The French fascination with the guillotine has found a new focus over the last week.
The man under the knife is France’s silver-haired prime minister, Michel Barnier, known for composure on previous scaffolds.
A showdown could come as early as Monday, when Mr. Barnier might try to force through a budget bill on government health care and other social spending.
Even Mr. Barnier, a veteran politician who negotiated a tough Brexit deal for the European Union and served four times as a minister in previous governments, concedes that he is living on borrowed time.
The woman in control of the blade is Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right populist National Rally, which has more seats in the lower house of the French Parliament than any other party.
Persons:
Michel Barnier, Barnier, Pen
Organizations:
European Union
Locations:
Germany’s