Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden, shares his perspective from Jerusalem on the protests in Israel and France.
What is really happening in Israel?
Well, it is really a profound crisis. It is cultural. We might argue it is political. It's got to be constitutional. The new government of Prime Minister Netanyahu, very much to the right, is trying to change the constitutional legal order of the country, and that is heavily opposed by large segments of Israeli society. The president has been trying to broker compromises failed, the crisis was only deepened to the detriment of the society and strength of Israel.
What is happening in France with the pension reform?
Well, this is a key thing for President Macron in his efforts to modernize and make France a more productive country and productive economy in the future with pension reform. He has been heavily opposed. And he hoped that he was going to get it through the National Assembly fairly easily. He had to resort to other extremely unusual, not unique, but unusual constitutional measures. He got it through profound crisis, heavy opposition. His government will face a vote of non-confidence, likely to survive it. And I think President Macron will actually get the reform through.
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