‘Maxi merde’: French presidential campaign rattled by a week of chaos

PARIS — French schools are getting torched. The far right’s brightest star is fighting for his political life after being accused of antisemitic remarks. And economic indicators are flashing bright red to warn of a potential sovereign debt disaster in the country. The crises that have rocked France in recent days are exacerbating partisan cleavages in the country’s increasingly no-holds-barred presidential campaign. In the words of one government adviser: “It’s the maxi merde .