On October 9, the anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty, Robert Badinter will enter the Pantheon, almost two years after his death. The former Minister of Justice, architect of the 1981 law which put an end to capital punishment, will join the ranks of revolutionaries alongside Condorcet, Abbé Grégoire and Monge. The ceremony, placed under the sign of memory, justice and the Republic, will be marked by a procession on rue Soufflot and a national tribute chaired by Emmanuel Macron, who will deliver a speech under the nave.
Excerpts from Victor Hugo and the pleadings of Robert Badinter will be read, notably by Guillaume Gallienne, to the music of Schubert. The day before, a vigil of contemplation will take place at the Constitutional Council, where the former President of the Council left his mark on French legal history. The transfer of the coffin to the Pantheon will take place the following morning. This symbolic October 9 will thus unite the memory of a man and that of a fight: that of human dignity, justice and the irrevocable refusal of the death penalty.
2 – Vote on two motions of censure against Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen is facing two consecutive motions of censure in the European Parliament this week, tabled by the Patriots for Europe (PfE) and the Left. The debates were held this Monday, October 6 at 5 p.m. The two votes of no confidence will take place separately on Thursday, October 9 at noon. Three months after surviving a first motion, the President of the European Commission once again sees her governance challenged, in particular because of the EU-United States trade agreement, accused of imposing disadvantageous conditions on European exporters. This agreement, which provides for up to 1,350 billion euros of investments and spending in favor of the American market, is perceived by a majority of Europeans as a major economic imbalance.
The two motions also criticize the recent EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, deemed opaque and potentially harmful for European agriculture. Beyond this common base, the grievances diverge: the conservative camp criticizes the Commission for its migration and environmental policy, while the radical left castigates its “inaction” on the social and climate crisis and the war in Gaza. Despite these offensives, Ursula von der Leyen should retain her position thanks to the support of the three centrist groups – EPP, S&D and Renew Europe –, determined to avoid institutional destabilization in the midst of a period of economic and geopolitical crises.
3 – Hillary Clinton summoned to Congress as part of the investigation into the Epstein affair
Hillary Clinton will be heard this Thursday, October 9, by the US Congressional Oversight Commission, dominated by the Republicans, as part of the parliamentary investigation into the Epstein affair. This summons, considered exceptional, comes as the commission chaired by James Comer seeks to establish links between several political figures and financier Jeffrey Epstein, found dead in prison in 2019 before his trial for sex crimes. The former Secretary of State will have to answer questions about her past relationships with Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, sentenced to twenty years in prison. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, is also summoned on October 14.
Eight other senior justice and FBI officials are among the witnesses called, including James Comey, former FBI director who became an adversary of Donald Trump. The latter, weakened by criticism over his lack of transparency in the same issue, is suspected of wanting to divert attention towards his democratic rivals. The summons of the Clintons in any case relaunches the political dimension of a scandal which combines power, celebrity and suspicions of impunity. It remains to be seen whether the couple will agree to appear before Congress, while the White House tries to calm tensions around an affair which continues to deeply divide America.
4 – National artificial intelligence conference in Caen
On Thursday October 9, the University of Caen will host the first National Conference on Artificial Intelligence. More than 600 decision-makers, experts and elected officials are expected there for a day of debates, workshops and discussions around the uses, promises and risks linked to AI.
The event, designed as a space for dialogue, aims to offer professionals the tools to understand the impact of this technological revolution and anticipate its effects on their professions. While the use of generative AI has jumped 60% in one year in France, 57% of French people see it as a new industrial revolution, but 70% fear its consequences on employment and 71% are worried about their personal data.
These concerns will be at the heart of the discussions, with concrete use cases and reflections on ethical and responsible implementation. Among the speakers: Thierry Breton, Anne Bouverot, Luc Ferry, Cédric Villani and Hervé Morin, who will debate the economic, educational and societal issues of artificial intelligence. These first Conferences thus want to unite public and private actors around a common ambition: to make AI a lever for controlled progress, in the service of humans.
5 – The Good News of the day
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to the Frenchman Michel Devoret, alongside the British John Clarke and the American John Martinis, for their work in quantum mechanics paving the way for the creation of innovative chips intended for future quantum computers. This 119th physics prize succeeds that of 2024, awarded to two pioneers of artificial intelligence for their contributions to artificial neural networks. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
The day before, the physiology and medicine prize was awarded to the Japanese Shimon Sakaguchi and the Americans Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell for the discovery of a mechanism preventing immune cells from attacking the body. Nobel week continues with chemistry on Wednesday, literature on Thursday, peace on Friday and, finally, economics on Monday, October 13. Each prize is worth 11 million Swedish crowns – or just under a million euros – and is shared between the winners.
