Prime Minister François Bayrou’s minority government collapsed after a parliamentary confidence vote failed by a wide margin, with 364 deputies opposing and 194 supporting him. His €44 billion austerity budget, which included tax increases, spending cuts, and the removal of two public holidays,

Ah, the great Indian middle class—the tireless engine of our economy, the cushion during recessions, the perpetual safety net for our policymakers’ ambitious dreams. They are the ones who pay their taxes on time, religiously invest in ELSS (because tax-saving ads guilt them into it), and keep the consumer economy humming along with their carefully […]