Well, you may think things are chaotic here in the US. But let's check in on our friends over in Paris, shall we?
Yes, the government of France has collapsed. The politicians aren't happy. The people aren't happy. But, for now, President Emmanuel Macron is (probably?) safe from expulsion.
Here's Politico Europe to explain what's happening:
French lawmakers toppled Prime Minister François Bayrou's minority government on Monday evening, thrusting the country deeper into a political crisis that will force President Emmanuel Macron to name a fifth premier in less than two years.
Three hundred and sixty four lawmakers voted to oust Bayrou, while 194 supported him.
So, the multi-party parliamentary system requires that a minority party be able to run the government with a Prime Minister who everyone at least tolerates.
The problem is that France keeps banning opposition members (in the name of democracy, of course!).
The overall political climate of France could best be described as "chaos," as we reported during unrest in the summer of 2024. Two previous governments collapsed in 2024, with those prime ministers resigning.
Macron has also selected premieres who are less than tolerable, according to the ruling class.
But Macron has limited options to steer France out of this crisis. He is reportedly leaning toward appointing another prime minister — the fifth since January 2024 — but a new premier would face the same intractable parliament. So too would a technical government made up of civil servants.
Another snap election looks unappetizing, though, as it could easily deliver another hung parliament.
In an extreme scenario, Macron could even resign, but that's highly unlikely given his past statements.
There is another way!
Yeah ... that seems even less likely than Macron resigning.
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