A recent credit card outage in France was blamed on botched payments system update. The reason for ATM failure in Scotland was not clear from the same post.
My thoughts:
Beginnings of the Zapad 2025?
Considering the banks are claiming it was just a botched update, my paranoia instinct would tend to cyber attack (private or foreign public sector) or frenzied preparations for Central Bank Digital Currencies supposedly becoming to EU this October.
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It is speculated that French government will collapse in this budget crisis. Belt tightening proposals include removal of two holidays: Easter Monday and May 8th (celebrating victory of WWII) to ‘increase the productivity’ by making people work more for the good of the country (who decides how the extra profits are used?). Aside from reducing the well-being of working people, I think this to be an arrogant display of cultural insensitivity, especially the claim that Easter Monday does not have any religious significance.
There is also chatter that France is going to need IMF bailout next week.
Meanwhile, French government is demanding that the hospital system be prepared for mass casualty event by March 2026.
I have low expectations for the quality of life during the next few years.
Update Sep 08, 2025:
The French prime minister Bayroy has lost the confidence vote, and will reportedly submit his resignation to Macron on Tuesday.
PlanktonPunkt 
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