FranceOwnership & classification
Founded: 1953
Ownership
L'Express is a weekly French news magazine founded in 1953 by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber and Françoise Giroup. After years under various owners (including Patrick Drahi's Altice/SFR Media), media entrepreneur Alain Weill - the founder of BFM TV - bought a controlling 51% stake in 2019 and by 2023 had acquired 100% of the company. It is now privately owned and controlled by Alain Weill.
Funding
Commercially financed through a mix of print and digital subscriptions (subscriptions are the majority of paid circulation), single-copy sales, paywalled premium content and advertising. It returned to profit in 2024 under Weill.
Affiliation & stance
Privately and commercially owned with no party or state control, so it is INDEPENDENT. Editorially it is liberal/centre-right.
Editorial lean
- Our estimate
- Lean Conservative
- Measured from coverage
- Lean Progressivebased on 305
70/100
Factual
63/100
Objective
328
Articles
328
reports
Factual: How accurately its articles report the facts, judged against primary sources and the cross-outlet consensus. Only articles that cite their sources are counted.
Objective: How neutral the writing is — whether reporting keeps the writer’s own preferences and opinions out of the article.
Recent coverage
Blockade of secondary schools: the key role of the USL, the union sponsored by LFI
The article discusses the growing student protests in French high schools and highlights the role of USL, a youth union supported by La France Insoumise (LFI). The protests began at the Saint-Exupéry High School in Créteil in early September and have since spread across the country. LFI deputies Clémence Guetté and Louis Boyard were among the first to support the movement, leading critics to accuse them of orchestrating the unrest. The relationship between LFI and USL goes beyond demonstrations, with several USL leaders having worked closely with LFI politicians in recent years. Notable examples include Gwenn Thomas-Alves, who became a parliamentary assistant to Louis Boyard, and Ivan Dementhon, who previously worked with LFI deputy Marie Mesmeur. Additionally, some USL members ran on lists led by LFI candidates during local elections. While there is ideological alignment between the students' demands and LFI’s platform, USL representatives deny that LFI is controlling the protests.
Clerks, police officers and elected representatives: in Marseille, the anti-corruption unit is hunting down drug traffickers
In Marseille, a specialized anti-corruption unit has been actively investigating cases where public officials, including court clerks, police officers, and elected officials, have colluded with organized crime, particularly drug trafficking networks like the DZ Mafia. The unit was established in October 2025 to address infiltration by criminal elements within judicial, penal, and administrative institutions. Since its creation, the unit has opened 27 new cases, bringing the total number of ongoing investigations to 44. These cases involve allegations of corruption, data leaks, and organized fraud, such as vehicle money laundering and VAT fraud. Some cases have already resulted in convictions, such as a local police officer who received a three-year suspended sentence for leaking sensitive information to a drug trafficker. The unit aims to trace corruption networks, understand their mechanisms, and raise awareness among public servants.
Debt crisis, who will pay for the broken pots?
L'article examine la crise de la dette en France, soulignant l'inquiétude croissante concernant les taux d'intérêt des obligations de l'État français (OAT), qui approchent les 5 %. Olivier Blanchard, ancien chef économiste du FMI, a mis en garde contre une escalade des tensions. Les tensions géopolitiques, notamment la guerre en Irak et la paralysie du détroit d'Ormuz, ont poussé les prix du pétrole à des niveaux élevés, augmentant ainsi l'inflation mondiale. En conséquence, les investisseurs exigent des rendements plus élevés, ce qui affecte les marchés obligataires. L'article note que le spread entre les OAT français et les Bund allemands a atteint un niveau record de 159 points de base, reflétant une certaine défiance envers la France. Les experts s'inquiètent de l'incapacité du gouvernement à mettre en œuvre des mesures efficaces pour stabiliser la situation économique.
Early elections in Spain: why the Sanchez government has reached an impasse
The Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has called for early legislative elections scheduled for November 19 after facing significant political and social challenges. The decision came following the rejection of several key housing-related decrees by Parliament on October 2, which highlighted deepening political paralysis. Sánchez acknowledged governance failures and sought renewed public support. His administration has been reliant on a fragile coalition including radical leftist parties and Catalan independence groups, particularly those supporting controversial amnesty laws. This coalition has struggled to pass legislation, leading to a lack of budget approval since 2023. Recent scandals involving corruption allegations against his party members and criticism over handling the migrant crisis at Ceuta further weakened his position. Early elections risk exacerbating instability, with polls suggesting a decline in support for left-wing parties and potential gains for the right.
The Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to a trio of researchers for their work on optogenetics
Le prix Nobel de médecine 2026 a été décerné aux scientifiques Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann et Georg Nagel pour leurs recherches sur les canaux ioniques photosensibles et l'optogénétique. Ces découvertes permettent d'activer ou de désactiver des cellules nerveuses spécifiques dans un cerveau vivant, avec des applications potentielles dans le traitement de maladies comme la rétinite pigmentaire. Les chercheurs ont réussi à restaurer la vision chez certains patients en utilisant une protéine photosensible dans la rétine, et ils envisagent également d'améliorer les implants cochléaires pour une stimulation auditive plus précise. Cette récompense s'inscrit dans la tradition des prix Nobel, qui célèbre des avancées majeures en science.
Flavio Bolsonaro tops Brazil's presidential election tally: should we be surprised (again)?
In the first round of Brazil's presidential and legislative elections on October 4, Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, unexpectedly led with over 47% of the vote, surpassing pre-election polls which had predicted a close race between him and leftist candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This outcome has surprised analysts, who attribute the discrepancy to factors such as high voter abstention rates (over 21%) and a 'shameful vote,' where some voters did not admit their support for Bolsonaro due to stigma. Additionally, there was a 'strategic vote' where supporters of third-party candidates shifted to Bolsonaro at the last minute. Despite controversies surrounding his family’s ties to paramilitary groups and past governance issues, Flavio Bolsonaro appears poised to advance to the second round against Lula, marking a potential end to the Workers' Party's era in Brazilian politics.
"Palestine is now central": Wokism 2.0 as seen by American journalist Thomas Chatterton Williams
Thomas Chatterton Williams, journaliste américain et professeur, analyse dans son livre « L’été de notre colère » les transformations du mouvement « woke », passant du « wokisme 1.0 », centré sur les questions d'identité de genre et raciale, au « wokisme 2.0 », davantage orienté vers la Palestine et les enjeux de classe. Il explique comment ces changements ont influencé la politique américaine, notamment en facilitant le retour de Donald Trump. Williams souligne également l'émergence d'une opposition à Israël qui unit des éléments de la gauche et de la droite, ainsi que l'importance croissante des questions sociales liées au logement et aux inégalités économiques.
"To frame AI as nuclear? We don't have decades ahead of us": the lighting of researcher Christopher David LaRoche
The article discusses concerns raised by leading figures in artificial intelligence (AI) about the potential risks of uncontrolled AI development, drawing parallels between AI and nuclear weapons. Prominent individuals such as Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk have called for increased oversight, citing incidents like the hacking of Hugging Face and the resignation of Jacob Coxon from Anthropic. These leaders suggest that AI could benefit from regulatory frameworks similar to those governing nuclear technology, including international agreements like the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The article features an interview with researcher Christopher David LaRoche, who acknowledges the appeal of this analogy but highlights significant differences. He notes that while nuclear technology represents a unique level of catastrophic risk, AI lacks comparable institutional structures and global consensus for regulation.
Guillaume Hannezo: "If the French State goes bankrupt, it will be the poor and middle classes who will pay the bill"
Guillaume Hannezo, former economic advisor to François Mitterrand and member of the social-democratic think tank 'Les Gracques', warns against unilateral debt cancellation by the French state, arguing that such actions would disproportionately harm the poor and middle class. He references historical examples like Spain’s successful debt restructuring in 2012, which involved strict austerity measures but ultimately led to economic recovery and reduced debt levels. In contrast, Greece and Portugal faced more severe outcomes due to political instability and failed reforms, resulting in significant economic losses and diminished living standards. Hannezo emphasizes that sovereign debt crises often result in the working and middle classes bearing the brunt of financial adjustments.
How Viktor Orban's Hungary became the Mossad's new playground
The article discusses a controversial event involving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his alleged connections with Israeli intelligence, specifically the Mossad. In April 2024, Iranian former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was invited by Gergely Deli, rector of the University of Budapest, to a discreet conference on 'universal values in the global environment.' The visit was leaked online by a pro-Iranian media outlet, sparking backlash in Hungary due to Ahmadinejad’s known anti-Semitic views. Two years later, a New York Times article revealed that the conference was a cover for a meeting between Ahmadinejad and David Barnea, then head of the Mossad, aimed at facilitating Ahmadinejad’s potential return to power in Iran. The article further connects this to the 2024 explosion of Hezbollah officials’ devices in Lebanon, suggesting Hungary has become a new operational base for Israeli intelligence. The operation involved BAC Consulting, a Hungarian company run by an Italian-Hungarian woman, which allegedly served as a front controlled by Israel to redirect the production of tracking devices from Taiwan to Mossad-controlled networks.
Ukraine: War coffers melt under Russian strikes
The article discusses the severe financial strain on Ukraine due to Russian attacks targeting critical infrastructure and economic resources. Since late summer, Russia has intensified drone and missile strikes against warehouses, factories, railways, ports, and energy infrastructure, significantly damaging Ukraine’s ability to sustain its war effort and national operations. According to the Financial Times, over 2 million square meters of modern storage facilities have been destroyed, and three major steel mills, accounting for 90% of Ukraine’s steel production, have been shut down. These attacks directly impact Ukraine’s revenue streams, with Prime Minister Serhiy Kryvyi estimating losses of around $1.5 billion in tax revenues. The Black Sea blockade further costs Ukraine approximately 1.5% of its GDP, while alternative export routes now handle only 40% of usual agricultural exports. As winter approaches, attacks on critical infrastructure have become almost continuous, with hundreds of drones launched daily. With reserves dwindling, Ukraine faces growing challenges in securing funding for defense, particularly as relations with allies like the EU remain tense.
Thierry Rayna, Professor at the Polytechnic: "The industrial age's model of innovation is a heresy in history"
The article discusses the current state of innovation in the AI industry, contrasting the closed, proprietary models developed by companies like Anthropic and OpenAI with the open-source approach favored by Chinese firms. It quotes Thierry Rayna, a professor at École Polytechnique and researcher at CNRS i³, who argues that the industrial-era model of innovation, characterized by centralized, secretive research and development, is outdated and counterproductive in the digital age. Rayna emphasizes that historical innovation was more collaborative and open, with discoveries freely shared and improved upon by others. He criticizes the dominance of the industrial-era model, which he claims has led to inefficiencies and a lack of visibility for those who do not control proprietary systems. The piece highlights the growing shift toward open innovation, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence, where open-weight models are gaining traction.
Iranian threat: US withdraws B-1 bombers from Fairford UK base
The United States has withdrawn its B-1 bombers from the British airbase at Fairford, following the arrest of five men suspected of planning terrorist acts near the site. The UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, suggested the plot might have been supported by Iran, which the Iranian Revolutionary Guards previously identified the base as a legitimate target. The arrested individuals were released on bail, and the incident remains largely mysterious. Iran denied any involvement, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi calling the arrests misleading. The Pentagon confirmed the bombers have returned to U.S. bases, citing security concerns related to potential threats. The move does not affect NATO’s defensive capabilities, according to a military official.