Why Emmanuel Macron is Facing Calls to Resign
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Today, French President Emmanuel Macron faces calls to resign, South Korea's president faces impeachment, and Europe plans for a joint defence fund. From TLDR News, this is your daily briefing for Friday 6th December 2024. In a dramatic turn of events for French politics, President Emmanuel Macron is faced with increasing opposition after the ousting of his Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, in a historic no-confidence vote.

This political upheaval has prompted questions about Macron's future and the stability of his government. Many have asked whether Macron will or will not resign, but it seems that Macron's intentions are to complete his term, which runs until 2027. The turmoil began after the far-right National Valley and the leftist New Popular Front allied to topple Barnier's government, accusing it of failing to address critical issues, including a contentious budget designed to reduce the country's deficit.

Yesterday evening, in his first public address after the vote, Macron defended his administration, stating, Barnier's tenure, lasting just three months, marks the shortest premiership in the history of France's Fifth Republic.

His government imploded primarily due to disagreements over a proposed budget that included a €60bn package of tax hikes and spending cuts.

The National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, voted down the budget, reinforcing its threat to do so if specific conditions were not met, demonstrating the substantial divisions within the Parliament. Now, with a gridlocked Parliament that has failed to produce a clear majority, Macron faces the daunting task of appointing a new Prime Minister who can navigate these fractured political waters.

The president hinted he would name a successor in the coming days. However, any new administration will have to contend with ongoing disputes on budget discussions and resistance from both far-left and far-right factions. Macron now finds himself at a crossroads, needing to either rebuild alliances with Barnier's Les Républicains party or form a new coalition.

Initially, overtures towards moderate left parties have yielded no cooperation, as far-left groups, particularly the France Unbowed, are adamant against supporting any prime minister not affiliated with their ranks. As uncertainty looms over the future of Macron's presidency, the political landscape in France remains complex and contentious.

Macron is committed to ensuring the continuity of public services and has hinted at presenting a special finance law to Parliament by mid-December, further underscoring the urgency of securing a stable government in these turbulent times.

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With Macron facing calls to resign in France, in South Korea, the president, Yoon Suk-yeol, is facing calls for suspension following his controversial decision earlier this week to try and impose martial law. The main opposition Democratic Party has initiated impeachment proceedings against Yoon, with a vote scheduled for Saturday.

Opposition lawmakers have been vigilant in Parliament, fearing another martial law attempt amid ongoing political chaos. Acting Defence Minister Kim Sun-ho said fears and reports that there may be another attempt to impose martial law were not true. Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon's ruling Conservative People's Power Party and once a key ally to Yoon, also said that the President's suspension was crucial for the nation's safety.

He cited credible evidence that Yoon ordered the arrest of key politicians on the night he declared martial law. While it wasn't clear how widely hands of views are shared within the party, his faction holds about 20 lawmakers, and they were among those who joined with the opposition in the early morning hours of Wednesday to vote down the martial law order. If they stay united, that would be enough to swing the vote against Yoon.

An impeachment bill requires a two-thirds majority in the 300-member assembly, with Yun's party holding only 108 seats. The country is reminded of its turbulent past, as soaring tensions and Yun's diminishing approval ratings, now at a historic low of 13%, signal a precarious future for his presidency. Over to the latest development in Syria, where tens of thousands of people are fleeing Syria's third-largest city, Homs.

Syrian rebels launched a surprise offensive against the government last week and have so far captured two major cities. On Thursday, the rebels seized Hama with basically no resistance from Assad's forces.

The taking of Hama was the second major blow to President Bashar al-Assad's regime, who lost control of Aleppo last week. Government forces soon withdrew to the next city along the M5, Homs, which is slightly smaller than Hama. Yet despite its small size, Homs is a strategic city linking Damascus to the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast, Assad's political stronghold and key to his grip on power.

If Assad were to lose Homs, it would be essentially game over. What's more is that neither Iran nor Russia, Assad's two main allies, have been able to provide substantial support to Assad, as both have been preoccupied with their own affairs. Meanwhile, an estimated 280,000 people have been displaced, and the UN has said the fighting is also worsening an already horrific situation for civilians in the north of the country.

We have a full video coming out this weekend over on TLDR News Global, so do check that out. Moving to Europe now, where countries in the bloc are discussing setting up a half a trillion euro joint defence fund to be used for common defence projects and arms procurement. The current plan would see individual countries issue bonds rather than the EU as a whole.

It's important to note here that this would mean that countries outside the EU, like the UK, could participate. Previously, such plans have been ruled out by fiscal hawks within the bloc. Reportedly, the plans have been raised in the UK, but the Starmer government has not yet committed to taking part in any such scheme. Clearly, this is an attempt to balance against Donald Trump, who's threatened to withdraw US support from NATO allies if they don't pay their way.

This though seems like one of the most ambitious options and it's unclear whether the bloc will actually agree to it.

In the final uplifting story today, we discuss a polar bear from Alaska. Known as Fat Albert, the polar bear has become something of a celebrity. Weighing in at 680 kilograms, he's substantially larger than your average polar bear, which usually weighs only 450 kilograms. His journey to stardom began when he was photographed by Edward Baudreau, a wildlife photographer from Alaska. As the Times of India explained, people have noticed that he's huge, yet somehow he remains cute.