France’s latest government collapse (yes, again) is dramatic but far from exceptional in a continent beleaguered by uncertainty. The swift dismissal of François Bayrou, the fourth prime minister in two years to be denied the National Assembly’s confidence, has led French commentators to describe a system on the brink. Macron’s coalition is fractured and severely weakened after another day of political upheaval. Yet instability is hardly France’s exclusive affliction; our own political landscape, once so closely associated with continuity and steady hands, now mirrors the broader European mood.
In Britain, the image of Westminster as an example of dependable governance disintegrated in the wake of Brexit. Five prime ministers in six years, marked by resignations, failed leadership contests, and short-lived premierships, have left No. 10 resembling a “revolving door”. From David Cameron’s ill-fated referendum gamble, to Theresa May’s unravelling negotiations, Boris Johnson’s chaotic tenure, and Liz Truss’s record-breakingly brief stint in office, instability has become the new normal. Rishi Sunak’s Labour successor, Keir Starmer, who was gifted a substantial majority just over a year ago, now governs amidst an increasingly fragile and fragmented Government.
If France’s crisis sounds alarm bells, British commentators recognise the tune: deep polarisation, rising populism, and mounting hostility to “business-as-usual” centrism. Both governments have felt the sting of public fatigue. Disenchantment born of economic pressure, the aftershocks of the pandemic, and the inability or unwillingness of centrists to tackle systemic injustice or address deep frustrations with unresponsive political institutions. Yet political realignment has seldom produced stability. The right surges in France, where Marine Le Pen’s National Rally now commands more seats in the Assembly than any other faction, while Britain has seen Nigel Farage’s return as a central disruptor, Reform surpassing both Labour and the Conservatives. And Jeremy Corbyn and Jean-Luc Mélenchon energising the left.
The drivers are strikingly similar across borders. The hollowing out of traditional centrism has left swathes of voters feeling unrepresented and disenfranchised. Rising economic insecurity, migration pressures, and online radicalisation provide fertile ground for populism and protest. Once viewed as models of pragmatic compromise, European coalition governments increasingly buckle under internal strains. In Germany, Chancellor Scholz’s “traffic light” coalition has now collapsed, while across Southern and Eastern Europe, anti-establishment movements are either threatening or seizing power, eroding old certainties.
Can stability still be recovered? The lesson from Paris, London and well beyond is hardly encouraging.
As Europe looks to a future marked by deepening divisions and ideological fragmentation, this cycle of volatility may indeed be here to stay. Until governments can rebuild trust and show the capacity to deliver meaningful reform, weary and disillusioned electorates will go on searching for a new home and perhaps, a whole new generation of political leaders.
