Emmanuel Macron will travel to Latin America this week, with a highly anticipated first stop in Brazil on November 5 and 6, a few days before the opening of COP30 in Belém. This trip aims to strengthen the Franco-Brazilian partnership and illustrate France’s commitment to the preservation of the Amazon. The president will begin his visit in Salvador de Bahia, where he will participate in several cultural events, including a visit to the gallery of photographer Pierre Verger, a figure in the dialogue between European and Afro-Atlantic cultures, as well as to the exhibition I am a black rivercurated by Salima Tadiop as part of an artistic exchange program between France, Brazil and Africa. He will then return to Belém, where he will take part in a gathering of heads of state devoted to climate issues ahead of COP30.
On the evening of November 6, Emmanuel Macron will fly to Mexico, where he will stay until November 7 for an official visit to President Claudia Sheinbaum, one year after his election. The Élysée indicates that this trip aims to deepen political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries, around multilateralism, climate, feminist diplomacy and economic cooperation. Paris also wants to boost its partnerships with large Mexican companies and promote French investments.
2 – Decision on the request for cancellation of the ineligibility of Patrick Balkany
Patrick Balkany.
© Zuma
/ ABACA
The Paris Court of Appeal will deliver its decision on November 5 on the request to lift the ineligibility of Patrick Balkany, sentenced to ten years of ban on running for office. The former mayor of Levallois-Perret, 76, dreams of a political comeback for the 2026 municipal elections and hopes to see his sentence reduced. Permanently sentenced in 2020 and 2021 for tax fraud and aggravated money laundering, he was accused of having concealed 13 million euros in assets with his wife, notably via villas in the Caribbean and Morocco. His sentence: four and a half years in prison, a €100,000 fine and ten years of ineligibility, immediately enforceable. After an initial rejection of his request in February, the court of appeal re-examined the case on October 1.
Balkany, who spent several months in prison between 2019 and 2022, multiplies media interventions and affirms: “I will die in my office”. Despite slim chances of success, he maintains his ambition to “turn the page” and, in the event of failure, plans to support a “Balkany” list in the municipal elections, failing being able to lead it himself. The verdict expected on November 5 will say whether the ex-baron of Hauts-de-Seine can hope for a return to the political scene.
3 – United States Supreme Court hearing on the legality of the customs duties imposed by Donald Trump
Donald Trump.
© UPI
/ ABACA
The United States Supreme Court is holding a crucial hearing this Wednesday, November 5, on the legality of the customs duties imposed by Donald Trump since his return to power. Seized after an appeal decision having deemed these so-called “reciprocal” taxes illegal, the highest American court, with a conservative majority, must determine whether the president could rely on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to unilaterally impose these surcharges – ranging from 10% to 50% – on almost all countries. The plaintiffs, companies and several states, say that this law gives no tariff power to the president, authority reserved to Congress. Two cases will be examined: one targeting reciprocal taxes, the other those linked to fentanyl, particularly affecting Canada, Mexico and China.
Since January, Donald Trump has reinstated several waves of customs duties, justifying these measures by protecting American economic security. The administration fears that canceling these taxes would reduce its negotiating leverage with its trading partners. Canada, particularly affected by tariffs on steel, aluminum and wood, is closely following the hearing. Donald Trump, who indicated that he did not want “attract attention” on him, will not attend the hearing. The Court’s verdict could redefine the extent of the American president’s economic powers.
4 – Publication of “Remember the Man” by Michel Houellebecq
Michel Houellebecq’s new work, Remember the Man: Graphic Poemswill be published this Wednesday, November 5 by Charlotte Éditions. This new collection marks the return of the writer, whose last novel dates back to 2022. It is an original project combining his poems with the illustrations of the architect Louis Paillard, a former admirer who became a friend, already the author in 2022 of a comic strip adaptation of The Map and the TerritoryGoncourt Prize 2010.
Vincent Bernière, founder of Charlotte Éditions, greets a “genre invention” : graphic poetry, a unique format between illustrated novel and calligram. If this house now publishes the illustrated poetic works of Houellebecq, the rest of his literary production remains with Flammarion. The author’s latest publication, A few months in my lifein May 2023, looked back on a difficult period of his existence.
5 – The good news of the day
Airbus posts a solid third quarter of 2025, with net profit up 14% to 1.1 billion euros, supported by the performance of the Defense and Helicopters divisions. Turnover also increased by 14% over one year to 17.8 billion, and reached 47.4 billion over nine months (+7%), including 9.2 billion for defense (+19%). Guillaume Faury, CEO of the group, greets a “solid performance” across all sectors.
Conversely, Boeing recorded a quarterly loss of 5.3 billion euros, affected by the 777X program. Airbus is maintaining its targets for 2025, including 820 aircraft deliveries, although it had only delivered 507 as of the end of September. The rate of the A220, however, is revised to 12 aircraft per month in 2026, compared to 14 planned. The A320 remains the star, with a target of 75 units per month by 2027. On the commercial front, Boeing is back in front with 774 net orders at the end of September compared to 514 for Airbus, a rebound linked to a “Trump effect”. Airbus nevertheless maintains the advantage on medium-haul, its A320 having dethroned the 737 as the best-selling aircraft in the world.
