“Sk…”: The Economist’s headline on the collapse of the Barnier government in France

A majority of members of the French National Assembly voted in favor of a motion of impeachment against the government of Michel Barnier, and Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce the name of a new prime minister.

After nearly three months in power, Barnier’s government collapsed with Marine Le Pen’s left-wing and far-right parties backing a motion of impeachment.

Commenting on the end of Michel Barnier’s government in France, the Economist has published a… glossy cover which is accompanied by a text that begins with a reference to France’s big moment, the inauguration of the renovated Notre Dame de Paris:

“On December 7, 50 heads of state and government will take their seats to celebrate the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris, the 12th-century Gothic cathedral in Paris that was destroyed by fire five years ago but has now been restored with astonishing speed and love. Donald Trump will be there (Joe Biden, only America’s second Catholic president, sadly not) to watch France at its best. It has achieved, on time and on budget, a feat of virtuosity and renewal that surely no other country could.”

However, the front page of the Economist comments on the situation in France following the collapse of the Barnier government, arguing that the country is “heading into the unknown” with a sign that reads “sh…”

“No budget, no government. It is difficult to see how France’s deep political crisis can be resolved,” he tweeted.

No budget, no government. It is hard to see how France’s deep political crisis can be resolved https://t.co/sm62ZPox8Z pic.twitter.com/OyuGHmJExa

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 4, 2024