2019 in France

This article lists major events that happened in 2019 in France.

Incumbents

President – Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister – Édouard Philippe

Events

January

12 January – 2019 Paris explosion: An explosion occurs at a bakery on Rue de Trevise in Paris' 9th arrondissement, killing four people and injuring forty-seven others.
14 January – The Brest University Hospital Center becomes the first hospital in the world to acquire a PET scan.
15 January – Launch of the Great National Debate
22 January – Signing of the Aachen Treaty in Aachen, 56 years to the day after the signing of the Élysée Treaty

February

5 February – February [2019 Paris fire]: A suspected arson at an apartment block on Rue Erlanger in Paris' 16th arrondissement kills ten people, making it the deadliest fire in Paris since 2005.
6 February – Matthieu Orphelin, member of the French National Assembly for Maine-et-Loire's 1st constituency, close to the former minister of ecology Nicolas Hulot, leaves the LREM's parliamentary group to protest against the government's ecological policy.
7 February – Following the growing diplomatic tensions between the French government and the Italian government, the French ambassador to Italy, Christian Masset is recalled to France.
8 February – 34th Victoires de la Musique
13 February –
*Alain Juppé, Jacques Mézard and François Pillet are proposed to enter the Constitutional Council to replace Lionel Jospin, Michel Charasse and Jean-Jacques Hyest
*25th Victoires de la musique classique
19 February – Alexandre Benalla is remanded for violating the judicial review he was subjected to.
22 February – 44th César Awards
24 February – Nearly 2000 hectares ravaged by 49 fire departures in less than 24 hours in Corsica.
25 February – The Secretary of State for the Digital Sector, Mounir Mahjoubi, reveals that an attack on the central Internet directory ICANN is underway.

March

2 March – Riots in Grenoble, due to the death of two teenagers riding a scooter who collided with a bus while being pursued by a police patrol.
12 March – Cargo ship Grande America sinks after catching fire on 10 March in the Bay of Biscay, approximately west of France, causing a 2,200-tonne oil spill.
16 March – Yellow vests movement: Protests against President Emmanuel Macron enter a fourth month in Paris. Tear gas is fired at protesters throwing stones at riot police in front of the Arc de Triomphe, news stands are torched at the Champs-Élysées, and a branch of Banque Tarneaud is burned. More than 80 arrests are made. Businesses around the Champs-Élysées are looted.
27 March – Nathalie Loiseau, Benjamin Griveaux and Mounir Mahjoubi leave the government.
31 March – Amélie de Montchalin, Sibeth Ndiaye and Cédric O enter the government to replace the previous three.

April

15 April – A major fire engulfs Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, resulting in the roof and main spire collapsing.

May

14 May –
*National tribute to Cédric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello, soldiers killed during the fight of Gorom-Gorom.
*Beginning of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival
24 May – The explosion of a parcel bombed in Lyon injures 14 people.
26 May – 2019 European Parliament election

June

5 June – Valérie Pécresse, president of the Regional Council of Île-de-France and Robin Reda member of the French National Assembly for Essonne's 7th constituency quit The Republicans.
6 June – Commemorations mark the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
7 June –
* A SNSM boat capsizes in front of Les Sables d'Olonne during a rescue mission of a fisherman caught in the Storm Miguel. 3 rescuers and the fisherman drown.
* Aina Kuric, member of the French National Assembly for Marne's 2nd constituency, quits the LREM, having been a prominent critic of the asylum-immigration bill proposed by the government in July 2018, but stays within the LREM's parliamentary group.
* Beginning of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
9 June – A driver refuses to obey a check and hits 2 children in Lorient after a chase, one of whom dies of his injuries.
12 June – Sandrine Josso, member of the French National Assembly for Loire-Atlantique's 7th constituency, quits LREM and the LREM parliamentary group to join the Liberties and Territories group.
22 June – Steve Maia Caniço's case begins after the latter's disappearance following a police charge against a group of party-goers.
24 June – France is affected by the early European heat wave, absolute temperature records are beaten. Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Hérault and Vaucluse have been put under red alert due to potentially very dangerous temperatures. On 25 June Paris reaches its hottest July day on record, with a temperature of 42.6 °C.
24 June – Agnès Thill, member of the French National Assembly for Oise's 2nd constituency, is excluded from LREM and the LREM's parliamentary group following homophobic remarks.
27 June – The 2019 National Diploma session, originally scheduled for 27 and 28 June, is postponed to 1 and 2 July due to the extreme heat.

July

6 July – Death of Patricia Gallerneau, member of the French National Assembly for Vendée's 2nd constituency. She is replaced by her substitute.
6 to 28 July – 2019 Tour de France.
11 July – After a decade, the end of Vincent Lambert case following the death of the latter, who had been brain dead for 10 years.
16 July – Resignation of the Minister of Ecological and Solidarity Transition François de Rugy following Mediapart's revelations of his use of public funds. Élisabeth Borne succeeds him.

August

2 August – Crash of a Tracker 22, water bomber plane, near Générac. Franck Chesneaux, a former fighter pilot and a Tracker 22's pilot, died in an operation fighting major fires around Générac. During his national tribute, he is awarded the Legion of Honour and the Medal for internal security, posthumously.
4 August – Franky Zapata becomes the first person to fly over English Channel on his own invention, the Flyboard Air.
6 August – Jean-Mathieu Michel, Mayor of Signes, is overturned by a van that illegally deposited rubble on the side of the road. The mayor will die soon after.
28 August –
*A chemical accident injures 14 people, two of them seriously, in a company located in Avon and Samois-sur-Seine.
*Emmanuel Macron nominates Sylvie Goulard as candidate for France as European Commissioner.

September

3 September – Jean-Paul Delevoye and Jean-Baptiste Djebbari enter the government.
8 September – A fire ravages 300 hectares and a house in Loupian.
9 September – Albane Gaillot, member of the French National Assembly for Val-de-Marne's 11th constituency, quits the LREM, deploring the vote on "laws restricting individual freedoms".
13 September – The mayor of Levallois-Perret Patrick Balkany is sentenced to 4 years in prison with immediate incarceration and 10 years of ineligibility for tax evasion, after a highly publicized three-month trial.
26 September – Rouen Lubrizol factory fire : Fire in a chemical factory of the company Lubrizol classified Seveso II high threshold. A thick plume of black smoke forms, reaching more than 20 km. As part of the management of the accident, various measures are taken for the protection of the population.
29 September – popular tribute to Jacques Chirac, who died on 26 September ; then national mourning and funeral on 30 September.

October

3 October – Paris police headquarters stabbing
28 October – Bayonne mosque shooting

November

11 November – the War Memorial for France in External Operations is inaugurated in Paris.
25 November – 2019 Ménaka mid-air collision: a collision between two helicopters results in the death of 13 French soldiers in Mali.
29 November – Pascale Fontenel-Personne, member of the French National Assembly for Sarthe's 3rd constituency, quits LREM, following her disagreement with the functioning of the party.

December

5 December – Start of a social movement to protest against a reform of the pension system.
14 December – Miss France 2020.
16 December – Resignation of Jean-Paul Delevoye, High Commissioner for Pensions.
18 December – Laurent Pietraszewski is appointed Secretary of State for Pensions.
31 December –final shutdown of the Longwave transmitter Europe 1.

Deaths

January

3 January
* Roger Bastié, French rugby coach and player
* Anne-Marie Minvielle, French journalist
* Christine de Rivoyre, French journalist and writer
7 January
* Guy Charmot, French military doctor and member of the French resistance during World War II
* Aline Kiner, French journalist and novelist
* Bernard Tchoullouyan, French judoka
8 January – Pierre Barillet, French playwright
10 January
* Patrick Malrieu, French activist of Breton traditional culture
* René Mouille, French aeronautical and space engineer
11 January – Michel Dejouhannet, French professional road bicycle racer
13 January
* Pierre Alard, French athlete
* Guy Sénac, French footballer
15 January – José Souto, French professional footballer and manager
16 January – Denis Sire, French comics artist and illustrator
20 January – François Perrot, French actor
21 January
* Marcel Azzola, French accordionist
* Henri, Count of Paris, Head of the House of Orléans
26 January
* Jean Guillou, French composer, organist, and pianist
* Michel Legrand, French composer
27 January – Henry Chapier, French journalist
29 January – Jean-Pierre Boccardo, French sprinter
31 January
* Pierre Nanterme, French business executive
* Georges Sarre, French politician

February

4 February
* Sandrine Doucet, French politician
* Véronique Schiltz, French archaeologist and historian of art
9 February – Tomi Ungerer, French illustrator
14 February – Michel Bernard, French middle- and long-distance runner
16 February – Serge Merlin, French actor
18 February – Jean Périsson, French conductor
19 February – Marie-Claire Bancquart, French poet
21 February – Jean-Christophe Benoît, French baritone
25 February – Roland Leroy, French journalist and politician
27 February
* Pierrette Fleutiaux, French writer
* Michel Sainte-Marie, French politician

March

5 March – Jacques Loussier, French pianist and composer
6 March – Guillaume Faye, French journalist and writer
8 March – Raoul Barrière, French rugby union player and coach
9 March
* Patrick Grandperret, French film director
* Robert Lemaître, French professional footballer
* Pierre de Saintignon, French politician
15 March
* Dominique Noguez, French writer
* Jean-Pierre Richard, French writer and literary critic
16 March – Yann-Fañch Kemener, French Breton's traditional singer
17 March – René Fontès, French rugby executive and politician
18 March – Marcel-Pierre Cléach, French politician
23 March – Jacques Dessemme, French basketball player
26 March
* Michel Bacos, French pilot
27 March – Pierre Bourguignon, French politician
28 March – Pierre Lacroix, French rugby union player
29 March – Agnès Varda, French film director
30 March – Maurice Hardouin, French professional footballer

April

1 April – Caravelli, French conductor and composer
3 April
* Jacqueline Lichtenstein, French philosopher and art historian
* Gabriel Piroird, French Roman Catholic prelate
* Maurice Pon, French lyricist
8 April
* Gaston Rousseau, French racing cyclist
* Turgeon, French racehorse
16 April – Francis Croissant, French archaeologist and art historian
20 April – Enrico Alberto, French-Italian footballer
23 April – Charles Gheerbrant, French politician
24 April
* Françoise Barrière, French composer
* Jean-Pierre Marielle, French actor
* Dick Rivers, French rock and roll singer
28 April – Daniel Horlaville, French footballer
29 April – Albert-Marie de Monléon, French Roman Catholic prelate
30 April – Anémone, French actress, filmmaker and political activist

May

2 May – Michel Crauste, French rugby player
4 May – Claude Cadart, French sinologist
7 May – Jean Vanier, Canadian Catholic philosopher, theologian and humanitarian
10 May – Geneviève Raugel, French mathematician
11 May – Jean-Claude Brisseau, French film director
14 May – Étienne Perruchon, French composer
16 May
* André Lurton, French winemaker
* Mick Micheyl, French actress, singer and sculptor
22 May – François-René Tranchefort, French musicologist
24 May – Bertrand P. Collomb, French business executive
26 May – Rémi Gazel, French video game composer
28 May – Jean Juventin, French politician

June

1 June – Michel Serres, French philosopher, theorist and writer
2 June – Yannick Bellon, French film director, editor and screenwriter
9 June – Yves Bot, French magistrate
10 June – Michel Sitjar, French rugby player
14 June
* Maurice Bénichou, French actor
* Roger Béteille, French aeronautical engineer and businessman
15 June – Daniel Colin, French politician
17 June
* Jean-Marie Hullot, French computer scientist and programmer
* Pierre Pardoën, French racing cyclist
18 June – François Doubin, French politician
19 June – Philippe Zdar, French electronic musician and record producer
25 June – Bruno de Keyzer, French cinematographer
26 June
* Gilberte Marin-Moskovitz, French politician
* Édith Scob, French actress

July

1 July – Pierre Lenhardt, French theologian
2 July – Élie Brousse, French rugby league player
3 July – Raymond Tarcy, French politician
4 July – Pierre Lhomme, French cinematographer
7 July – Patricia Gallerneau, French politician
12 July – Jean-Pierre Worms, French sociologist and politician
18 July – Charles Ceccaldi-Raynaud, French lawyer and politician
21 July – Éric Névé, French film producer
25 July – Pierre Péan, French journalist and author
31 July
* Marcel Berlins, French legal journalist
* Armand Jung, French politician
* Jean-Luc Thérier, French rally driver

August

2 August – Schoschana Rabinovici, French-born Lithuanian Holocaust survivor and writer
3 August
* Henri Belolo, French music producer and songwriter
* Jean-Claude Bouttier, French boxer and actor
7 August – Michel Che, French chemist
8 August – Jean-Pierre Mocky, French film director, screenwriter, and producer
13 August – Josette Arène, French Olympic swimmer
19 August – Philippe Leroy, French politician
26 August
* Pal Benko, French-born Hungarian chess grandmaster
* Christian Bonaud, French Islamologist and philosopher
27 August – Philippe Madrelle, American politician
28 August
* Michel Aumont, French actor
* Pascal Gnazzo, French racing cyclist
29 August – Jean Guillou, French Olympic gymnast
31 August – Anthoine Hubert, French professional racing driver

September

3 September – Peter Lindbergh, German fashion photographer and film director
4 September
* Patrick Dehornoy, French mathematician
* Roger Etchegaray, French cardinal
7 September – Roger Boutry, French composer and conductor
8 September – Henri de Contenson, French archaeologist
14 September – Sam Szafran, French artist
15 September – André Jourdain, French politician
19 September – Charles Gérard, French actor and director
26 September – Jacques Chirac, 84th Prime Minister and 22nd President of France

October

3 October – Roger Taillibert, French architect
6 October – Joseph Gourmelon, French politician
8 October – Georgette Elgey, French journalist and historian
9 October
* Lorand Gaspar, Hungarian–born French poet
* Robert Guestier Goelet, French-born American businessman and philanthropist
* Louis-Christophe Zaleski-Zamenhof, Polish-French civil engineer and esperantist
10 October – Marie-José Nat, French actress
26 October – Pascale Roberts, French actress
28 October – Annick Alane, French actress

November

2 November – Marie Laforêt, French-Swiss singer and actress
3 November – Yvette Lundy, member of the French Resistance during World War II
4 November – Jacques Dupont, French racing cyclist, Olympic champion
5 November
*Dominique Farran, French radio host and journalist.
*André Zimmermann, French racing cyclist, Tour de l'Avenir winner
8 November – Lucette Destouches, ballet dancer and instructor
13 November – Raymond Poulidor, French bicycle racer
21 November – Jean Douchet, French film director, historian, and film critic

December

3 December – André Daguin, 84, French chef, cancer.
5 December – Gérard Detourbet, 73, French automotive executive and engineer, cancer.
7 December
* Denis Lalanne, French sports journalist
* Bertrand Landrieu, French politician and prefect
11 December
* Nicole de Buron, 90, French writer.
* Guy Laporte, 71, French actor, Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease.
13 December – Jean-Claude Carle, French politician
14 December
* Anna Karina, Danish-French film actress, director, writer, and singer
* Bernard Lavalette, French actor
15 December
*Bertrand Lemennicier, French economist
*Jean de Viguerie, French historian
16 December – Bernard Lefèvre, French footballer
17 December – Jacques Grimbert, French conductor and choral conductor
18 December
*Claudine Auger, French actress
*Alain Barrière, French singer
*Jacques Bravo, French politician
*Ibrahim Diarra, French rugby union player
21 December
*François Autain, French politician
*Emanuel Ungaro, French fashion designer
27 December
* Bernard Lavigne, French rugby union player
*Fabien Thiémé, French politician
30 December – Pierre Galet, French ampelographer