This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Batchel, visiting with Judy Dempsey, a senior scholar of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

She's based in Berlin, and we're observing the German campaign underway despite the fact the election hasn't been called yet.

The French campaign underway despite the fact that the election happened,

leaving an assembly that is sharply divided between the right as defined by the French

and the left as defined by the French.

But now the center, Prime Minister Bernier, is challenged by both right and left working together. I'm told this is

London interpreting it. Remember, this is Europe. Everybody's got a point of view and I don't have

their languages, so I read in English. However, within the next 24 hours, the expectation in Paris

is that the government will fall, leaving President Macron a quandary

as to what comes next. Judy, I understand that this is a lot of French politics, which dates

happily from the 18th century, so I don't have to get wrapped up too much in mentioning Bonaparte

or something like that, but this looks like the right and left are working

together. Am I fooled by that? Does that suit their politics?

Well, I like the way you refer back centuries ago, but France seriously is in turmoil.

And Macron, Emmanuel Macron, is Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

He's such a skilled negotiator.

It was he who negotiated the Brexit, the exodus of Britain from the European Union.

He's such a sophisticated diplomat and politician. And here he's

landed now in this extraordinary situation. He heard the far right nationalist movement led by

Marine Le Pen is actually saying to him, we hold you to ransom. We don't like your tax cuts.

We don't like the rises. we don't like what you're doing

to pensions and all sorts of other things.

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