France is Sliding Toward a Sovereign Default
France is heading towards default. France is sliding toward a sovereign default that would force the usual rescue package from the IMF, the European Union, and the European Central Bank. The numbers are clear. Public debt stood at 119 percent of GDP in the second quarter of 2026—€3,595.5 billion. The 2025 deficit was 5.1 percent of GDP. Ten-year French yields sit near 5 percent. The