Centre right tightens grip on Europe

[mawilson 2,133]

Ruling centre-right parties in France, Germany, Italy and Poland on Sunday night rode to a

decisive victory in European parliament elections, but a clutch of other governments including

Labour in the UK suffered a mauling at the hands of recession-hit voters.

Germany’s Christian Democrats and France’s UMP party were the chief winners as official

predictions showed that Europe’s centre-right parties would remain the legislature’s largest

group, taking 263 to 273 seats in the 736-seat assembly.

Socialist parties were projected to win 155 to 165 seats, centrist liberals 78 to 84 seats, and

Greens 52 to 56 seats.

"It is bitterly disappointing. We had hoped for a better result. In most countries it went

pretty badly for us," said Martin Schulz, head of the European socialist group.

Governments in Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia and Spain

either crashed to defeat or lost much ground to their rivals.

Turnout across Europe averaged 43 per cent, the lowest since direct elections to the parliament

started in 1979. It was something of an embarrassment for the European Union, which has

steadily transferred powers to the legislature without generating more public interest in its work.

Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, had cause for celebration as her CDU-CSU alliance

took 38 per cent of the vote, far above 20.8 per cent for the Social Democrats, her coalition

partners, according to partial returns.

The liberal Free Democrats – Ms Merkel’s preferred government partners – took 10.9 per cent,

high enough to boost the chances of a CDU-FDP coalition after next September’s German

federal election.

The UMP party of Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, was on course to win 28 per cent, against

16.8 per cent for the opposition socialists.

In what was the largest multi-national ballot in history, voters in the EU’s 27 countries took part

in a four-day election to choose a parliament which enjoys equal influence with national

governments in setting 75 per cent of EU legislation.

Far right, nationalist and anti-EU parties looked set to win up to 50 seats. But the election’s basic

message was that voters in the EU’s biggest countries preferred the centre-right to the centre-left

at a time of severe recession.

Almost everywhere national economic issues rather than pan-European themes were uppermost

on voters’ minds, notably unemployment, which has jumped to 9.2 per cent in the 16-nation eurozone.

The Labour government in the UK, where Gordon Brown, prime minister, is struggling for his political

life, anticipated a crushing defeat. Pollsters predicted gains for the eurosceptic Conservative

opposition and for the anti-EU UK Independence party.

Elsewhere in Europe, ruling parties of both right and left were dealt blows. Greece’s opposition

socialists defeated the conservative New Democracy government, but in neighbouring Bulgaria the

ruling socialists trailed the centre-right opposition, exit polls indicated.

Hungary’s socialist government suffered a crushing defeat, voters deserted Ireland’s ruling Fianna

Fáil party in droves, and an opposition party representing Russian-speakers made strong gains in Latvia.

In Austria, a group that campaigns against corruption in the European parliament was set to take

18 per cent of the vote. Sweden’s Pirate party, which opposes legal clampdowns on computer

file-sharing by ordinary internet users, appeared likely to win a seat.

Geert Wilders’ populist, anti-Islamic Party for Freedom finished second in the Netherlands and seized

four of the 25 Dutch seats in the parliament.

link

[_Simpson_ 250]

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

:joy: :joy: :joy: :joy: :joy:

who would of thought that common sense had a place in Europe

[GaryC 7]

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

:joy: :joy: :joy: :joy: :joy:

who would of thought that common sense had a place in Europe

To bad our current set of politicians on both sides can't see that the "progressive" experiment is a failure. I guess we will have to learn the hard way like Europe did.

[_Simpson_ 250]

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

:joy: :joy: :joy: :joy: :joy:

who would of thought that common sense had a place in Europe

To bad our current set of politicians on both sides can't see that the "progressive" experiment is a failure. I guess we will have to learn the hard way like Europe did.

I hope it doesn't come to that, I think we will see the error of our ways.

Edited June 7, 2009 by looking_up

[GaryC 7]

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

:joy: :joy: :joy: :joy: :joy:

who would of thought that common sense had a place in Europe

To bad our current set of politicians on both sides can't see that the "progressive" experiment is a failure. I guess we will have to learn the hard way like Europe did.

I hope it doesn't come to that, I think we will see the error of our ways.

No, the dipsh!ts in Washington are hooked on big government and spending money we don't have. We are going to go broke before the next election will come.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Oh, how the worm turns! Just a case of poor timing for the "progressive" agenda, I suppose.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This actually started a few years ago. The recession has accelerated things a bit, but it has a lot to do with opposition to EU policies.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

It's funny how when the Left ascends to power, it's always seen in its proper context as part of the usual fluctuations in public opinion that are part and parcel of every democracy; but when the Right ascends to power, watch out - the Left has been beaten for good and the Right will rule forever.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

[mawilson 2,133]

It's funny how when the Left ascends to power, it's always seen in its proper context as part of the usual fluctuations in public opinion that are part and parcel of every democracy; but when the Right ascends to power, watch out - the Left has been beaten for good and the Right will rule forever.

Seen by you, maybe.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

It's funny how when the Left ascends to power, it's always seen in its proper context as part of the usual fluctuations in public opinion that are part and parcel of every democracy; but when the Right ascends to power, watch out - the Left has been beaten for good and the Right will rule forever.

Seen by you, maybe.

Are you saying you habitually piss your pants every time the Left gains vote share in an election, thinking that their modest gains are irreversible and the beginning of an inevitable slide into the oh so scary kommunism?

[scandal 951]

Far right, nationalist and anti-EU parties looked set to win up to 50 seats. But the election’s basic

message was that voters in the EU’s biggest countries preferred the centre-right to the centre-left

at a time of severe recession.

I have no problem whatsoever with Europeans voting"center-right", "moderate, right", "conservative", what have you. They can vote as economically as conservative as they like for all I care.

It's the phrase "Far right nationalist" in the European context that makes me exceedingly nervous. 1933 is not so far ago in history as to have been forgotten.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Europe's descent into barbarism heralded the greatest era of American prosperity so far. Bring it, we could use another massive European war with us left standing at the end

[mawilson 2,133]

Europe's descent into barbarism heralded the greatest era of American prosperity so far. Bring it, we could use another massive European war with us left standing at the end

True, Europe is completely wussified. If Europe is attacked, they'll call the UN and ask them to write a scary letter.

[scandal 951]

Europe's descent into barbarism heralded the greatest era of American prosperity so far. Bring it, we could use another massive European war with us left standing at the end

You know what AJ? I realize you're making this comment largely in jest, as part of your usual attempt to get a rise out of folks.

Normally I either don't mind, and often I get a chuckle myself.

I don't find this one funny at all.

The last time Europe descended into barbarism, it cost tens of millions of lives including 6 million of my own peoples'.

I don't really find this joke funny.