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Pope Leo in France: The Issues on the Table

Pope Leo's trip is the first papal state visit to France since Benedict XVI's in 2008. Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP
Pope Leo's trip is the first papal state visit to France since Benedict XVI's in 2008. Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP
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Pope Leo in France: The Issues on the Table

Pope Leo's trip is the first papal state visit to France since Benedict XVI's in 2008. Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP
Pope Leo's trip is the first papal state visit to France since Benedict XVI's in 2008. Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

Pope Leo XIV is to begin an official visit to France on Friday, with several thorny issues hanging over the trip, from clerical sexual abuse to the country's new assisted dying law.

Here are some of the key issues the pontiff is expected to face while on the first official visit to France by a head of the Roman Catholic Church in 18 years:

- Clerical abuse -

The Vatican announced in August that Pope Leo XIV will meet victims of clerical sexual abuse during his visit.

The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics has promised to further efforts to reform the Church in the wake of the global sexual abuse scandal.

A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about 330,000 people as minors in France, over the span of 70 years.

The Church's reputation has since been hit by further scandals, including a raft of sexual abuse accusations against charity icon Abbe Pierre and widespread physical and sexual abuse at the Notre-Dame de Betharram boarding school in southwestern France.

The first pontiff from the United States is due to meet seven victims on Sunday in Lourdes, a town in southwestern France.

Those to speak to the pope include a former student at Betharram who is now 80 years old.

The format is similar to one the pope used in Spain in June, where Pope Leo promised the Church would make "additional efforts" to change.

Mosaics that once adorned the Lourdes sanctuary have been covered up after accusations that the artist behind them, a Slovenian priest called Marko Rupnik, abused a community of adult religious women in the 1990s.

- Assisted dying law -

France's parliament passed legislation in June establishing a right to assisted dying for some adults suffering from an incurable condition.

The move drew strong criticism from the Catholic Church in France, which denounced the bill as a serious "rupture".

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, head of the French bishops' conference, said "the defense of the dignity of human life" was at the heart of the pope's message.

"How will he convey this in France? We shall see," he added.

Martin Dumont, the secretary-general of a religion research institute in France, said it was possible Pope Leo would raise the subject.

"But I would be very surprised if he took a confrontational stance," Dumont said, suggesting the pope could instead highlight the need to care for the elderly and vulnerable.

- Presidential election -

France is just seven months away from the first round of its presidential election to replace President Emmanuel Macron, making Pope Leo's visit unusual as pontiffs rarely travel to a country so close to a major vote.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration National Rally party views next year's contest as its best chance yet to take power.

Migration, which is set to be a hot-button issue in the election, was a key focus on Pope Leo's trip to Spain in June, where he condemned "indifference" towards migrants.

In France, he is due to visit an association providing support for migrants, a "strong signal", according to Dumont.

- Europe's role -

Pope Leo's trip will be the first papal state visit to France since Benedict XVI's in September 2008.

Coming after his visit to Spain, it highlights the pope's interest in engaging with historically Catholic but increasingly non-religious European countries that were largely overlooked by his predecessor, Francis.

Pope Leo is due to deliver several speeches, including at the UN culture agency UNESCO and in the northeastern city of Metz, near the German border.

His program in Metz includes a meeting entitled "To the roots of Europe for peace and unity".

While he is unlikely to single out any political actors during his visit to France, his message will inevitably carry political weight, said Charles Mercier, a director at France's Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes.

"By choosing to defend European integration, the Pope is already giving his visit a political direction," said Mercier.

The pope also places considerable importance on multilateralism and sees Europe as a counterweight to global powers, said Francois Mabille, director of the Geopolitical Observatory on Religion.

That includes "Europe's role in relation to what he calls 'imperial logics' -- namely the United States, China and Russia," Mabille said.

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World

France Braces for Demonstrations as Trade Unions Strike

The high school student movement that began with youth protesting dismal learning conditions. Alex MARTIN / AFP/File
The high school student movement that began with youth protesting dismal learning conditions. Alex MARTIN / AFP/File
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France Braces for Demonstrations as Trade Unions Strike

The high school student movement that began with youth protesting dismal learning conditions. Alex MARTIN / AFP/File
The high school student movement that began with youth protesting dismal learning conditions. Alex MARTIN / AFP/File

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets across France on Thursday, as unions hold strikes alongside student-led demonstrations that have gripped the country for weeks.

The high school student movement that began with youth protesting dismal learning conditions has coincided with widespread anger over the rising cost of living and inequality, which culminated on October 17 in the worst rioting France has seen in years, said AFP.

On Thursday, authorities estimate some 500,000 to 700,000 people will protest across the country, while as many as 80,000 people are expected to march in the capital Paris.

"It's going to be a strong mobilization," said Marylise Leon of the CFDT union, anticipating a turnout comparable to France's pension reform protests in 2023 that saw over one million people march.

Public and private education unions have called for strike action, as well as unions representing rail workers, public hospitals and postal services.

In demands addressed to both the government and employers, the unions are calling for an increase in the minimum wage, which has not received any discretionary boost since 2012, across-the-board wage raises, tax reforms and better learning conditions for young people.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced Wednesday that 70,000 police officers and security forces would be deployed across the country, promising "an extremely firm response" to any "acts of violence" or disorder.

- 'Wake-up call' -

Although student-led protests were largely peaceful, some saw clashes with police erupt with tear gas and water cannon fired to disperse crowds.

An attempted murder investigation has been launched after petrol bombs were thrown at security forces in Paris on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the police response has been criticized as heavy-handed and internal police investigations have been launched over allegations of brutality against demonstrators.

Several teenage protesters have been seriously wounded and thousands arrested.

Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes, large-scale looting and vandalism of public property that erupted on October 17.

On Wednesday, the Paris prefecture banned a major protest route planned between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Concorde, which would have crossed the center of the city.

Police instead replaced it with an authorized route moving eastward away from the center.

Several unions have denounced route bans as a move to repress freedom of demonstration, and some have filed last-minute appeals to have the routes reinstated.

"We can feel a cumulative effect: public sympathy for the high school and university students' movement is not waning, and people are questioning restrictions on liberties, especially bans on demonstrations," Fabrice Fort of the CGT union explained.

"This has sparked a wake-up call among people who usually don't speak out much," he added.

Similar protests have sparked in other European countries in recent weeks with youth-led demonstrations seen in Denmark, Germany and Italy.

World

Trump Says Hegseth Doing 'a Very Good Job' as Questions Swirl about His Future

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a briefing held with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (not pictured), amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., US, March 31, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a briefing held with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (not pictured), amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., US, March 31, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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Trump Says Hegseth Doing 'a Very Good Job' as Questions Swirl about His Future

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a briefing held with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (not pictured), amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., US, March 31, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a briefing held with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (not pictured), amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., US, March 31, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

US President Donald Trump backed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, a day after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in midterm elections that reflected voter anger over the Iran war.

Asked whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, whom he has described as a champion of the war, Trump told reporters: "No, I think he's doing a very good job."

The response contrasted with then-President George Bush, who fired Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the morning after the 2006 midterm elections, when voter discontent over the Iraq war helped Democrats win control of Congress.

But sources said Trump could still replace Hegseth as Republicans assess their losses.

One Trump adviser said Hegseth "could be on the chopping block" because of the war. "Someone is going to get blamed for this and you know it's not going to be him (Trump)," the adviser said.

Trump has described Hegseth as a key proponent of the unpopular conflict, saying on March 23: "Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up, and you said, 'Let's do it, because you can't let them have ‌a nuclear weapon.'"

On ‌Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance publicly questioned whether the Iran war was worth it and said it ‌cost ⁠Republicans control of Congress.

Asked ⁠for comment, the White House referred Reuters to Trump's public remarks on Hegseth.

The Defense Department said Hegseth was "100 percent committed" to leading the Pentagon until the end of Trump's term, which ends on Jan. 20, 2029.

IMPEACHMENT THREAT

Hegseth has been a polarizing figure in American politics and has made enemies even with his own Republican Party. One Republican lawmaker, US Representative Thomas Massie, even filed articles of impeachment against him earlier this year, accusing him of abusing his office by launching hostilities against Iran without approval by Congress.

Republican US Senator Thom Tillis told CBS news on Tuesday night that Hegseth has "a reckoning" coming and his strained relationship with lawmakers was undermining the Trump administration's push for a $1.5 trillion defense spending package in Congress.

"I think after the election, we need to determine whether or not ⁠he's the best person to bring those needs to Congress if he wants something done before the ‌end of this Congress, which is only 60 days away," Tillis said as the midterm results ‌came in.

Democrats have promised to investigate Hegseth and his handling of the Pentagon, and aides say that could include everything from his handling of the Iran ‌war to his purges of top military officers including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He could also face scrutiny over his Ukraine ‌policy and US military strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats in Latin American waters, which some Democrats say could amount to war crimes.

At times, the conflict between Hegseth and members of Congress has become personal. Last year, Hegseth sought to prosecute Democratic US Senator Mark Kelly after he and five other Democrats in Congress with backgrounds in the military and intelligence urged US troops to refuse illegal orders.

Hegseth accused them of sedition.

Representative Adam Smith, the Democrat who is expected to lead the House ‌Armed Services Committee next year, promised vigorous oversight on everything from the Iran war to what he called the erosion of the "apolitical foundation of the armed forces."

A source familiar with the matter said rancor on ⁠Capitol Hill over Hegseth has featured ⁠in White House discussions about potential replacements for him, saying there would be a need to have someone in the job who could distance themselves from events under Democratic scrutiny.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth would continue to drive Trump's agenda and that the Pentagon "has followed the law."

"Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists," Parnell said.

TENNESSEE SENATE SEAT?

One long-rumored possibility for Hegseth would be filling the Senate seat that will be vacated by Senator Marsha Blackburn, who was elected on Tuesday to become Tennessee's next governor starting in January.

She has four years left in her term, and Hegseth, a Tennessee resident who voted there on Tuesday, could be appointed to the position, without having to run for election.

Asked whether he wanted Hegseth to fill Blackburn's seat, Trump said: "Well, I think, I think he's doing a very good job, and I actually think he'd be very popular if he did that."

"But I haven't heard that at all," Trump told reporters.

Trump has regularly praised Hegseth publicly, and has given the former Army National Guard soldier significant leeway as he sought to reshape the Pentagon.

But last month Trump publicly split with Hegseth by pulling the plug on his plans to livestream the Army's firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan.

Many fellow Republicans, along with religious leaders and international observers, raised objections to the plan. Defense officials privately expressed relief that the livestreaming would not go forward.

World

Race for 2028 Heats Up after US Midterms Firestorm

The 2028 US presidential election is set to be the first since 2012 without Donald Trump on the ballot. Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP
The 2028 US presidential election is set to be the first since 2012 without Donald Trump on the ballot. Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP
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Race for 2028 Heats Up after US Midterms Firestorm

The 2028 US presidential election is set to be the first since 2012 without Donald Trump on the ballot. Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP
The 2028 US presidential election is set to be the first since 2012 without Donald Trump on the ballot. Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP

President Donald Trump's stunning midterms defeat by the Democrats has upended another US election -- the race to replace him in the White House in 2028.

The crushing defeat for the Republicans is particularly stinging for Vice President JD Vance, who had been the frontrunner but now risks being seen as tied to his lame-duck boss.

But the midterms are a potential launchpad for rising Democratic stars like Georgia senator Jon Ossoff, whose youthful vibe has already drawn comparisons to former president Barack Obama.

- Republicans in turmoil -

The MAGA coalition that shot Trump to power in 2016 and 2024 effectively collapsed in Tuesday's midterms, leaving any presumptive Republican heir with a mountain to climb.

Long seen as the odds-on favorite for the Republican nomination in 2028, Vance is the most obvious victim after hitching his wagon to Trump throughout the midterms campaigns with rallies in swing states.

The ambitious 42-year-old quickly tried to distance himself from the electoral disaster, blaming it on Trump's unpopular war on Iran in a long thesis posted on X on Wednesday.

But voters are likely to reject his attempts to disown Trump.

It's a familiar problem for US vice presidents. Former Democratic candidate and vice president Kamala Harris suffered from a similar problem in 2024 when she said that "there's not a thing that comes to mind" when asked how she'd differentiate herself from Joe Biden.

"The bad news for Vance is that sitting vice presidents seldom win the presidency," James Lindsay of the Council for Foreign Relations, said.

Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio's name has also been bandied about.

Rubio, 55, has kept a far lower profile during the midterms but any top official in Trump's administration will struggle to wash their hands of the Iran war.

The Republicans' midterm disaster could, however, be a boost for other possible candidates.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 48, who ran against Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024, has suddenly become very vocal.

He described the Democratic sweep as "the political equivalent of a meteor strike" -- and pointed out that it was only in his own state that Republicans held them off.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, 55, has also left the door open, having run against Trump in 2016 -- although his chances may have been harmed by the Democrats' stunning senate and governor wins in the midterms in his state.

- Democrats on a high -

The Democratic field is crowded but the midterms have given some likely candidates a boost.

Ossoff's reelection as Georgia Senator has fueled speculation about a 2028 run by a telegenic politician who has already gained attention for mocking Trump's relationship with a young staffer.

The 39-year-old has said that he has "zero interest in running for president" but his swiftly-declared win in Georgia -- and his victory speech -- have bolstered his status in the party.

Before the midterms Kamala Harris, 62, had been the favorite for the nomination, but there are many in the party who would prefer to have someone without a losing track record.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, 53, who was interviewed by Harris to be her running mate in 2024, had a good night on Tuesday as he stormed back to reelection in the key battleground state.

Outgoing California Governor Gavin Newsom, 59, is another big name who has repeatedly taken on Trump. He predicted in an interview with AFP in September Trump's presidency "as we know it would be over after the midterms.

But Newsom, like Harris, may be seen as more of an old guard figure in a party that is looking to its rising stars.

A prominent but potentially divisive choice would be left-wing New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who said in September that she was weighing a run, musing about whether a Latina could win in a country that rejected female nominees in 2016 and 2024.

Other possible contenders include former Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel, JB Pritzker, the billionaire Illinois governor who set out a lengthy national agenda after winning a third term on Tuesday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Arizona senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly.