On Sunday, September 27, 178 out of 348 senator seats in France are up for election. These elections, which occur seven months before the presidential contest, involve 58 departments of the Hexagon—a nickname for France—including the two departments of Corsica, five overseas territories, and half of the representatives of French citizens living abroad. This is the first time in more than a decade that the right has held a majority in the Senate. The LR (Republican Party) and PS (Socialist Party) together hold more than half of the seats. Since the last senatorial elections in 2023, the Republicans occupy nearly 38% of the seats in the Senate's Palais du Luxembourg. They will put 77 of their 131 seats up for election. On the left, the Socialists, who are the second-largest force in the upper house, will defend 31 of their 64 seats. The communist and ecological groups will have 11 of their 34 seats to defend. In the center, the Union centriste group will try to retain 30 of its 59 seats, the Rally of Democrats, Progressives and Independents will defend 11 of its 19 seats, and the European Democratic and Social Rally will attempt to retain half of its 16 seats. The Independents group is affected by the renewal of nine of its 20 senators. These are the first parliamentary elections since the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024 and represent a significant challenge for the National Rally and France Unbowed, a few months before the presidential election. These two parties have not yet had a group in the Senate. Anti-Semitic remarks attributed to Jordan Bardella, the leader of the National Rally (RN), have caused a stir in the political sphere, with the party standing behind its president. Celine Geraud, spokesperson for Gabriel Attal, commented on the situation, saying, "It is a colossal explosion in this campaign." Jordan Bardella denies having made anti-Semitic remarks. Fabrice Arfi responded to revelations by Mediapart about Jordan Bardella by saying, "What we do with our pen is violent, but our responsibility is to be able to defend it before judges." De Villepin commented, "The heritage of the RN is that of racism and antisemitism." Other developments include public sector strikes over concerns about purchasing power, strong rains expected with an alert on the Mediterranean, and a boat collision with a dike in the Var that injured two people. In Corsica, five boats were set on fire in a port. New satellite images show the extent of the destruction in Gaza, and new deadly attacks in Ukraine with strong explosions in Kiev. In Sicily, drones are being used to combat mountains of garbage. A questionnaire distributed in schools aims to detect sexual violence. The president of the Eiffel Tower leaves his post, and the IST free test is becoming popular among those under 26 years old. An octogenarian Spanish woman expelled from her housing will be able to return. A shoe store, André, is placed in judicial liquidation. A boat collides with a dike and injures two people in the Var. A solidarity blockade occurs in a high school, and the movement hardens with anger growing. Zinedine Zidane makes a surprising move to celebrate a goal, saying, "I don't even know what I did!" Public servants are on strike for better pay.