World News @quokk.au PhilipTheBucket @ponder.cat 3w ago

France Faces ‘Moment of Truth’ With Government on Brink of Collapse

www.yahoo.com France Faces ‘Moment of Truth’ With Government on Brink of Collapse

(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Michel Barnier warned that France has reached its “moment of truth,” as far-right leader Marine Le Pen is set to join a left-wing coalition to topple his government as soon as this week.Most Read from BloombergAs Wars Rage, Cities Face a Dark New Era of Urban Destructio...

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I wonder if French social media users are seeing a constant stream of compelling content in their social media insisting that their central government is fucking up and doesn’t deserve their support.

I know next to nothing about French politics, but the odd alliance of the far-left and Le Pen’s government against the center, and the resulting catastrophic damage to their country’s ability to operate, struck me as a little bit reminiscent of some events that just recently happened on my side of the pond.
- There is no alliance between the left and the far right. They're both individually planning to vote the non-confidence motion against the party that got its policy clearly voted against in the last legislative elections and yet is somehow still trying to maintain it, refusing to acknowledge its defeat. We've been stuck ever since, but life goes on.
  
  as far-right leader Marine Le Pen is set to join a left-wing coalition to topple his government as soon as this week
  
  It’s the first sentence of the article.
  
  I’m sure that the center party got clearly voted against. I am saying that it’s interesting that the sensible people in the governments of the US, UK and France all have this massive popular uprising against them over the course of the few years of time, and have been toppled and replaced by no coherent policy preference in particular other than rejection, during a time when almost everyone gets their political news from social media which is massively compromised by opponents of their governments.
  
  Yes, it's basically democracy grinding slowly. The french system gives too much power to the president IMO and he clearly abused it with his latest government so here is sanctions from both the extreme right and the far left.
- You mean after the left got utterly betrayed in the last election? I don't blame them for wanting to burn down the current ruling coalition either.
- The current left isn't "far-left" at all. Is it far-fetched to protect essential needs of your popular classes like keeping public services operating, ensuring proper education and healthcare while hunting down corporate abuse of public funds? All while proposing a balanced budget for it? That's what I would expect the government doing, and this is the reason the NFP made all its amendments to the budget that was being prepared. That is, until Michel decided to pull a 49.3 to override the decision and get rid of the amendments Emmanuel didn't like. You have to understand that the president gets to select his own prime minister, no one gets to vote.
  
  Having said that, neither the left nor the right wanted Michel as prime minister and each had their own ideas about who should take the position, so it's in everyone's interest (except Macron) to eject him and then push for their own candidate. This is possible after Michel issuing a 49.3.
  
  This is the system working as expected with the current rules, and a president that clings to power very very desperately with forces trying to fight him back while also fighting amongst themselves when they get a chance.
  
  But boy did I wish Emmanuel's gang didn't cling as hard to power like they're doing. It feels very underhanded.
  
  See, this is what I'm talking about. I wonder if there is an exact mirror-image complaint from the opposite side, with just as impassioned a presentation, that talks about how the budget isn't austere enough, and doesn't do enough to crack down on immigrants, and that's the reason why we have to eject the current government. The stuff in the article sounds much more like that side. Everything in it is that National Rally is withdrawing support because the current plans don't go far enough in hurting ordinary people. Right?
  
  I'm saying that same pattern is exactly what happened in the US. Everyone had their own reasons they absorbed from social media why ~~Biden~~ Harris was totally unacceptable, and the reasons weren't even consistent with each other, just tailored to what would resonate with each individual person. He she was way too hard on Israel, and way too soft on Israel, and way too corporate-friendly, and way too much of a communist with her economics, and so on and so on, depending on the person. And the solution proposed was going to make the left's version of what was the problem a whole lot worse.
  
  It would be weird if both elections happened to follow the exact same pattern, with the result that the country's government collapsed "democratically" into impotence in exactly the same way. Right?
  
  And yes, I realize it's hilarious for an American to be implying that someone is meddling in our elections to force in a leader that's aligned with our interests, and against the interests of the people of the country, as if it's all unfair for that to happen.
Will the EU send in the equivalent of the National Guard to run things for them until they get on their feet?

Is there an EU plan for this kind of thing? Do they kick them out? Help them? Stand and watch? Point and laugh?
- I'm sorry what?
  
  If you don't get it, it's probably not meant for you. Just move along.
- No, France will just elect a new government. This isn't unusual for parliamentary systems. Belgium was without a government for 589 days starting in 2010.
  
  I was just looking at it from the stance that as members of the EU they are in a relationship to their "Federal" government that kind of parallels the relationship of a state to the US federal government. You know, no power to make war, money, decide their own immigration rules, restrict travel from member states/countries, etc.
  
  And if we had a state government that was breaking down like France is, they wouldn't get to sit around without a government for 589 days. At least I don't think so, I don't believe we've ever had things be that screwy before.
  
  Anyhow, it's really complex and I hope the French work things out.
  
  The is that there are three blocks in a system designed for 2.
  
  This means no possibility of a majority that is required to pass a budget.
  
  The current government is essentially the middle between the Far right and the right, which may not hold because that would mean the far right has to admit they're not that different (same economics, more racism) from the right wing everyone hates.
  
  The left wing alone is not large enough to have a majority and can't ally with the right wing because the right wing won't budge on tax increases for the or more public support for the poor.
- The EU is not a federal state.
  
  Its an international organization with sovereign independent States as members. Not 'federal states' like US or German states or 'countries' like Wales and Scotland that are part of the UK.
  
  It has more in common with the UN than the USA or Germany.
  
  The EU doesn't do anything in such cases because the members did not agree to allow it to play a part in such matters. EU powers are delegated to it by members.
  
  The EU can't kick someone out, they also can't prevent anybody leaving.
  
  There are national armies, they do not answer to EU officials, I doubt they swear to uphold and defend EU law or the treaty of Lisbon, when I was conscripted we swore to uphold our nation's constitution, laws and morals.
  
  There are some EU task forced (similar to NATO task forces) that deploy under EU decisions, they would definitely not follow EU commands versus their own country's (they are mixed at unit level not individuals).
  
  You have a deeply wrong understanding of the EU to the point where you cannot meaningly criticize it or even roast it.
  
  Well thank you very much. They seem to have considerably more power than the UN. They print money, regulate industry, levy fines and penalties, and require action from members (accepting refugees), so your explanation is not great, but I'm obviously not understanding the EU's true form.
  
  I'm not sure you're aware of how much power they have consolidated while assuring you you are a sovereign, independent state. Which just seems to mean yes, they won't help if you need it.
  
  The EU can't kick someone out
  
  Huh, can it really not? I never thought about it, but is this a case of it being specifically defined to not be able to, or is it more like there being no such procedure or precedent, where it might happen when a true need arises?
- Nothing exist for that because EU has no role to play in these internals affairs.
  
  Each country is autonomous in the way they gouverns, vote, etc...
  
  The EU promulgate agreed rules than became laws in each countries that all. We have also different level of cooperation and agreement across the countries and near countries.
  
  But all these EU countries keep their own sovereignty.

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