1. 🇫🇷 WILL MACRON MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION?

With François Bayrou’s shaky government on the verge of another fall, President Emmanuel Macron has an important decision with 3 non-compelling options:

1. Appoint a new PM: Macron could try a third prime minister. Names like Sébastien Lecornu are floating around, but he comes from Macron’s Renaissance Party, so will it change anything? Probably not. 41% of French citizens want to see a PM from The National Rally, the Party that Marine Le Pen comes from.

2. Snap elections: Macron could dissolve parliament… again. But last year’s vote gave us a hung assembly. Why expect better now?

3. Resign: Not happening. Macron has always ruled it out; his resignation would give too much potential for someone from the opposing parties to take his seat.

The decision with the least amount of risk to Macron: hold the line, appoint someone new, and try to stabilize. France needs and deserves strong and stable leadership, which is something that Macron has been unable to provide.

2. 💸 HUNGARY’S QUIET ECONOMIC STRENGTH

While much of Europe grapples with sluggish growth and persistent deficits, Hungary is charting a different course, quietly building one of the EU’s most resilient economies.

Since 1990, Hungary has nearly doubled its inflation-adjusted GDP per capita, with nearly half of that growth happening since 2010 under conservative leadership. Pro-business reforms, like the simplified KATA tax for small entrepreneurs, have spurred job creation and self-employment, now accounting for over 9% of the workforce as of 2022.

Despite running deficits like most countries, Hungary has kept them in check with rules that redirect unexpected revenue toward debt reduction.

While critics focus on deficits, Hungary’s steady growth and fiscal innovation suggest that conservative, practical policies can deliver long-term economic stability, without Brussels micromanagement.

👵🏻 RETIRING IN POVERTY

A new EU watchdog warning reveals a worrisome truth: 1 in 5 Europeans risks retiring in poverty, and women face a 30% higher risk than men. The root cause? An aging population completely relying on an unsustainable pension system.

By 2050, there’ll be only 1.76 workers per retiree, down from 3 today. Europe simply can’t afford to keep relying on state pensions alone.

The fix isn’t more government spending, it’s smarter fiscal policy. Brussels should be pushing for self-reliance; however, they are pushing for over reliance on the government, and that is not sustainable for the aging population.