Context: This article discusses the ongoing war in the Middle East and the French government’s response to it. It also addresses the implementation of a tax on small packages from e-commerce platforms to regulate imports from China.
Fact Check: Please verify the specific details and dates mentioned in the text to ensure accuracy in reporting.
À LA UNE / Moyen-Orient : La guerre jusque dans l’hémicycle
Almost a month after the start of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, the situation in the Middle East is the subject of a debate in the National Assembly this afternoon, Wednesday, March 25. Called for by the parliamentary group “The Ecologists” and “La France Insoumise,” the parties demanded a discussion on “respect for international law by the United States and Israel” but also on “the objectives and implications of France.” Prior to the debate, Matignon promised announcements for the army. Sébastien Lecornu unveiled a plan to invest in ammunition of “an additional 8.5 billion euros by 2030, in addition to the 16 billion already invested,” as part of an update to the military programming law. He stated that this law would be presented at the Council of Ministers on April 8, then examined in the Assembly during the week of May 4. The Prime Minister believes that investing in ammunition is “a military issue but also an industrial issue, hence a matter of sovereignty and freedom.” He also announced the creation of “France Munitions,” a wholesale ammunition distributor, to “meet the needs of the French armed forces as well as our allies.” These announcements come as missile strikes continue. While Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday, March 25, to have sent Iran a 15-point peace plan, including a proposal for a one-month ceasefire, the chances of agreement remain low. In this context, can France take action?
Invités :
- Jean-Michel Jacques, deputy “Together for the Republic” from Morbihan
- Maya Khadra, teacher and journalist specializing in the Middle East
- Mathieu Plane, deputy director of the Department of Analysis and Forecasting at OFCE
Chronicles:
- “Les off de Lou” by Lou Fritel
- “Quelle histoire !” by David Revault d’Allones
LA QUESTION QUI FÂCHE / Petits colis, grand fiasco ?
Since March 1, France has implemented a two-euro tax per category of items purchased on a major e-commerce platform, aiming to curb the massive flow of “small packages,” valued at less than 150 euros, so far exempt from customs duties, from China. However, companies targeted by this measure: Shein, Temu, AliExpress, etc., are accused of bypassing this tax by shipping goods by air to European countries not subject to this contribution and then transporting them by road to France. Therefore, the government has extended the powers of customs agents through a decree published in the Official Journal on Wednesday, March 25 “to allow them to control, on national territory, e-commerce packages that have previously been customs-cleared in another EU member state,” according to a statement from Bercy. This two-euro tax will be combined from July with a European customs duty of three euros per type of item ordered, to be applied on EU soil. The French tax is intended to be replaced by a similar 100% European system planned for November 2026, harmonizing rules for the entire single market. In 2025, 5.8 billion small packages were delivered in Europe, 97% from China. In France, the number of items in these packages increased from 170 million in 2022 to 828 million in 2025, valued at 5.58 billion euros. Will this new measure be more successful than the previous one?
Invités :
- Philippe Latombe, deputy “The Democrats” from Vendée
- Grégory Caret, director of the consumption observatory at UFC-Que Choisir
- Julien Guibert, deputy “National Rally” from Nièvre
