French media coverage on December 4th centered on Emmanuel Macron's visit to Beijing, where he emphasized the "determining" role of cooperation with China in ending the war in Ukraine. This diplomatic effort was a prominent theme throughout the day, evolving from initial reports on Macron's exchanges with Xi Jinping to later analyses suggesting Xi's rejection of responsibility for the crisis.
Concurrently, the ongoing situation of French journalist Christophe Gleizes, whose seven-year prison sentence in Algeria was confirmed on appeal the previous day, continued to generate attention. Emmanuel Macron expressed "profound concern" and pledged action for his release.
Domestically, the 2026 Social Security budget was a recurring topic, with debates escalating around the CSG on capital income. Early discussions focused on the need to finalize the budget, leading to the National Assembly adopting a reduced version of the CSG increase by the evening.
