister Laurent Nuñez have pointed to the involvement of radical left groups and organised, quasi-military-style commandos in the weekend’s violence. The rioters targeted prefectures, town halls and police stations while tens of thousands of looters added to the destruction and chaos.
What is happening in France may herald a dark chapter for Europe as a whole, with urban unrest, economic and financial crisis followed by a far-right victory at the ballot box. We have seen elements of this pattern elsewhere in Europe, but France is not Hungary. As one of the EU’s founding members, and one of its two biggest powers, France could trigger a domino effect across the continent. Germany, too, faces serious political challenges: a surge in nationalism with the rise of the far-right AfD party and an impotent government. It may only be a matter of time before political fragmentation deepens there.
A France governed by the far right would put European and British support for Ukraine under severe strain. Le Pen has already warned that she would limit French assistance to Kyiv and pursue an independent line towards Russia. The European consensus on Ukraine could fracture, weakening the continent’s ability to defend itself and act collectively.
As the French editorialist Luc de Barochez has written: “The sovereignty of each European state depends on its collective ability to exert influence by acting together, not on going it alone.”
This is a European crisis. France has become its epicentre.