AN UTTER MERDE-SHOW: In France, Meanwhile, Everything Is Paralyzed by "Useless Politicians" Across the Board

A couple of weeks after calling France’s economic collapse inevitable, Sebastien Laye has penned a new article on the subject of "France's descent into ungovernability" and "its useless politicians", titled An Utter Merde-Show.

While Italy, Greece and Spain have brought down their budget deficits to levels commensurate with EU rules … The exception is France, which for three years has run a huge deficit of over 5% of GDP. … France has failed even to pass a budget for 2026. It now faces the latest in a series of parliamentary battles to adopt one by the end of the month.

 … The budgetary impasse is one symptom of a deeper malady: a severe case of collective political uselessness. Emmanuel Macron is entering the last 15 months of his presidency. He can still act internationally but is a lame duck at home, viewed favourably by less than 20% of the French. His centrist coalition holds 161 of the 577 seats in the splintered National Assembly, making it virtually impossible to get anything done. The populist right and left delight in Mr Macron's paralysis. It is a dismal spectacle at a critical time, and everyone shares some of the blame.

 … France is paralysed, and … Every major actor in French politics should be ashamed. 

[Indeed,] one should not spare from blame the voters, who failed to appreciate Mr Macron's successful economic policies, refuse to accept that the welfare system needs reform and keep voting for the most irresponsible politicians.

Nonetheless, Sébastien Laye believes that, generally, the French are more fiscally conservative than generally believed. He is preparing articles for Valeurs Actuelles and l'Express this week on the economic policies of Donald Trump after his first (or his fifth) year in the White House.