Joseph Ataman

Macron has asked Lecornu to find a “solution” to the political turmoil by Wednesday

Lecornu says that’s discussions with party leaders to see what’s possible

Based on today, anything possible mean something drastically different to yesterday’s cabinet

France’s prime minister resigns after less than a month on the job | CNN French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned Monday just hours after he unveiled his new cabinet, in a shock move that plunged the country further into political crisis.

edition.cnn.com/2025/10/06/e...

Lecornu is now the shortest-serving PM of the French Fifth Republic - under 4 weeks

The last record holder was Macron's second last PM, Michel Barnier

Lecornu's ministers appointed last night are surely the shortest serving ever ...

Macron has now had 7 PMs since he was elected in 2017

Lecornu blamed other parties, a lack of humility and "certain egos" for the gov collapse in France

“There are lots of red lines in the mouths of some ... there aren’t many green lines"

He was a Macron loyalist to the end

#BREAKINGNEWS

French government collapses just hours after ministers announced, Sébastien Lecornu out as PM

🇫🇷 Left and Right refused to accept another gov based on Macron’s own party

Far-right calling for new elections

Netherlands Air Force F-35A with a UAV kill mark, marking the downing of a Russian drone over Poland on September 9–10.

Visibly angry, #Sarkozy slammed the "hate" behind his conviction

70-year-old will be in jail ahead of an appeal

Guilty: "criminal association"

Cleared: corruption, illegal campaign financing and concealment of the embezzlement of public funds.

The first president jailed in France

#BREAKING: Ex French president Nicolas Sarkozy will be in prison within days

"If they absolutely want me to sleep in prison, I will sleep in prison. But with my head held high. I am innocent." - Sarkozy at the court

Sentenced to 5 yrs for plot for Libya to fund his political campaigns

French PM Francois Bayrou officially out in a crushing (but totally expected) defeat

Macron to appoint new PM in "next few days"

(That's if he finds someone to accept the poisoned chalice ... )

With some 6,000 aid trucks waiting at Gaza's borders for the Israeli green light to enter, Palestinian officials have slammed the airdrops for dehumanising desperate Gazans

The French drop is along the coast by the red GHF site in this map

As UN says airdrops cost 100x truck-borne aid, France shares pix of its latest aid drops of 40 tons

Approx GPS of the drop: 31°28'16.4"N 34°23'00.2"E

That puts it far north of the main displaced populations in Gaza, not far from the most northerly 'Gaza Humanitarian Foundation' aid site

One of my all-time favourite tech anecedotes

#AI

Weirdly Napoleonic Egypt vibes as Paris installs palm trees in Place de la Concorde ...

But his comments to the French press last week were more curious - opening door to allies joining French nuke exercises

Perhaps a necessity to stretching the umbrella … perhaps something deeper

Macron made the same point twice last weekend but it slipped through most media

He also suggested allies could join French military’s nuke exercises!

France (and UK) nukes are no replacement for US but would provide a massive deterrence for EU borders

#Russia SU-35 jet made 3 super close passes of a French drone over the Eastern Med

The French drone was on a surveillance mission Sunday

#Ukraine #Syria #Israel #Lebanon #Gaza

"We’re hearing *broad support* for [UK-France-led troops in Ukraine] - recognition that Europe needs to step up and is ready to,” a senior Western defence official told me

Mishmash of 🇪🇺🇨🇦(🇹🇷?) troops possible but it'll need individual consent ...

But UK already backtracking on 🇫🇷 sketch of plan

This is Winston Churchill visiting the White House during World War II.

Funny how he isn’t wearing a suit either. Almost like he was a wartime leader defending his country from being slaughtered and wiped out by an authoritarian aggressor.

Macron gave us a tour around the Elysee Palace!

Compared to the UK's palaces, it's refreshingly modern, filled with (an eclectic mix of) art that talk to the Macrons

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The first French Mirage fighter jets arrived in Ukraine!

It's been a remarkably quick turnaround, with Ukrainian pilots ready to get them up in the air

France has already been supplying the missiles and glide bombs that should make these jets indispensable

In a sea of workers, firefighters, artisans, Macron addresses those that brought Notre Dame back to life

“The whole planet was shaken that famous day in April”

The cost of the fire hasn’t just been financial -- the careful cleaning and restoration has stolen some of the mystical gloom and charm that visitors will remember from Notre Dame.

The cathedral has been transformed.

An incredible day as the world sees Notre Dame reborn

2,000 artisans
2,000 oaks
340,000 donors in 150 countries
Nearly $900M raised

It’s not the cathedral we knew, but it’s still the Notre Dame we love

Difficult to understand how anyone(!) looking at Europe’s security with its weird patchwork of kit and skills could think that there’s any alternative to NATO

Ireland’s navy is 8 ships

Luxembourg has 3 aircraft

UK struggling to get nuke subs out to sea

France backs independent work of the ICJ as warrants come down for Netanyahu/Gallant

Macron still dancing a fine line between anger at Hamas/Israel support vs France's support for human rights in Occupied Palestinian territories

"This is not a judgement but a formalisation of an accusation"

Just used "forewent" in an obituary.

Got it past the editor.

2/2 feeling very pleased with myself.

French FM @jnbarrot.bsky.social confirms that Macron said as much on May 25

Ukraine's strikes with French missiles into Russia is "nothing new under the sun"

audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/ebs/live/2

France does get exaggerated praise for its Ukraine aid, especially compared to Germany (Scholz presumably avoiding the PR...)

But Paris took important lead on several areas:

- (very) speedy provision of Mirage jets and training
- training/equip of a full brigade
- backing of Czech ammo call

First impressions of Bluesky:

Everyone is nice to everyone, except Musk, whom everyone hates

There's no bookmarking

🦕

France and Germany say Ukraine should be able to use their weapons to strike inside Russia | CNN France and Germany said Tuesday that Ukraine should be allowed to use their weapons against targets inside Russia from which Moscow attacks Ukraine.

Lots of chatter around Biden giving Ukraine's ATACMS free reign in Russia - UK/France 'followed'

But Macron appeared to greenlight SCALP strikes on military sites in Russia (aiming at Ukr) back in May

"Strategic ambiguity" been French obsession for a while now

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