FRANCE in Crisis

France is facing one of its most serious crises in decades. Prime Minister François Bayrou has just been ousted in a no-confidence vote after his austerity budget collapsed.

With debt now at 114% of GDP (€3.3 trillion), interest payments spiralling towards €100 billion a year, and EU rules back in force, France is under massive pressure to slash spending. But attempts at austerity triggered outrage, protests, and ultimately brought down the government.

In this video, we look at:

Why France spends so much on pensions, healthcare, and subsidies.
How debt servicing now costs more than the defense budget.
The fractured parliament.
Why Macron’s centrist bloc is governing in permanent minority.

France is Europe’s second-largest economy — but is it sliding into ungovernability?