Aix-en-Provence Economic Forum 2026 convenes French leaders and global experts

The 26th Rencontres économiques d'Aix‑en‑Provence took place from 2 to 4 July 2026 under the theme “Naviguer dans un monde sans repères” (Navigating a world without reference points). More than 400 speakers from around 50 nationalities and 8,000 participants, both in‑person and online, debated topics such as artificial intelligence, climate change, the Middle‑East war, public finances and the rise of populism.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu opened the forum with a debate on public finances, and Nobel laureate Philippe Aghion coordinated a session on the same issue. Presidential hopefuls Gabriel Attal, Edouard Philippe and Marine Tondelier attended, while parties considered extreme (LFI, RN) were excluded. Prominent CEOs of CAC 40 firms—including Patrick Pouyanné, Guillaume Faury and Jean‑Dominique Senard—were also present. The event, described by organizer Jean‑Hervé Lorenzi as a “Davos provençal”, aimed to “try to understand the complexities of the world” and propose possible future pathways.

The forum highlighted France’s fiscal challenges ahead of the 2027 presidential election and attracted international figures such as ECB President Christine Lagarde and Eurogroup head Kyriakos Pierrakakis.