French President Attends World Congress Against Death Penalty

The French president attended the 9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris on June 30, 2026. He addressed an audience at Studio 104 in the Maison de la Radio and stated that the debate over capital punishment has returned to public discussion. "Even in this old country that is France, nothing is ever guaranteed, and these struggles must always be fought again," the president said.

He added that the battle for abolition remains contemporary because the issue is resurfacing in French society. The murders of an 11-year-old girl in the Gers region and a 17-year-old in Narbonne have prompted renewed arguments for the death penalty on social media and some television programs. Three media outlets owned by the same company published a survey on the topic.

The president spoke 45 years after France abolished capital punishment. He kept his aviator glasses on during the address in the dimly lit venue.