It is politically ironic that the current turmoil in France was instigated by President Emmanuel Macron, who called for snap legislative elections. When questioned about his decision, Macron stated he wanted “clarification” from the electorate following his party’s heavy defeat in the European elections. Now, Macron has received the clarification he sought: France remains deeply divided among three blocs—the Left parties forming the New Popular Front, Macron’s centrist and allied parties, and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally. None of these blocs have anywhere near an absolute majority.

Participants wave French national tricolors during an election night rally following the first results of the second round of France’s legislative election at Place de la Republique in Paris on July 7, 2024. (Photo by Emmanuel Dunand / AFP) (AFP)
Participants wave French national tricolors during an election night rally following the first results of the second round of France’s legislative election at Place de la Republique in Paris on July 7, 2024. (Photo by Emmanuel Dunand / AFP) (AFP)
As expected, French voters delivered a fragmented verdict in the legislative elections held on June 30 and July 7, resulting in a hung parliament. The real surprise, however, was the New Popular Front securing the most votes in the second and final round. The far-right National Rally, which was expected to come first, finished third due to a concerted effort by other political parties forming a Republican Front against it. This meant that over 200 candidates from far-left and center-right parties withdrew from the race to avoid splitting votes.

Le Pen and her party may feel cheated, but her ultimate goal remains the presidential elections in three years, where she hopes to challenge Macron for the presidency. Macron now faces two options: he could invite the largest parliamentary group, the New Popular Front from the Left, to form a coalition government. If this fails, he might appoint a technocratic government to govern for a year, after which new legislative elections could be called. Either way, France is entering a period of significant political instability.

The New Popular Front’s agenda is quite radical, proposing to reduce the retirement age, increase minimum wages, reintroduce the wealth tax, and raise corporate taxes. France’s budget deficit and public debt, already high at 5.5% and 110% of GDP respectively, would increase significantly, leading to potential conflicts with Brussels.

The timing of the French elections could not be worse, given the fraught geopolitical situation globally. The war in Ukraine continues, the conflict in Gaza persists, and tensions in the East and South China Seas, as well as the Taiwan Strait, are escalating. This is all set against a backdrop of a divided America, a disruptive Russia, and an assertive China.

Observers note that France is not just any European country. It is the EU’s second-largest economy and, politically, the most significant if considering its UNSC membership, nuclear deterrence, and crucial role in the European project. Hence, political uncertainty in France will have substantial ramifications for the EU and beyond.

The political instability in France, combined with the struggles of the ruling coalition in Germany, weakens the EU geopolitically. This is particularly ironic, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen aimed for a strong “geopolitical European Commission” in 2019. With the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the US presidency, the EU has not been this divided in recent memory. China and Russia are undoubtedly pleased.

We are between two world orders, with progress towards a multipolar world being uneven and messy. An EU weakened geopolitically makes this transition even more challenging. India, a strong proponent of a multipolar world, might find its strategic space shrinking further due to this instability. With internal political turmoil in both France and Germany, the Franco-German motor will falter, negatively impacting the EU’s foreign and security policy. Serious differences between France and Brussels, particularly on issues like budget deficit and public debt, could become more pronounced with the New Popular Front’s tax-and-spend agenda.

As for Macron, he has three years remaining in his presidency and has made it clear he will not resign, continuing until his term ends in 2027. However, he may have to appoint a prime minister from the coalition of Left parties, leading to a cohabitation arrangement. Given the stark differences between Macron’s party manifesto and the New Popular Front’s platform, finding common ground will be challenging.

Even under normal circumstances, France is difficult to govern and reform. With a hung parliament and potential cohabitation, France has clearly entered a period of political limbo.

New Delhi: On Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, claimed that her husband was the victim of a “deep political conspiracy” and urged the public to support him. She warned that without such support, no educated and honest person would be inclined to join politics.

In her first video message following the Lok Sabha results, she alleged that Kejriwal was arrested by the ED in the excise policy case based on a “false” statement by a witness. She reiterated the Aam Aadmi Party’s allegations against Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, who was recently elected to the Lok Sabha on a TDP ticket, and his son, Raghava Magunta, an accused-turned-approver.

She described Kejriwal as a normal, educated, patriotic, and staunchly honest man, emphasizing that if the people of Delhi do not support him, no educated and honest individual will venture into politics.

According to Sunita Kejriwal, the ED arrested Arvind Kejriwal based on the statement of TDP MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy. She claimed that Reddy changed his statement to the ED about his meeting with the Delhi Chief Minister after his son, Raghava Magunta Reddy, was arrested and denied bail.

Sunita Kejriwal alleged that initially, MSR said he met the Delhi Chief Minister on March 16, 2021, regarding land for a charitable trust he wanted to open in Delhi. However, he changed his statement on July 17, 2023, following his son’s arrest. She questioned the plausibility of asking for money in front of 10-12 people, as MSR claimed in his altered statement.

Similar allegations had been made by AAP leader Sanjay Singh in April. No immediate reaction was available from the ED or MSR.

Sunita Kejriwal claimed that even after his son’s arrest, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy gave several statements but maintained his original claim about meeting Kejriwal regarding land for his family charitable trust. She mentioned that Raghav Magunta’s wife attempted suicide due to shock, and his elderly mother’s health deteriorated, leading to MSR changing his statement.

She pointed out that MSR’s meeting with Kejriwal lasted barely 4-5 minutes, and it was his first and last meeting with the Chief Minister. She questioned the logic of asking for money from a stranger in front of 10-12 people during their first meeting.

Appealing to the public to share her video, Sunita Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of wanting to “finish off” Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party using the ED and CBI.

In response, the BJP accused Sunita Kejriwal of “mastering the art of story-telling” like her husband and of “casting aspersions” on the judiciary. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva criticized her for implying that the judiciary was biased in granting bail based on the statements given.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in his government’s scrapped excise policy 2021-22. He is currently in judicial custody after being arrested by the CBI. While the trial court granted him bail on June 20 in the ED case, the Delhi High Court stayed the trial court order on June 25.

Kejriwal had campaigned vigorously against the BJP in the Lok Sabha election in Delhi, portraying it as a vote against his arrest. However, this effort was insufficient as the BJP maintained its winning streak, securing all seven seats in the national capital again, though with smaller victory margins this time.

In a significant milestone for the local defense manufacturing sector, India unveiled a light tank on Saturday, designed for rapid deployment and high mobility in mountainous regions. This tank is expected to be ready for induction into service by 2027, bolstering the army’s position against Chinese forces along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC), according to officials.

The 25-tonne tank has been jointly developed by Larsen & Toubro and the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) under Project Zorawar in approximately two years to fulfill the Indian Army’s requirement for 354 light tanks. It will now undergo rigorous trials.

An official noted that the tank was developed from scratch in the shortest possible time.

“It will be capable of operating in challenging conditions along the LAC with minimal logistical support. The tank will demonstrate its capabilities in summer and winter trials conducted in deserts and mountains over the next two years before it goes into production,” he said.

DRDO chief Samir V. Kamat reviewed the first prototype of the tank at L&T’s Hazira facility in Gujarat on Saturday, where it performed basic maneuvers.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has deployed several modern tanks, including light tanks with a high power-to-weight ratio, along the LAC. The military standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh is now in its fifth year, with no resolution in sight, though India hopes ongoing negotiations will restore the status quo ante of April 2020.

The Indian Army has deployed heavier Russian-origin T-72 and T-90 tanks in the Ladakh region, but these have limitations as they are designed for operations in plains and deserts. The need for light tanks with adequate firepower, protection, surveillance, and communication capabilities became apparent after the border dispute began, officials said. The new capability will cost around ₹17,500 crore.

“The tank can be transported by air and is capable of amphibious operations. It can fire at high angles of elevation and perform the role of limited artillery,” said a second official, adding that the platform’s modular design can accommodate future upgrades.

The tank is expected to feature cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, drone integration, active protection systems, and superior situational awareness.

The tank is named Zorawar after the legendary general Zorawar Singh, who led the Dogra forces to victories in Ladakh and Tibet between 1834 and 1841. In May 1841, he led a 5,000-strong Dogra force into Tibet, quickly defeating Chinese forces and capturing their Mantalai flag.

In December 2022, the defense acquisition council granted its acceptance of necessity (AoN) and approved defense projects worth ₹84,328 crore to enhance the combat potential of the armed forces with new military hardware, including light tanks. Under India’s defense procurement rules, AoN by the council is the first step toward acquiring military hardware.

In a request for information published in April 2021, the army stated that the light tank must be versatile enough to operate in diverse terrain conditions and address various threats and the equipment profiles of the country’s adversaries.

In a subsequent note, the army described the light tank as a lethal and survivable platform with significant mobility advantages in high-altitude areas.

“These tanks, with superior mobility, all-terrain agility, multi-layered protection, precision lethal firepower, and real-time situational awareness integrating niche technology, will provide multiple options for rapid operational deployment, enabling the army to conduct operations across the entire spectrum of conflict,” the note said.

The tank was unveiled a day after Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India had recorded its highest ever growth in the value of local defense production in the fiscal year 2023-24, reaching almost ₹1.27 lakh crore, a 17% increase from the previous year.

Of the total defense production value in 2023-24, 79.2% was contributed by defense public sector undertakings and other PSUs, with the remaining 20.8% coming from the private sector.