French government collapses
The French government has fallen after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou lost a crucial confidence vote in parliament on Monday. Bayrou is the second consecutive prime minister under President Emmanuel Macron to be ousted, throwing the nation into political and economic turmoil.
A no-confidence motion in the National Assembly requires at least 288 votes to pass. Monday’s motion received 364 votes, with the left-wing New Popular Front and the right-wing National Rally uniting in opposition to end a months-long standoff over Bayrou’s austerity budget.
Having previously survived eight no-confidence motions, Bayrou called this vote himself, in a bid to secure backing for proposals that forecast almost €44 billion ($52 billion) of savings to ease France’s debt burden before the budget is presented in October.
The prime minister, who has repeatedly warned that France’s national debt poses a “mortal danger” to the country, appeared to acknowledge his fate. In a bitter remark on Sunday, Bayrou lashed out at rival parties that he said “hate each other” yet joined forces “to bring down the government.”
Bayrou is the second French prime minister in succession to be brought down following Michel Barnier’s ejection last December after just three months in office – and the sixth to serve under Macron since he was first elected in 2017.
Bayrou’s ouster reportedly leaves the French president to choose between appointing a Socialist prime minister to steer a budget through parliament, effectively ceding control of domestic policy, or call snap elections that polls suggest favour Marine Le Pen’s National Rally. With Macron’s approval ratings already hitting historic lows, either choice risks further weakening his presidency. Analysts warn that if markets lose confidence in France’s ability to rein in its deficit and mounting debt, the country could face turmoil reminiscent of the UK during the brief Liz Truss premiership.
Public discontent with Macron’s leadership has deepened, with the latest Le Figaro poll showing nearly 80% of French no longer trust the president. Thousands marched through Paris at the weekend demanding Macron’s resignation and carrying placards reading ‘Let’s stop Macron’ and ‘Frexit.’
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Trump cutting funding to train and support European troops in countries bordering Russia: report
The apparent shift has alarmed European defense leaders, who see the presence of U.S. troops and support as a key deterrent against Moscow
Josh Marcusin San Francisco
The Trump administration is halting what may amount to hundreds of millions of dollars in security funding to those European nations bordering Russia.
The upcoming cuts, which have not been publicly announced, come as the administration has not sought to renew European portions of what’s known as Section 333 funding and the Baltic Security Initiative, which supports nations near the Russian border like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the Financial Times reports.
“This action has been co-ordinated with European countries in line with the executive order and the president’s long-standing emphasis on ensuring Europe takes more responsibility for its own defense,” a White House official told the paper.
His timing on this announcement is awkward as the French government collapsed because of very serious budget issues. It's almost impossible for France to get it's budget in order at the best of times. The French react violently when their privileges are attacked. On top of this, Trump requires EU countries to dramatically increase military spending on the absurd presumption that Russia might attack at any moment.
President Macron played up this insane scenario, making stupid promises he cannot possibly afford, and now is being pressured to resign himself.
This is just the first EU country to be thrown into chaos by Trump's America First policy, which has utterly no regard for the rest of the world. It won't be the last.
And he calls himself a Christian!
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