The joke was easy, but fitting. "The government is leaking!" several opposition MPs said, as water dripped from the ceiling of the Assemblée Nationale following heavy rains in Paris. Prime Minister François Bayrou, speaking on the situation in the Middle East, pointed out the leak at the end of his address on Wednesday evening, June 25. A few drops landed on the prime minister's lectern, forcing a 20-minute pause while firefighters laid down absorbent mats.

Aside from the storm outside, the evening at the Palais Bourbon – which stretched until 1 am – was relatively calm. It was to be expected that this debate, held on a Wednesday evening without a vote and focused on international issues, would attract only a few MPs, many of whom trickled out as the night – and the weather – wore on. Each speaker took the floor to present their own take on the global situation.

Before the water started falling on his head, Bayrou opened the session with a 30-minute speech flanked by Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu and Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. The prime minister laid out the broader context of ongoing conflicts, with a cease-fire having taken effect Tuesday between Iran and Israel after 12 days of war and US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

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