8 Sep, 2025 17:01

French government collapses

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has been ousted by the National Assembly in a no-confidence vote

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 unitingin 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.’

https://www.rt.com/news/624286-french-government-collapse-bayrou/

8 Sep, 2025 17:25

Trump has no ‘off switch’ – Vance

The US president can call up members of his administration at any time of day or night, according to his VP

US President Donald Trump works almost without resting, Vice President J.D. Vance has claimed, noting that the American leader frequently contacts his aides and cabinet members at any time of the day or night.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News host Lara Trump, Vance explained that the president can call up his team at 12:30 am or 2 in the morning and then be on another call at 6 am. “It’s like, ‘Mr. President, did you go to sleep last night? Like, what is going on here?’” Vance said.

“One thing I’ve learned just working with him every day is, he doesn’t have an off switch,” he said.

Media reports have long described Trump as a light sleeper who averages less than five hours of rest each night. Members of his administration have echoed similar experiences. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in July that Trump often telephones him shortly after midnight. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. also told reporters last month that Trump calls him “three or four times a week” about health policy matters.

Vance’s comments come as speculations about Trump’s health have increased in recent weeks. Observers have pointed to his minimal rest and photographs showing bruises. The White House has attributed these to frequent aspirin use and a condition known as chronic venous insufficiency, dismissing claims of more serious health issues.

Last month, rumors spread online that Trump had supposedly died after a brief absence from public events. Hashtags such as #TrumpIsDead gained traction on social media. However, the president soon reappeared in public.

https://www.rt.com/news/624304-trump-no-off-switch-vance/

8 Sep, 2025 16:45

Orban outlines EU security ‘guarantee’ plan

The Hungarian prime minister says Ukraine should be split into areas controlled by Russia and the West, separated by a buffer zone

Partitioning Ukraine into Russian and Western zones of influence is the likely outcome of the conflict and the

only reliable guarantee of the EU's security, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said.

Kiev has pressed its Western backers for security guarantees as a precondition for a settlement with Russia, first pushing for NATO membership and later floating ideas such as ‘peacekeepers’ and a buffer zone with Western military patrols. Moscow has rejected Ukrainian membership in NATO or Western troops on its territory, stressing that any settlement must include Kiev’s neutrality, demilitarization, and recognition of Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye as Russian territory.

Orban, however, has suggested it is time for the West to acknowledge Russia’s “inevitable” military victory and to begin deciding how Ukraine should be partitioned.

”Europeans all so elegantly talk around security guarantees, but the security guarantee actually means the division of Ukraine,” Orban told guests at the annual Civic Picnic in Kotcse on Sunday.

“The first step has already been taken – the Westerners have accepted that a Russian zone exists.” He referred to earlier remarks by US President Donald Trump that Ukraine regaining Crimea was “impossible.”

“The result would be a Russian zone, a demilitarized zone and, eventually, a Western zone…The only question is how many kilometers away from the border of the Russian zone a demilitarized zone should be established,” he stated.

Orban noted the outcome would only slightly differ from the pre-conflict balance, whenUkraine itself acted as a buffer between Russia and NATO with “50% influence” each in the country. He said this division would help end the conflict and benefit all sides, particularly the EU, which he warned is on the verge of “collapse” and lacks the means to fund the conflict further.

The Hungarian leader has long criticized Brussels over its “warmongering” stance on Russia and support for Ukraine. In his speech, he repeated his warning that Ukraine’s EU accession would trap the bloc in a permanent conflict with Moscow, calling instead for an EU-Russia security pact.

https://www.rt.com/news/624278-orban-eu-guarantee-ukraine/