Explainer videos - World news, culture and opinion

What is France's 'Black code' and why hasn't it been repealed?

The 'Code noir,' enacted in 1685 under King Louis XIV, defined the rules of slavery in France's colonies. Prime Minister François Bayrou has promised to finally repeal it.

Published on May 31, 2025, at 11:09 am (Paris) Chloé Denis Olivier Escher Diana Liu 03:18

Video

How was the European Union created?

On July 23, 1952, the European Coal and Steel Community was established – the first supranational community in Europe. How did this first step toward European integration happen?

Published on May 29, 2025, at 9:00 am (Paris) Alexis Tromas Robin Gasser Diana Liu 02:52

Video

How does the conclave pick the new pope?

During the conclave, which begins on Wednesday afternoon, Church cardinals will pray and vote up to four times a day until one person receives at least two-thirds of the votes.

Published on May 7, 2025, at 11:00 am (Paris) Alexis Tromas Félix Pommier Diana Liu 02:45

Video

World expos: From Paris 1855 to Osaka 2025, what purpose do they serve?

The World Expo has recently opened its doors in Osaka, Japan. Since the first edition in London in 1851, these global events have left a lasting impact on the cultural and architectural history of their host countries.

Published on April 22, 2025, at 7:00 pm (Paris) Emilie Duhamel Mélody Da Fonseca Diana Liu 03:18

Video

How the Trump administration is attacking scientific research in the US

Since taking office, President Donald Trump and his administration have issued a series of decisions that have plunged scientific institutions into chaos.

Published on March 25, 2025, at 7:00 pm (Paris) Pierre Lecornu Olivier Escher Diana Liu 03:24

Video

Can France's nuclear deterrent protect Europe?

The idea of extending France's nuclear deterrent to its European allies is back on the agenda following Donald Trump's shift away from the continent. Emmanuel Macron said that he would open this debate.

Published on March 13, 2025, at 9:00 pm (Paris), updated on March 25, 2025, at 5:52 pm Emilie Duhamel Félix Pommier Diana Liu 03:19

Video

Trump and the future of European security: Le Monde's Sylvie Kauffmann answers readers' questions

What does the future of European defense look like, now that the United States is retreating from the continent? Sylvie Kauffmann, foreign affairs columnist at Le Monde and specialist in international relations, answers reader questions on social media.

Published on March 10, 2025, at 6:00 pm (Paris), updated on March 25, 2025, at 5:52 pm Diana Liu, Syrielle Mejias, Robin Gasser and Arthur Navet (Motion design) 06:33

Video

The 'American umbrella': Why European defense is dependent on the US

The military protection the US has historically provided its allies – mainly European countries – is becoming increasingly uncertain under the Trump administration. French President Macron on Wednesday said he wanted to discuss extending France's nuclear deterrence to the rest of Europe.

Published on March 6, 2025, at 3:00 am (Paris), updated on March 25, 2025, at 5:53 pm Pierre Lecornu Arthur Navet (Motion design) Diana Liu 03:38

Video

Who is Friedrich Merz, Germany's next chancellor?

Angela Merkel's rival, a corporate lawyer and millionaire, and a politician accused of cooperating with the far-right AfD party... Here's what you need to know about Merz.

Published on February 25, 2025, at 6:00 pm (Paris), updated on March 25, 2025, at 5:53 pm Le Monde's video desk 02:57

Video

Funding from a dictator and suitcases of cash: Why is former Nicolas Sarkozy on trial?

The former French president is currently on trial over accusations that late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi funded his victorious 2007 presidential campaign.

Published on February 22, 2025, at 7:06 pm (Paris) Emilie Duhamel Diana Liu 03:46

Video

Auschwitz, 80 years commemoration: Why didn't the Allies try to stop the Holocaust sooner?

Photographed in May 1944 by an Allied aircraft, the Nazi extermination center at Auschwitz remained in full operation until its liberation by the Soviets eight months later. But why did the Allies seem to do nothing?

Published on January 27, 2025, at 3:00 pm (Paris) Karim El Hadj, Elisa Bellanger, Emile Costard, Adrien Sahli, Isabel Bonnet and Diana Liu 09:11

Video

Notre-Dame could have collapsed in April 2019. Here's how firefighters saved the cathedral from total destruction

On April 15, 2019, the roof and spire of the famous Paris monument went up in smoke. It was a disaster, but one that could have been far worse. Using exclusive 3D modeling to reconstruct the fire, Le Monde identified the crucial decision that saved the monument.

Published on December 4, 2024, at 10:01 am (Paris), updated on December 4, 2024, at 10:02 am Léa Bello, Adrien Vande Casteele, Annette Brion and Sinead McCausland 07:30

Video

What is Hezbollah, and why has it been in conflict with Israel for the past 40 years?

Tensions between the Lebanese Shiite movement and Israel have existed since 1982 and were rekindled following Hamas' attacks on October 7, 2023.

Published on September 27, 2024, at 10:13 am (Paris), updated on December 30, 2024, at 4:44 pm Laetitia Limmois Mélody Da Fonseca Diana Liu 02:09

Video

Paris 2024: The move breakers just can't crack

Over two years and across three countries, Le Monde followed the breakers who break their teeth on a move long considered impossible.

Published on August 4, 2024, at 10:10 am (Paris), updated on August 14, 2024, at 10:43 am Antoine Schirer Sylvain Malacria Jonathan Ros

Video

D-Day as told by its last French survivor, Léon Gautier

Léon Gautier was one of the 177 Frenchmen in the first wave of assault on the Normandy coast on June 6, 1944. His account, recorded in the early 2000s and restored by Le Monde, is a gripping immersion into D-Day through the eyes of a French commando.

Published on June 6, 2024, at 5:45 am (Paris), updated on June 6, 2024, at 11:29 am Charles-Henry Groult, Karim El Hadj, Elsa Longueville and Sinead McCausland 12:51

Video

How billionaire Taylor Swift built her empire

In 2023, the 34-year-old became the first singer in the world to achieve billionaire status solely through her music and concerts. Her career is shaking up an entire industry.

Published on May 8, 2024, at 7:00 pm (Paris) Fanny Zarifi Elisa Bellanger Diana Liu 10:04

Video

Abortion rights: A history of France's legal battle

As France officially inscribed the guaranteed access to abortion in its constitution on Friday, Le Monde takes a look at how abortion rights have evolved since the landmark Veil Law in 1975.

Published on March 8, 2024, at 12:30 pm (Paris) Benoit Le Corre Diana Liu 02:00

Video

Paris votes on SUVs: The end of the road for big cars?

Despite calls for cleaner individual transport, new cars have massively increased in weight over the last 30 years. So how did our vehicles become so big? And why is it an issue for the environment?

Published on February 3, 2024, at 7:00 pm (Paris) Brieuc Beckers, Léa Bello, Adrien Vande Casteele and Sinead McCausland 09:27

Video

Why Middle East stability revolves around Israel

Le Monde looks back at the history of Israel's relations with its Arab neighbors and the intractable and complicated quest for peace in the Middle East, made of alliances and betrayals.

Published on January 4, 2024, at 5:41 pm (Paris) Brieuc Beckers Elsa Longueville Sinead McCausland

Video

Even wars have rules. What are they?

VIDEO – The Israel-Hamas war has provoked widespread reactions denouncing war crimes. But what exactly are the rules of war?

Published on November 24, 2023, at 5:00 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 4:33 pm Alexis Tromas Mélody Da Fonseca Sinead McCausland

Video

Are abortion rights under threat in France?

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants to enshrine women's 'freedom' to have an abortion in the French constitution by 2024.

Published on November 12, 2023, at 3:01 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:13 pm Syrielle Mejias Pia Vidal Diana Liu

Video

How the Israeli army launched its ground operation in Gaza

Ten days after announcing the start of its ground operation, the Israeli army declared that it had cut the Gaza Strip in two and encircled Gaza City.

Published on November 10, 2023, at 9:05 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:26 pm Juliette Prigent Arthur Weil-Rabaud Diana Liu 04:49

Video

Why is the United States Israel's closest ally?

Since Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel and the Jewish state's response in the Gaza Strip, the United States has once again affirmed its firm support for Israel.

Published on November 1, 2023, at 8:00 pm (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:13 pm Arthur Eryeh-Fort Olivier Escher Diana Liu

Video

Israel-Palestine: Six videos to understand the context behind the war in Gaza

Le Monde breaks down the historical and contemporary context behind the conflict in these short explainer videos.

Published on October 31, 2023, at 5:00 pm (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:13 pm Le Monde

Video

Israel-Palestinian peace: What is the two-state solution?

Israel and Palestine as two independent states, coexisting side by side − this was the principle of the Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 by then-Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, former chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization. But since the agreements' failure, some consider this solution unrealistic.

Published on October 29, 2023, at 3:00 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:14 pm Barbara Marty Félix Pommier Diana Liu

Video

Why does Israel build settlements in the occupied West Bank?

The West Bank, which is a Palestinian territory under international law, is dotted with numerous settlements where Israeli families and communities live. These settlements, which Israel wishes to integrate into its territory, complicate attempts to resolve the conflict.

Published on October 26, 2023, at 8:30 pm (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:30 pm Arthur Eryeh-Fort Olivier Escher Diana Liu

Video

Why is the state of Israel located in the region of Palestine?

On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel, reigniting an almost century-old conflict that has shaken the region and the world. To understand this, we must go back to the creation of Israel.

Published on October 20, 2023, at 7:00 pm (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:28 pm Syrielle Mejias Olivier Escher Diana Liu

Video

The story of the Gaza Strip, explained

Home to 2.3 million Palestinians, Gaza, wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, has been under blockade for 16 years. This unprecedented situation is the result of a turbulent history.

Published on October 18, 2023, at 10:59 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:15 pm Barbara Marty Félix Pommier Diana Liu

Video

What to know about Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel

Considered a 'terrorist organization' by Israel, the United States, the European Union and many other countries, the Islamist movement was born in the late 1980s.

Published on October 14, 2023, at 5:00 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:15 pm Laetitia Limmois Mélody Da Fonseca Diana Liu

Video

Israel-Hamas: The context behind the war

Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel has provoked a war that is unprecedented. It's the first time conflict has broken out on such a scale on Israeli territory, in a context that leaves less and less room for a peaceful outcome.

Published on October 12, 2023, at 10:49 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:16 pm Benoit Le Corre, Pierre Lecornu, Pia Vidal and Sinead McCausland

Video investigation

How Ukraine is bringing the war to Russian territory

Between military bases and civilian buildings in Moscow, Ukraine is now directly targeting Russia with its drones. Le Monde analyzed this new military strategy in this video investigation.

Published on October 8, 2023, at 3:50 pm (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:24 pm Thomas Eydoux, Elisa Bellanger, Le Monde's video investigation team and Sinead McCausland 07:15

Explainer

Rugby World Cup: Why France loves to kick

The French team has doubled its use of kicking since 2016. As the Rugby World Cup gets started, Le Monde takes a look back at France's strategic change and the role of the kick in modern rugby.

Published on September 8, 2023, at 5:00 pm (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:24 pm Brieuc Beckers Adrien Vande Casteele Sinead McCausland 09:30

Video

Why is France so concerned about the coup in Niger?

Since Niger's coup leaders toppled President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, France has taken a firm stance against the putschists, without getting directly involved in the crisis.

Published on August 28, 2023, at 6:05 pm (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:25 pm Pierre Lecornu Félix Pommier Diana Liu

In Depth

Will El Niño make climate change worse?

In July 2023, the World Meteorological Organization confirmed that the El Niño weather event is back. What effects will it have on climate change?

Published on August 20, 2023, at 6:30 pm (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:24 pm Anna Moreau Elisa Bellanger Sinead McCausland 08:30

Video

Why are the journalists of France's only Sunday paper on strike?

Journalists at France's 'Journal du Dimanche' have been on strike for over a month. They fear that the weekly's editorial line will change radically with the appointment of right-wing journalist Geoffroy Lejeune as editorial director.

Published on July 28, 2023, at 3:28 pm (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:23 pm Laetitia Limmois Mélody Da Fonseca Diana Liu

Video

Is France prepared for more forest fires?

The risk of France's forests going up in smoke is increasing throughout the country. Shocked by the severity of the fires in the summer of 2022, which acted as a wake-up call, officials are trying to be better prepared.

Published on July 17, 2023, at 9:31 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:23 pm Anna Moreau Elisa Bellanger Sinead McCausland 09:19

In Depth

Why can't AI generate hands properly (yet)?

Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize our relationship with images and the truth. But for the moment, the content produced by these tools remains imperfect.

Published on May 28, 2023, at 3:00 am (Paris), updated on November 27, 2023, at 9:21 pm Brieuc Beckers, Elisa Bellanger, Elsa Longueville and Diana Liu 10:14