French President Emmanuel Macron Proposes New International Video Game Festival and Urges EU-Wide Teen Social Media Ban

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to establish a new international video game festival, envisioning a major global event dedicated to creation, innovation, and the gaming industry. Speaking during an address at the Lumiere Summit in France, Macron declared that video games are firmly a part of French culture and cultural heritage, comparing them to cinema and other creative endeavors. Although specific details regarding the proposed festival's timeline or host location have not been officially finalized, reports note that France already hosts Paris Games Week, and the new initiative is intended to celebrate the richness of the medium while positioning it alongside film and television under cultural exceptionalism frameworks.

Macron’s public emphasis on the gaming industry follows notable successes within French game development, including titles like Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which achieved multi-million copy sales and widespread award recognition. Throughout his addresses, Macron has underscored the economic and cultural importance of video games, highlighting a broader landscape of French development that includes studios like Ubisoft as well as acclaimed titles such as the A Plague Tale series, Jusant, Chants of Sennaar, Sifu, Stray, and the classic Another World. The proposed international festival aims to forge new alliances between creators, public and private sectors, and emerging entertainment platforms amid ongoing technological transformations.

In addition to his focus on the video game sector, Macron has turned his attention toward digital regulation by urging the European Commission to implement a comprehensive, EU-wide ban on social media access for individuals under the age of 15. In a letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Macron stated that harmonized European legislation has become essential to protect children across the Union, following prior legislative hurdles within France itself. While von der Leyen previously indicated in July that the European Union would examine measures to limit young children's access, those prior proposals stopped short of a total ban and instead considered limited, supervised access for children under 13.