Is the French government literally slavering for an excuse to declare martial law to avoid the next election? President begging for a reason to start shooting political opponents?

Well... Yes.
They're literally putting curfews in major cities, talking about social media black holes, and talking about banning the most popular leftist party from the next elections. Police are literally killing and maiming kids in the street as we speak.

Thanks for the terminally American pastime of thinking you're unique.

Edit: to the terminally dumb Americans downvoting, I suggest you look at what's happening in France. Not what your liberal media is talking about, but what is really happening.