1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: A lot happening in France today. We've got Trump on 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: the way for the opening of the Notre Dame. We've 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: got the Euros I'm worried about they did, and we've 4 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: got Macron about to speak because they need a new 5 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: Prime minister, Vincent mecap and he's a UK europe correspondent. Vincent. 6 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: Has he picked anyone yet? Do we know? 7 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 2: No? He hasn't. Emmanuel Macron has been locked away in 8 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 2: the Elise Palace. He is going to address the French 9 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 2: nation tonight on television to speak to them. It was 10 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 2: months between Gabrielle Atau, the last prime minister, and the 11 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 2: appointment of Michelle Barnier because Macron had called that snap 12 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 2: election which fully divided the French Parliament between his interests 13 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 2: the left and then Marine la Penn sort of far right. 14 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 2: Michelle Barnier was someone that Marine Lapenn, the leader and 15 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 2: longtime rival of Macron, said that she could do business with. 16 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 2: But the whole thing has collapsed, and it's all to 17 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 2: do with the rising French debt, their sort of debt 18 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 2: to GDP ratio. They now have more debt than their 19 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 2: annual GDP, breaking several EU rules on this and so 20 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 2: Michelle Barnier was trying to bring in a budget which 21 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 2: would start to address this, and it was rejected by 22 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 2: the House. So it's causing real problems for President Macrol. 23 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 2: Questions whether or not he can survive to the end 24 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 2: of his term in twenty twenty seven because he doesn't 25 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 2: have a prime minister and he doesn't have a government 26 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 2: at the moment. They can't have fresh parliamentary elections until 27 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 2: next summer, so real questions over his position tonight. 28 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, just madness really when you think about it, when 29 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: we watch the Olympics. So basically back to that state, 30 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: you know, no government, no prime minister, and no budget passed. 31 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: Romania has revealed it's been hit with an election in 32 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: deperience very quickly involves TikTok. 33 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, unsurprisingly it seems to be coming from Russia, a 34 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: sort of cyber attacks and then trying to influence on 35 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: TikTok that's been ahead of their presidential elections this weekend, 36 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: where a far right NATO skeptic candidate who has praised 37 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 2: Putin before and has said he will end all aid 38 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: and assistance to Ukraine. So no one of Ladimir Putin 39 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: wants to maybe try and help this guy into office. 40 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 2: This is Calin Giorgescu. He is now a running and 41 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 2: the Romanian government and intelligence sources are saying that there 42 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 2: has been a lot of paid support for this candidate 43 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: on TikTok, using the algorithm and also cyber attacks to 44 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 2: try and benefit him as well. So it seems like 45 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 2: the usual hybrid warfare tactics from Russia against Europe. 46 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: Vincent, thank you for that, Vincent mcavinnie, our UK and 47 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: Europe correspondent. 48 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live 49 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 2: to news Talks. It'd be from five am weekdays, or 50 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio