After leaving Auxerre, the Canal du Nivernais cuts 108 miles through rural France to reach the Loire near little Decize, a small town (population <7,000) built on a rocky hill in the Loire. This was once an island, but at some point, most of the right arm was filled in and the land reclaimed. All that remains is a vestige, "la vieille Loire," and what looks to me like a very old bridge. Two rivers converge here; the Loire is joined by one of its tributary, the Aron, and a rocky hill overlooking the confluence has given Decize a strategic point from which to surveil river traffic.
Thus, the town punches above its weight and has some history. I mention one story from its past because the event has many parallels with events today.
The island was known in Roman times as Decetiae, and in the Spring of the seventh year of the Gallic War (B.C.52) Caesar summoned the senate of the Aedui to Decetia to resolve a serious political dispute. (B. G. 7.33). The leaders of the Aedui, a Gallic tribe that were valued allies of the Romans--Caesar "... had always fostered and honoured them by every possible means"--had come to beg Caesar to "help their people in a time of dire necessity." "It was their long-established custom to appoint only one magistrate each year to hold regal power" but two men were now holding office, both claiming to be legally appointed. One--Convictolitavis--was "an energetic and distinguished young man" --had been appointed by the priests (according to state custom when the succession of office has been broken.) The other was Cotus, an aristocrat "with considerable influence and powerful connections." In fact, his brother, Valetiacus, who held the supreme magistracy in the previous year, had declared Cotus to be the supreme magistrate after him. So "the nation was up in arms, the senate split and so were the people...If the wrangling went on any longer the two halves of the state would come to blows." [The envoys] "were relying ...on Caesar's concern and influence to prevent this happening."
"Despite believing that it would be to his disadvantage to move away from the war and the enemy, Caesar was well aware that disputes of this kind often lead to serious setbacks. He was unwilling that a nation of substance...should be reduced to armed violence." Caesar had other reasons to intervene. This Gallic dispute took place in the heat of Caesar's campaign against Vercingetorix (the battle of Alesia took place just six months later.) Caesar didn't want one of the sides to turn to Vercingetorix for reinforcements.
So a divided tribe on the verge of civil war needed Caesar's attention. "According to the laws of the Aedui, the supreme magistrate was not permitted to set foot outside Aeduan territory. To avoid appearing to violate their rules and laws in any way, Caesar decided to march to their land in person. He summoned the entire senate and the two men on whom the dispute centered to meet him Decetia. Almost the entire people gathered there. ...Caesar forced Cotus to give up office, and gave orders that Convictolitavis... should hold power." The laws of the Aedui did not permit two men from a single family to belong to the senate during their joint lifetime; it was definitely not legal for someone holding the position of supreme magistrate to appoint his brother as next supreme magistrate. So Caesar ruled according to the laws of the Aedui, and Cotus was out. Caesar urged the Aedui to "forget their disputes and differences" and "devote themselves to the campaign and look forward to receiving the rewards which they would earn from him once the conquest of Gaul was complete."
So, disputed elections, corruption, a divided populace, the threat of warfare, and an external superior military force summoned to settle the dispute and establish the peace.
Will we ever learn?
I've taken my citations from Book 7, chapters 32 - 34 of Caesar's The Gallic War, translated by Carolyn Hammond, published by Oxford World Classics.