French national debt rises to €3.4 trillion

France’s public debt has risen above €3.4 trillion in the second quarter of this year, to 115.6 percent of GDP, new official data shows. It comes as the country’s new prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, is trying to get support from political parties, unions and businesses to draft a budget for 2026, which needs to go before parliament by October 7. Meanwhile, the country’s national rail operator SNCF is introducing a new ultra-premium class as it faces increasing international competition.