Macron calls a national election
Discussion
I guess not many saw that coming!
Heavily beaten by the Far Right in the European elections, is this a massive gamble that the French electorate will come to their senses when confronted with the notion of Le Pen running parliament?
If so, I've a horrible feeling it may be too late to call the voters' bluff.
Heavily beaten by the Far Right in the European elections, is this a massive gamble that the French electorate will come to their senses when confronted with the notion of Le Pen running parliament?
If so, I've a horrible feeling it may be too late to call the voters' bluff.
Kermit power said:
is this a massive gamble that the French electorate will come to their senses when confronted with the notion of Le Pen running parliament?
In what way are people not coming to their senses already? People have had enough and they've voted as such. This is a symptom of a sick society. It's happening all throughout Europe, and here too. Time to perhaps accept things aren't healthy?Still, the UK will vote Labour in. Yippee.
86 said:
Europe moving to the right big time. People fed up with immigration meanwhile we are moving left and Starmer will open the floodgates
What floodgates? The Tories sold them for scrap years ago. They made no effort to control legal immigration and were utterly inept at controlling illegal immigration.Macron needs to win.
The divide and conquer of Europe has strong momentum now and Macron, arguably Europe's greatest current leader, is worried.
There are huge amounts wrong with the EU and indeed in France, but having unhappy people is a natural byproduct of democracy, and some people are losing sight of that.
European countries in isolation are simply weak when measured against the behemoths like USA and China. We need that frame of reference.
The French have voted their views on the European parliament and want their voices heard in that forum but I think they get the nuances at play and will think differently on a national level. At least, that's what Macron is hoping for.
The divide and conquer of Europe has strong momentum now and Macron, arguably Europe's greatest current leader, is worried.
There are huge amounts wrong with the EU and indeed in France, but having unhappy people is a natural byproduct of democracy, and some people are losing sight of that.
European countries in isolation are simply weak when measured against the behemoths like USA and China. We need that frame of reference.
The French have voted their views on the European parliament and want their voices heard in that forum but I think they get the nuances at play and will think differently on a national level. At least, that's what Macron is hoping for.
105.4 said:
The biggest surprise to me in all of this is that Marie le Pen is ’far-right’
Are you aware of her history?She's a senior member of France's far right royalty who took an undisputedly Far Right party and dressed it up in nationalist/populist clothes to make it look respectable enough to get people to vote for it.
The RN's 22 point plan for France is absolutely textbook. Promise the people what they want to hear, keep just the right amount of blaming Islam, make lots of completely unfunded spending promises, drop Frexit from the list because it's not popular, but then issue a manifesto which is undeliverable whilst remaining members of the EU. It plays very well to the psyche of many post-colonial French voters.
If they win the election, be under no illusions as to what the people of France will be electing.
86 said:
Europe moving to the right big time. People fed up with immigration meanwhile we are moving left and Starmer will open the floodgates
If Europeans have had enough of immigration, and I presume you refer to illegal immigration here, then why would the floodgates open here, will the boats be coming direct from Africa then?
Chicken Chaser said:
It's a concerning development but it does seem the Euro populace are increasingly looking for a change, and whether that be through what they witness daily or what they see and read on social media, it seems that recent history isn't enough to hold them back.
The french did vote for change, it's just they've decided slightly lukewarm blairite neoliberalism isn't what France wanted after all.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff