Enda Brady: UK correspondent on the French Government nearing collapse

The French Government is all but guaranteed to collapse in the coming days after far-right and left-wing parties submitted no-confidence motions against Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

If this goes forward, Barnier's coalition will be the first French Government to be forced out by a no-confidence vote since 1962.

UK correspondent Enda Brady says France is the second strongest economy in Europe - and stability is needed.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time to catch up with UK correspondent in the Brady Hi, Inda.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hey Jack, good to speak to you again.

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You too now pretty sure is mounting on the BBC
to pull the plug on mastershift shows involving Greg Wallace.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
So, if you haven't followed this story, a lot of women,
and a lot of them are well known women in
the media spotlight here have come forward to say and
complain about Greg Wallace making inappropriate jokes of a sexual nature,
sexualized banter. Not good about thirteen people now, he's pointing out,
he's basically come out of the Trump playbook with his defense.

(00:36):
And Greg Wallace is an unabashed, asked Englishman and he
has come out and said on Instagram the other day
that if you notice the complaints and the complainants, he said,
they're all from middle class ladies of a certain age.
So that was his response. It has not gone down
very well, so much so that more people have come

(00:58):
forward and it's getting worse for him. He's kind of
flambayed his career to use a culinary expression and he's
now had to apologize, but it's it's almost a non apology.
He said that if you were offended by what he
said about middle class ladies of a certain age complaining
about him. He's sorry the show goes on on TV.

(01:18):
At least they've already filmed Mastership. It is the one
of the points coverage and entertainment up until Christmas. But
the problem they've got is this is on the front
pages here every single day now. Greg Wallace has become
a media caricature.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
And then they've they've got a show that's already filmed.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
They're at the semi final stage and people are now
saying that just been it off and await the results
of the investigation.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Ah dear, Yeah, what a fiesco. I imagine being in
the BBC having to make that call. It's really tricky. Hey,
Camilla has pulled out of today's ceremonial welcome for Katas
Royals while they're on a state visits.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
So this is a three day state visit the Emir
of Qatar and his wife. They are some of the
wealthiest people in history and they're coming to the UK
for three days before Christmas. Now, Camilla has the lingering
effects of that chest infection that has kind of taken her.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Out of the loop for several weeks now since.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
She got back from Australia and India and Samoa, so
she's not going to be taking part in the carriage
procession today. Now it was minus eight in parts of
Scotland last night. I've not even seen what it was
here in Oxfordshire. I know it was cold. It will
be a bitterly cold morning to be around horse Guards
Parade in London, especially if you're not in the best
of shape and your lungs are giving you grief. So

(02:36):
I think she's quite right to take a step back today.
Apparently she will attend the lunch indoors later on, but
she will not be in the carriage procession to welcome
the Emir of Qatar. It is Keir Starmer's first state
visit here as Prime Minister, so it's a big deal.
And look, Britain needs growth and the Kataries could certainly

(02:57):
do a lot for British business.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
Yeah yeah, And how the French government is on the
brink of collapse.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Hanging by a threat. So Michel Barney out of the
name rings of Belle.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
He was basically the European Union bureaucrat who did their
Brexit negotiations. He's now French Prime Minister. He yesterday decided
to force through a budget without a vote. The French
are extremely angry. You can imagine how they go on
this one. So he is looking at a vote of
no confidence, possibly as early as tomorrow, possibly the French

(03:30):
government collapsing. Because he can't win the vote of no confidence,
the far right to go against him and that will
mean that the French government could collapse as early as Thursday.
So a lot of stress. There, a lot of problems.
It's the second biggest economy in Europe. We need a strong, prosperous,

(03:50):
politically stable France. Waiting in the background, of course, is
Marie Le penn of the far right, her National Rally Party.
They got ten million votes year in the European elections
last time round, so she's gaining in popularity and that
spells bad news for Emmanuel MACRONK.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
What do you think this is about Macron's decision to
call that snap election.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
I think in hindsight, I'm guessing now. I was there.
I covered a time.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
It was in the middle of a mini riot in Paris.
I think in hindsight he's probably regretting it now, but
he did it to shock the French people because there
was a huge surge of support ten million votes for
the far right and the pen during the European elections,
and I think he woke up the next day and thought, Okay,
do you know what, I'm going to go to the people.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
If you want the far right government, bring it on.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
And of course the far right did not win that election.
They swung far left. You know, it's Francis all over
the place. Germany's in a bad place as well. Twenty
twenty five could be a very difficult year for the
European project.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
I really appreciate your time in the as if a
UK correspondent in the Brady with us this evening.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
News Talk SETB from four p m.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.