Thursday March 5, in Lille, Mayor Arnaud Deslandes and Martine Aubry participate in a debate meeting in a particularly open electoral context. The municipal elections of March 15 and 22, 2026 constitute a decisive test for Arnaud Deslandes, who became mayor in March 2025 after the resignation of Martine Aubry, who chose to leave office before the end of her fourth term to hand over to him. In one year, he had to establish himself among the people of Lille, while the left appeared divided.
A socialist bastion since 1955, can Lille change its majority? The question is asked, as the competition is strong. The ecologist Stéphane Baly, beaten by 227 votes in 2020, intends to take his revenge. LFI aligns Lahouaria Addouche. The Renaissance MP Violette Spillebout aims for alternation, while Louis Delemer wears the colors of the Republicans with the support of Xavier Bertrand. The RN presents Matthieu Valet, determined to join the municipal council. The March 5 meeting appears to be a strategic moment in the campaign.
2 – Municipal: Raquel Garrido and Alexis Corbière traveling to Avignon
Raquel Garrido and Alexis Corbière will be in Avignon on Thursday March 5 to support David Fournier, PS candidate from the Ensemble et solidaires list for the 2026 municipal elections. The two former members of La France insoumise, now figures in the L’après movement, are supporting the candidacy of the representative of the outgoing left-wing majority. Expected from 1 p.m., they must go to the Agroparc and Montfavet sectors, participate in a press conference then conclude the day with a cultural and political moment enhanced by a show.
David Fournier increases national support: after Olivier Faure, Marine Tondelier and the mayor of Montpellier Michaël Delafosse, this new visit marks additional support in a campaign where the left is divided. An LFI list, led by Mathilde Louvain, is also in the running. The last time Raquel Garrido and Alexis Corbière came to Avignon was at the Festival, during a CGT mobilization on cultural subsidies.
3 – Meeting of EU Interior Ministers
The interior ministers of the European Union are meeting on Thursday March 5 in Brussels, as part of the “Justice and Home Affairs” Council, a session devoted to Home Affairs which will continue until March 6. The discussions will open with an update on the state of the Schengen area. After the presentation of the Schengen barometer by the Commission, ministers will debate the priorities for the 2025-2026 cycle, with an emphasis on the effectiveness of returns, particularly voluntary.
The Commission will also outline its visa strategy, while a revised roadmap on the interoperability of IT systems after 2026 is expected to be approved. Migration issues will occupy a large place: implementation of the migration pact, reform of Eurodac, European strategy on asylum and cooperation with transit countries, in particular Lebanon and Libya. Ministers will also address security issues linked to the geopolitical context, the future of Europol and will adopt conclusions on the new European drugs strategy.
4 – Video games: 7th Pegasus ceremony
The 7th Pégases ceremony will be held on Thursday March 5 in Paris, at La Cigale, to celebrate French video games. Organized by the National Video Game Union, the evening will begin at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast live on YouTube and Twitch. Eighteen trophies will be awarded in sixteen categories, following a vote by the 2,500 members of the Academy. Great favorite, Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33already crowned at the Game Awards in December, is aiming in particular for the best game prize.
Developed by the Montpellier studio Sandfall Interactive, this role-playing game with a universe inspired by the Belle Époque has sold more than five million copies. In the flagship category, he will face The Rogue Prince of Persiapublished by Ubisoft, and Absolutefrom Parisian studio Dotemu, also nominated as best independent game. The game Wednesdaysproduced by Arte, is also among the notable titles.
5 – The good news of the day
Twenty years after its last presentation in France, The Boaters’ Luncheon by Pierre-Auguste Renoir returns to the Musée d’Orsay. On loan from the Phillips Collection in Washington, to which it has belonged since the 1920s, this masterpiece painted between 1880 and 1881 opens a double exhibition dedicated to the impressionist master from March 17.
This large luminous canvas represents a summer scene at Maison Fournaise, in Chatou, where around fifteen guests meet on the banks of the Seine. Renoir captures the lightness of a suspended moment, between conversations, flirtation and the sweetness of life. The work embodies a harmonious and joyful vision of society, dear to the painter, where social classes mingle in a setting bathed in light. The exhibition “Renoir and Love, Happy Modernity (1865-1885)” will also bring together major paintings such as Dance in Bougival Or The Ball of the Moulin de la Galette. At the same time, Orsay will unveil a unique selection of drawings, watercolors and pastels, offering a more intimate look at the artist.
