So, France is doing that thing again. You know the one. It’s where they pretend to have a government that listens to people, and then they just do whatever they want anyway. The big news out of Paris is that the French Prime Minister survived two votes to kick him out. It sounds dramatic, doesn't it? “Survived.” Like he fought off a bear or swam across a river full of crocodiles. But don't get excited. He didn't do anything brave. He just sat in a fancy chair while a bunch of other people in suits failed to agree on how to fire him.

Here is what actually happened. The French government needs money. Governments always need money because they are terrible at spending it. They came up with a budget for 2026. Yes, 2026. They are fighting about money they haven't even wasted yet. That is how efficient they are at being inefficient. They spent three whole months arguing about this budget. Three months. That is a quarter of a year. Imagine if you spent three months at your job trying to decide what to have for lunch. You would get fired. But in politics, they call this a “deadlock.” It sounds serious, but it really just means nobody wanted to work together.

So, after three months of talking and yelling and getting absolutely nowhere, the Prime Minister decided he was tired of waiting. He looked at the Parliament—that’s the room full of people who were elected to make decisions—and basically told them they didn't matter. He used a special rule to force the budget through without letting them vote on it. That’s right. The income tax part of the budget became real without the people’s representatives actually saying “yes” to it. They call this democracy. I call it a boss doing whatever he wants because he has the keys to the building.

The best part is the lie. Politicians love to lie, but they are usually bad at it. The Prime Minister called this move a “last resort.” He said he had no other choice. This is funny because he promised—actually promised—that he wouldn't use this special rule. He gave his word. But in politics, a promise is just a noise you make with your mouth to get people to stop asking questions. As soon as things got hard, he broke the promise. He pressed the button. He forced the budget on everyone. And then he stood there and said, “Look what you made me do.” It is the classic excuse of every person who wants total control but doesn't want to look like a bad guy.

Naturally, the other politicians got mad. Or at least, they pretended to get mad. They called for a “vote of no-confidence.” This is the fancy way of trying to fire the boss. There were two of these votes on January 23. Two chances to say, “Hey, maybe we shouldn't let this guy do whatever he wants.” And guess what? He survived both of them. The opposition parties couldn't get their act together to actually remove him. They hate him, sure. They scream about how he is ruining the country. But when it came time to actually push the button and send him home, they failed.

Why did they fail? Because politics is a game. The Left hates the Right. The Right hates the Left. And they both hate the guy in the middle, but they hate each other more. So, they couldn't agree on how to fire the guy they all claim to despise. It is pathetic. It is like watching a bunch of toddlers fight over a toy, only the toy is the entire country of France and the toddlers have control over your taxes.

So now, the budget goes through. The taxes get collected. The plan for 2026 is set in stone, and nobody actually voted for it. The National Assembly—the place where the power is supposed to live—was completely bypassed. They were ignored. They were treated like children who couldn't be trusted with the credit card. And the saddest part is that they proved the Prime Minister right by failing to fire him. They proved they are toothless. They are just there for show. They are expensive decorations in a very old building.

This is the state of the world right now. It isn't just France. It’s everywhere. Leaders promise not to do bad things. Then they do the bad things. Then they say it was a “last resort.” Then the opposition complains but does nothing to stop it. And regular people? You just keep going to work. You keep paying the taxes that they forced on you without a vote. You watch the news and think, “Wow, they survived another crisis.” But there was no crisis. There was just a bunch of rich people playing games with your life. The Prime Minister stays. The money gets taken. And the wheel keeps turning. Don't expect it to change anytime soon.