Authors
- Dr Vineeth Thomas, Head, Department of Political Science, SRM University, Amaravati, India,
- Dr Saranya Antony A, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, SRM University, Amaravati, India
- Dr James Ralte, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, SRM University, Amaravati, India
September 2025 has witnessed an unusual simultaneity of political upheaval across three very different democracies. France, Japan and Nepal – nations divided by geography, history and political culture – now find themselves united by one theme: the fall of governments. At first glance, the contexts could not be more distinct. Yet beneath the surface, their turmoil speaks to a wider fragility confronting complex political processes in democracies across the world, a weakness rooted in deepening discontent, political fragmentation and eroding trust in institutions.
In France, Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government was toppled by a decisive confidence-vote defeat. His austerity budget, rejected across the ideological spectrum, symbolised not just fiscal miscalculation but the alienation of citizens from a political class insulated by revolving-door leadership. The backlash came from both left and far-right factions: once savvy political manoeuvring, his gambit instead consolidated opposition. President Emmanuel Macron has moved quickly to appoint Sébastien Lecornu as the new prime minister. Yet the appointment only underscores France’s revolving-door politics: five prime ministers in less than two years, none able to command a clear majority in a polarised parliament. France’s example illustrates how the arithmetic of majorities cannot compensate for the erosion of legitimacy grounded in responsiveness.
Japan’s case reveals a different form of fragility. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, long entrenched as the country’s dominant force, lost control of both houses of the Diet. Economic stagnation, a weak yen, and the additional burden of trade tariffs combined with intra-party dissent to unseat the leadership. The LDP will soon hold a leadership contest, with speculation that Japan could see its first woman prime minister. But leadership changes, however historic, cannot by themselves restore public faith unless they are matched with credible policies to rescue the economy. The Japanese example reveals how even long-entrenched ruling parties can crumble when economic pain pierces the public psyche.
If France and Japan expose parliamentary fragility and economic discontent, Nepal illustrates the fury of a young generation. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned after days of violent protests sparked by his government’s decision to ban major social media platforms. The “#NepoKids” movement, led by Gen Z activists, channelled widespread anger at corruption, elite privilege and lack of opportunity. What began as opposition to digital censorship snowballed into a full-scale revolt against a political class seen as self-serving and indifferent. The symbolism was stark: parliament vandalised, government buildings set on fire, and airports shut down. Oli, a veteran survivor of Nepal’s endless political dramas, found himself outflanked by a digitally savvy generation unwilling to tolerate repression. The episode is a reminder that in societies where young populations see little stake in the system, state and administration can collapse with stunning speed.
These three collapses are not isolated curiosities. Together, they highlight a broader menace afflicting democracy worldwide.Across contexts, the thread is a deepening gap between rulers and the ruled in democracy.What lessons, then, emerge from this season of collapses? First, democratic governments must relearn the art of listening. Whether it is French workers protesting austerity, Japanese families squeezed by inflation or Nepali youth angry at digital gag orders, citizens are demanding responsiveness, not rhetoric. Second, institutions need resilience. France’s Fifth Republic has weathered many storms, but constant churn at the top erodes the very authority needed to implement long-term reforms. Japan’s LDP must confront the complacency bred by decades of dominance, while Nepal’s parties must move beyond power games towards genuine nation-building. Third, leadership matters. Technocratic fixes and cosmetic reshuffles cannot substitute for vision that resonates with ordinary lives.Finaly, the world should resist treating these crises as parochial. They are signposts of a larger democratic fatigue spreading across continents. When governments fall in three diverse nations within the same week, it signals that democracy is under strain. Populations are increasingly impatient, institutions are becoming brittle and a widening trust deficit is emerging.The simultaneity of these democratic anxieties across Asia and Europe reminds that democracies falter when governments stop listening, when institutions calcify, and when citizens no longer believe that their participation can change outcomes.
France, Japan and Nepal stand at crossroads very different yet oddly similar. What binds them is the same challenge facing democracies everywhere: to prove that legitimacy cannot be manufactured by arithmetic of seats or the choreography of coalitions, it must be earned through responsiveness, accountability, and the capacity to give people a reason to believe.
