Author Topic: Elections in Europe  (Read 165201 times)

Offline killer-heels

  • Hates everyone and everything. Including YOU! Negativity not just for Christmas. Thinks 'irony' means 'metallic'......
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 75,604
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #40 on: February 2, 2017, 10:10:48 pm »
Martin Schulz with a 16 point lead over Merkel. CDU still ahead in terms of parties by 8 points.

Offline BoRed

  • BoRing
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 14,806
  • BoRac
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #41 on: February 3, 2017, 08:42:56 am »
Martin Schulz with a 16 point lead over Merkel.

Where did you see that? They only vote for parties in Germany, don't they? Either way, at least we don't have to worry about the far right winning the election.

Offline Libertine

  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,470
  • Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #42 on: February 3, 2017, 11:03:56 am »

Offline Zimagic

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,982
  • Liar, liar with your drawers on fire......
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #43 on: February 3, 2017, 11:22:51 am »
Were Wikileaks always pro-fascist/far-right or is that a more recent development? Maybe cabin fever induces political hysteria.....



This looks promising (Betfair chances) though as Ian Dunt said on Twitter, it brings back horrendous memories of US election night.

How old is this graph? Still has Juppé (eliminated after the Right primaries) and no left wing candidates at all. Fillon is seriously tanking, calls within the party to replace him (which would be catastrophic for them). He's still polling ahead of Hamon (who has a huge issue with the core issues of his campaign which just won't fly outside of the Socialist party) but rapidly losing ground to Macron (who has the other problem of having next to no election programme at all though it seems to be working)

As things stand Le Pen will make the second round easily at anywhere near 25% of the vote (insanity!) and will most likely face Macron in the second round, who should win without too much difficulty (actually anyone would, it's just the margin that remains the question). What's scary is that they have a full half of the "Les Republicans" vote going to Le Pen over Macron, pushing her to around 37%.

The thing you have to remember about French politics is that the country is in the majority slightly left, but the left is extremely fractured. Also, some votes will never shift (extreme right) so, in addition to knowing that 20-25% (depending on the year) of the voting electorate will always vote elsewhere regardless of your candidate, you need a really strong candidate to step above the 7-8 left wing parties trying to get their guy elected, the FN and the traditional right-wing candidate (Fillion this year). On the right there's generally just a 2 way fight with a couple of token candidates and occasionally a Centre-Right. The PS vote is fighting with the Greens, Communist, 2 strong ex-PS candidates (Melanchon and Macron) and a handful of token candidates. If the PS don't have a strong candidate (they don't), it will be a fight between Fillion trying to get back into it (won't happen), Macron and Le Pen for the presidency.

Hamon needs a huge swing to get into the second round, and he needs to convince at least 2-3 key left-wing opponents to ceede to him and that's just not going to happen. Macron has next to no programme but he's young, handsome (apparently), dynamic, publically seperated from Hollande's presidency and has nothing to criticise apart from having no programme (i.e.: no scandals & nothing to criticise in his programme). It's quite a good approach in the current political climate: bet on getting into the second round with the FN and win on the "anybody but Le Pen" vote.

Try this for live graphs btw:
http://www.bfmtv.com/politique/sondage/

"Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably-Priced Love and a Hard-Boiled Egg!"

Offline TheShanklyGates

  • Firmly in the "shake it all about" camp
  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 26,780
  • Outside The Shankly Gates...
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #44 on: February 3, 2017, 01:47:30 pm »
Some background on Mr and Mrs Macron....

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/opinion/sex-and-the-french-elections.html

Well that's a bit unusual to say the least...

Would be the death of him if he were standing for election here but it'll probably help in France ;D
I've just wiped the sticky residue from my bellend onto the television screen. Taste it Leo. You deserve it.
I would honestly let Wijnaldum jizz in my face right now

Offline Libertine

  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,470
  • Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #45 on: February 3, 2017, 02:18:11 pm »

Try this for live graphs btw:
http://www.bfmtv.com/politique/sondage/


Nice, thanks!

How old is this graph? Still has Juppé (eliminated after the Right primaries) and no left wing candidates at all.

Think it's just a few days old (probably before Hamon was confirmed). Think Juppe is on there as some expect he might have to replace Fillon as the Republican candidate, so might be taking some bets.

Offline Zimagic

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,982
  • Liar, liar with your drawers on fire......
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #46 on: February 3, 2017, 03:08:42 pm »
Think it's just a few days old (probably before Hamon was confirmed). Think Juppe is on there as some expect he might have to replace Fillon as the Republican candidate, so might be taking some bets.

HA! They'd be better going with Fillon, Juppé's already been convicted of corruption and represents a generation of politicians who everyone assumes are all crooked and should just retire.
"Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably-Priced Love and a Hard-Boiled Egg!"

Offline Caligula?

  • Relentlessly negative about fucking everything. A smile would crack your face.....the most boring poster on the site
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 28,406
  • SPQR
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #47 on: February 3, 2017, 04:34:35 pm »
I'm fairly certain at least one of Le Pen, Wilders and Schultz will win their respective elections. Don't think there's any stopping it.

Offline Libertine

  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,470
  • Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #48 on: February 3, 2017, 04:37:02 pm »
I'm fairly certain at least one of Le Pen, Wilders and Schultz will win their respective elections. Don't think there's any stopping it.

Well Schultz has an outside chance, but what would be wrong with that?

Offline Caligula?

  • Relentlessly negative about fucking everything. A smile would crack your face.....the most boring poster on the site
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 28,406
  • SPQR
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #49 on: February 3, 2017, 04:39:52 pm »
Well Schultz has an outside chance, but what would be wrong with that?

With Schultz or Len Pen and Wilders?

Offline Danny Boys Dad

  • Errol Flynn when he's had a few
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,082
  • Now listen here son
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #50 on: February 3, 2017, 04:40:01 pm »
I'm fairly certain at least one of Le Pen, Wilders and Schultz will win their respective elections. Don't think there's any stopping it.

I don't think that Le Pen or Wilders will win, I think Trump has shown people what's in store if they elect a right wing candidate. Hope so anyway.
Legacy fan

Offline Libertine

  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,470
  • Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #51 on: February 3, 2017, 04:41:26 pm »
With Schultz or Len Pen and Wilders?

Schultz is the German Social Democrat.

If you mean one of AFD, Wilders or Le Pen will get into government (as opposed to first round highest vote share), then you'll get good odds.

Very unlikely to happen in any of the elections.

Offline Caligula?

  • Relentlessly negative about fucking everything. A smile would crack your face.....the most boring poster on the site
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 28,406
  • SPQR
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #52 on: February 3, 2017, 04:44:19 pm »
Schultz is the German Social Democrat.

If you mean one of AFD, Wilders or Le Pen will get into government (as opposed to first round highest vote share), then you'll get good odds.

Very unlikely to happen in any of the elections.

Obviously Schultz is not like the other two, so I suppose I meant in the sense that establishment politics will cease to continue as we now know them in one of Germany, the Netherlands and France. Maybe two, or perhaps even all three.

Offline BoRed

  • BoRing
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 14,806
  • BoRac
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #53 on: February 3, 2017, 04:53:03 pm »
Obviously Schultz is not like the other two, so I suppose I meant in the sense that establishment politics will cease to continue as we now know them in one of Germany, the Netherlands and France. Maybe two, or perhaps even all three.

SPD are the German equivalent of the Democrats, so not exactly anti-establishment. :)

Wilders might win the election (in the sense of winning more votes than any other party), but it'll be the established parties forming the government.

Offline Caligula?

  • Relentlessly negative about fucking everything. A smile would crack your face.....the most boring poster on the site
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 28,406
  • SPQR
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #54 on: February 3, 2017, 04:56:00 pm »
SPD are the German equivalent of the Democrats, so not exactly anti-establishment. :)

Wilders might win the election (in the sense of winning more votes than any other party), but it'll be the established parties forming the government.

Perhaps you're right, I just have this foreboding sense of doom much in the same way before the US election.

Offline killer-heels

  • Hates everyone and everything. Including YOU! Negativity not just for Christmas. Thinks 'irony' means 'metallic'......
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 75,604
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #55 on: February 3, 2017, 05:01:49 pm »
Perhaps you're right, I just have this foreboding sense of doom much in the same way before the US election.

It will be business as normal in Germany and there isnt much chance in Netherlands apparently. Its the French one that is the biggest danger of all though.

Offline stoa

  • way. Daydream. Quite partial to a good plonking.
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 16,356
  • Five+One Times, Baby...
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #56 on: February 3, 2017, 11:47:12 pm »
Obviously Schultz is not like the other two, so I suppose I meant in the sense that establishment politics will cease to continue as we now know them in one of Germany, the Netherlands and France. Maybe two, or perhaps even all three.

Schultz's SPD is already in a coalition with the Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU. That means they are already part of the government. Also, the chancellor isn't elected in Germany, so Schultz having a lead on Merkel won't mean he'll become chancellor unless his sympathy rating has a really positive influence on his party's poll numbers. At the moment, the SPD seem to be in the mid 20s whereas the CDU/CSU is still in the mid 30s. As things stand, the CDU/CSU would again become the party with the biggest share of the votes and therefore would name the chancellor (i.e. Angela Merkel keeps her spot). The better a result the SPD get though the more influence and power they'll have in the next coalition, but there would have to be a major shift in poll numbers for Angela Merkel to lose here chancellorship.

In terms of Trump having an influence on elections in Europe, I'm not sure whether that's the case, but I don't know that much about people in the Netherlands or France. If you look at Germany though, Trump is largely seen as a crazy idiot and as a politician you'd be completely insane to attach yourself to him or to do what he did. It might give you some votes from extreme right-wingers or other nutjobs, but their number seems to be miniscule. Even for a party like the AfD it might be stupid to get too close to Trump. They already have the nutjobs voting for them, so they won't get more. However, they might lose some of the saner people who are voting for them to "protest against the establishment".

Offline Libertine

  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,470
  • Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #57 on: February 4, 2017, 11:11:00 am »
Schultz has certainly had a good effect on the SPD - we'll see if it lasts. Good to see AFD dropping support.




Offline Zimagic

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,982
  • Liar, liar with your drawers on fire......
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #58 on: February 7, 2017, 10:24:34 am »
Quick update on French politics after a weekend of official campaign launching:

Le Pen is holding steady at 26.5% and looks a pretty good bet to take one of the two spots in the second round unless something drastic happens. Small taster of her speeches:

Quote
"Islamic fundamentalism is a yoke France can no longer live under. Muslim veils, mosques and street prayers are cultural threats no French person … attached to his dignity can accept”; radical Islamist prayer centres will be closed down and hate preachers expelled.

Financial globalisation and Islamist globalisation are helping each other out. Those two ideologies aim to bring France to its knees.

I am the only candidate of the people."

Not channelling the political zeitgeist at all, Marine.


Fillon, of the right wing "The Republicans", interviewed on national tv/radio to say that he did nothing illegal with the €1m ficticious jobs payments to family memebers but apologized anyway. He pooh-poohed some other allegations but admitted he had put senate payments for assistants into his pocket (€25k). Claims it was a longstanding practice in political life. He said he had done nothing illegal (it's totally illegal) and was not under investigation over it (yet). He then launched his campaign the same evening and got slated for everything. His campaign's moral stance is "cleaning up politics", all his endorsements are old school cronies who people are sick of so he is freewheeling and unlikely to improve much on his current third-placed 19.5%.

Huge calls for him to resign but the candidate most likely to replace him is the guy he beat, Juppé, who doesn't have grass-roots support and has already been convicted of fiddling public funds on dodgy housing allocations.


Mélanchon, Left, did a funky hologram dual rally: physically in front of the crowd in Lyon, he was projected in front of a crowd in suburban Paris. No one could actually say what he talked about but he looked like a pillock doing it. He's essentially holding the left hostage with his 10% of the vote. The Green's Jadot (1%) is calling for a pre-election left-wing coalition. Add Bayrou's 4% and the Left have a chance but only if Mélanchon chips in his 10%, which he is adamantly refusing to do. Hamon needs a full 10% more than he's currently polling, despite a very strong (and more moderate) campaign launch. The only way he will get that is convincing Mélanchon to sit down with him, which is not looking like happening right now.


And Macron (second with about 23%) finally came out and presented something akin to a programme: Reform unemployment benefits to weight them towards those actively trying to gain employment; Reform taxation on large fortunes; Reduced charges for employeers & employees; Reform the strict working hours system; Improve state retirements; Invest in Education and grant more autonomy to schools; Cut departmental red-tape in the overly burocratic governing system; Invest heavily in the police force; invest in the cultural education and access to culture for young people.

So, despite trumpetting on about being a man of the Center, he's pretty much a man of the Left. There's nothing revolutionary in here, there's also nothing that will scare anyone but the 1% (large fortune taxation), there's also nothing that strikes you as being more indepth than a 2 minute chat about ideals. As the French would say, there's no "fond"(depth or base/solidity), just something floating on the surface. Still, until someone starts asking real questions, or there's a shift in the organisation of the left, he should breeze into the second round and rake in all the anti-Le Pen voters for an easy victory.


"Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably-Priced Love and a Hard-Boiled Egg!"

Offline Trump's tiny tiny hands

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 6,016
  • Building steam with a grain of salt
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #59 on: February 8, 2017, 11:48:37 am »
Good to see Russian media having their say in the French elections. Nothing sinister in it at all.

Offline Libertine

  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,470
  • Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #60 on: February 8, 2017, 12:29:28 pm »

Offline Zimagic

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,982
  • Liar, liar with your drawers on fire......
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #61 on: February 8, 2017, 01:32:25 pm »


One in 3 voting intentions for a clueless extremist running on the Fraxit & Anti-immigration platforms!!

SMH.

Still, it's not quite at US levels yet and the shock should shake some voters from the woodwork to depress that total somewhat.
"Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably-Priced Love and a Hard-Boiled Egg!"

Offline Zimagic

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,982
  • Liar, liar with your drawers on fire......
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #62 on: February 10, 2017, 04:21:37 pm »
2.5hrs of Le Pen on French national channel France 2 last night. Highlights:

She didn't embezzle €300,000 euros of EU funds to pay for FN jobs back in France that have no connection to the EU. Despite it having been proven and documented, it's "A plot" invented by political opposition in France.


France will leave the Euro and re-adopt the Franc. Answering claims that it would be hugely expensive and cause inflated prices, she said "That's just accountancy and technicalities". The Trump is strong in this one.

And then an hour of we-all-talk-at-the-same-time-and-ignore-everyone-else with the current education minister.



Fillon trying to get his embezzlement case thrown out on a technicality and has cited the reason that "LR voters would flock to the FN and I can't have that" for not dropping out. That it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference hasn't occured to him yet.


Everyone else holding steady. Another day in France.
"Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably-Priced Love and a Hard-Boiled Egg!"

Offline cloggypop

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 3,308
  • We all Live in a Red and White Kop

Offline Danny Boys Dad

  • Errol Flynn when he's had a few
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,082
  • Now listen here son
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #64 on: February 13, 2017, 01:16:31 pm »
Legacy fan

Offline cloggypop

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 3,308
  • We all Live in a Red and White Kop
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #65 on: February 13, 2017, 04:05:36 pm »
He's a bad Venlo meff

Offline mallin9

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,697
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #66 on: February 13, 2017, 06:46:06 pm »
Good afternoon, request for information- can someone please explain to a dumb American (hi!) the roles/hierarchy of President & Chancellor in Germany?

Request for opinion- how far right is the new German president?

Thanks


edit- Thanks for the link above, sheds much light on him.  Anti-Trump?  I like him already!  Seems a bit shady on human rights himself though

This bit was helpful:  The German president has little executive power but is considered an important moral authority.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2017, 06:48:15 pm by mallin9 »
You'll Never Walk Alone

Offline thejbs

  • well-focussed, deffo not at all bias......ed
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 8,617
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #67 on: February 14, 2017, 12:53:02 pm »
I don't think that Le Pen or Wilders will win, I think Trump has shown people what's in store if they elect a right wing candidate. Hope so anyway.

You're looking at that from the left.  Those on the far right are seeing him immediately take steps to ban Muslims from the country. They're seeing Trump follow through on his pledge to build a border wall. Maybe they'll fall for all his supposed job creation from businesses not taking their business abroad. 

While Trump's popularity ratings are low, it's naive to think that anyone on the right is seeing the presidency as the car crash it truly is.

Offline Danny Boys Dad

  • Errol Flynn when he's had a few
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,082
  • Now listen here son
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #68 on: February 14, 2017, 12:56:57 pm »
You're looking at that from the left.  Those on the far right are seeing him immediately take steps to ban Muslims from the country. They're seeing Trump follow through on his pledge to build a border wall. Maybe they'll fall for all his supposed job creation from businesses not taking their business abroad. 

While Trump's popularity ratings are low, it's naive to think that anyone on the right is seeing the presidency as the car crash it truly is.

If I'm honest I'm looking at most of this from behind the couch

I always thought of the Netherlands as a tolerant country, I wouldn't have put them in the same bracket as Americans. I'm surprised at how much support someone like Wilders seems to have.
Legacy fan

Offline killer-heels

  • Hates everyone and everything. Including YOU! Negativity not just for Christmas. Thinks 'irony' means 'metallic'......
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 75,604
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #69 on: February 14, 2017, 01:35:56 pm »
If I'm honest I'm looking at most of this from behind the couch

I always thought of the Netherlands as a tolerant country, I wouldn't have put them in the same bracket as Americans. I'm surprised at how much support someone like Wilders seems to have.

This far right approach is a concept developed a lot here in Europe though so if anything we as Europeans have shown the Yanks the way to go.

One thing I find a bit concerning in the European debates and elections is the spread of the youth vote. Le Pen and the Five Star movement in Italy (albeit they are not far right) carry vast swathes of the youth vote. Not surprising when you see the state of the economy in these countries and the high level of unemployment that exists.

We have to be really careful in the UK. Whilst the youth vote is still a much more sympathetic and tolerant vote here, we are in an era where younger people won't benefit as much as their grandparents, will have much higher debt and won't have a house, as well as much shitter (if any) pensions. Thus there is massive potential in the future of a party or movement being created that gives them the 'easy' answers. We hope that is on the left but that very much could be on the right.

Hence why I am more sympathetic now to the ideas of immigration controls, so that we don't create an obvious target.

Offline HarryLabrador

  • went broke, so had to get the retrievers in.
  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 7,260
SoS Membership Number: 387

Offline Danny Boys Dad

  • Errol Flynn when he's had a few
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,082
  • Now listen here son
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #71 on: February 14, 2017, 01:44:15 pm »
Hence why I am more sympathetic now to the ideas of immigration controls, so that we don't create an obvious target.

You don't think that introducing stricter immigration controls feeds the idea that immigrants are responsible?

The Tories very successfully blamed everything on immigrants and said that they would impose controls. Those controls didn't work and the next thing you have is brexit, which also won't work.

The EU already allowed sensible controls on people not coming for work and more could have been done to stop employers from using immigrants to cut wage rates.

Anything more than that would probably be economically inadvisable and supports the idea that it's all the migrants fault.
Legacy fan

Offline Danny Boys Dad

  • Errol Flynn when he's had a few
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,082
  • Now listen here son
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #72 on: February 14, 2017, 01:44:45 pm »
This racist pig was banned from entering the UK in 2009.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7882953.stm

He appealed I think and was then allowed in.
Legacy fan

Offline HarryLabrador

  • went broke, so had to get the retrievers in.
  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 7,260
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #73 on: February 14, 2017, 02:20:13 pm »
He appealed I think and was then allowed in.
Thanks for the update. Shame, though.
SoS Membership Number: 387

Offline Danny Boys Dad

  • Errol Flynn when he's had a few
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,082
  • Now listen here son
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #74 on: February 14, 2017, 02:39:53 pm »
Thanks for the update. Shame, though.

It was a UKIP peer who invited him, so that he could show his anti-Islamic film in the House of Lords.
Legacy fan

Offline killer-heels

  • Hates everyone and everything. Including YOU! Negativity not just for Christmas. Thinks 'irony' means 'metallic'......
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 75,604
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #75 on: February 14, 2017, 07:05:03 pm »
You don't think that introducing stricter immigration controls feeds the idea that immigrants are responsible?

The Tories very successfully blamed everything on immigrants and said that they would impose controls. Those controls didn't work and the next thing you have is brexit, which also won't work.

The EU already allowed sensible controls on people not coming for work and more could have been done to stop employers from using immigrants to cut wage rates.

Anything more than that would probably be economically inadvisable and supports the idea that it's all the migrants fault.

Thing is if living standards keep falling and then migration still continues at this pace then certainly people will blame migrants. At least by tackling it now we are kind of trying to address whatever problem people think there is.

Offline Caligula?

  • Relentlessly negative about fucking everything. A smile would crack your face.....the most boring poster on the site
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 28,406
  • SPQR
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #76 on: February 14, 2017, 07:22:24 pm »
Scary that Geert Wilders is top of the polls in the Netherlands

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/geert-wilders-netherlands-dutch-election-freedom-pvv-far-right-donald-trump-a7576456.html

Judging by that it looks as though it won't give him enough seats in Parliament and he'll be forced into forming a coalition, which all parties have said they will refuse to do.

Offline Libertine

  • RAWK Supporter
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,470
  • Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #77 on: February 14, 2017, 10:22:33 pm »

One thing I find a bit concerning in the European debates and elections is the spread of the youth vote. Le Pen and the Five Star movement in Italy (albeit they are not far right) carry vast swathes of the youth vote. Not surprising when you see the state of the economy in these countries and the high level of unemployment that exists.


Not that vast - Macron is way ahead of Le Pen amongst the young.



Offline killer-heels

  • Hates everyone and everything. Including YOU! Negativity not just for Christmas. Thinks 'irony' means 'metallic'......
  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 75,604
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #78 on: February 15, 2017, 12:19:30 am »
Fair enough but i have seen polling that states differently albeit that was first round.

Offline Redcap

  • Legacy Fan
  • ******
  • Posts: 13,053
  • You wrote a bad song Petey!
Re: Elections in Europe - 2017
« Reply #79 on: February 15, 2017, 05:29:35 am »
Not that vast - Macron is way ahead of Le Pen amongst the young.

Hard to see Le Pen getting up, as Trump did. Luckily the French don't have the idiocy of the electoral college to worry about, and the odds of Le Pen winning a popular majority are surely insurmountable.