The number two official in French President Emmanuel Macron's ruling party on Monday stepped down, declaring the movement needed an "electric shock" after a string of electoral routs.

France's education minister on Friday said 22 schools have had to shut on French territory due to the coronavirus since pupils returned to school this week, emphasising that over half of these were in the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion.

The French government said jobs were the number one priority as it prepared to unleash a mammoth spending plan for the coronavirus-hit economy on Thursday.

Paris authorities made a last-minute about-turn Friday on a new requirement for universal mask-wearing, exempting cyclists and joggers from the otherwise blanket outdoors obligation.

France said Friday it regretted a Russian lack of "transparency" following the suspected poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who is in a medically-induced coma in a Berlin hospital.

Turkey on Thursday rejected accusations by French President Emmanuel Macron that Ankara was violating the sovereignty of EU countries in the eastern Mediterranean.

Fire erupted in the gothic cathedral of Nantes in the western France on Saturday before being brought under control, sparking an arson investigation and leaving Catholic officials lamenting the loss of priceless historical artefacts.

France will make it compulsory to wear a face mask indoors in public places from next week, the government said Thursday as the country reported an uptick in new coronavirus cases.

Obligatory gear on collective transport until now, masks will become compulsory in all indoor places frequented by the public, Prime Minister Jean Castex said in the Senate.

France's Greens on Monday urged President Emmanuel Macron to prioritise the environment as they savoured big wins in municipal elections, seen by many as a rebuke of the centrist leader's top-down governing style during his first three years in office.

France will gradually reopen its borders to countries outside the Schengen zone from July 1, the interior and foreign ministers said in a joint statement on Friday.