European elections: extremist and fringe parties are the big winner(Ancient Regime dying)

The Times(UK) ^ | 06/08/09 | David Charter and Rory Watson

[TigerLikesRooster]

European elections: extremist and fringe parties are the big winners

Millions of voters deserted mainstream parties in the wake of the economic crisis

David Charter and Rory Watson in Brussels

Extremist and fringe parties were the beneficiaries as voters across Europe deserted mainstream parties or stayed at home in protest at the state of their economies.

The Centre Left was set to be the big loser across the 27 European Union countries with the Centre Right consolidating its position as the largest group in the Parliament. Anti-immigrant parties gained MEPs in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

Governing parties generally suffered but this trend was bucked in Italy, where Silvio Berlusconi’s Party of Freedom was heading for gains, and in France, where Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP recovered dramatically from a poor showing in 2004.

The turnout of about 43 per cent, compared with the low of 45.47 per cent in 2004, meant that 213 million voters abstained from the poll despite mandatory voting in several countries.

[TigerLikesRooster]

It is about time that socialist establishment running Europe for post-war period bites the dust.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

“the Centre Right”

Whenever the msm refers to “the Centre Right”, that tells me they’re no good. When they actually call them “right wing” like Netanyahu, then you know they’re OK.

Europe is owned by the left. They took Britain by force 19 years ago. Elections do not have consequences in Europe.

[redgolum]

Interesting.
We plunge head long into socialism as the rest of the world leaves it.

[blam]

"European elections: extremist and fringe parties are the big winners "

Next they need to clean-out the media.

[oblomov]

>>The turnout of about 43 per cent, compared with the low of 45.47 per cent in 2004, meant that 213 million voters
>>abstained from the poll despite mandatory voting in several countries.

In other words, 57 per cent voted against the EU and its idea of “Europe.”

[myknowledge]

And maybe burn flags with dark blue backgrounds with 12 stars in a ring?

[Rocky]

We plunge head long into socialism as the rest of the world leaves it.

Europe isn't leaving socialism. Whatever "center right" means, it does NOT mean conservative in the American sense. No one there is going to tamper with government benefits in any serious way. The nanny state is too much a way of life there.

I suspect that most of the debate is about immigration.

[poetknowit]

Is there a within their own borders form of Crusade coming soon?

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

The Center-Right is the name given to two major blocs of MEPs in the EU parliament. One bloc is a coalition of the ‘free market’ or European Liberal parties around Europe. One of these is the Free Democrats of Germany. The other bloc is the mainstream conservative parties all over Europe, except for the UK. Most of them were traditionally called Christian Democrat or Peoples parties. These include Berlusconi’s party in italy, Merkel’s in Germany, Sarkozy’s in France, the party in Spain which was in power when Spain supported us in Iraq. The British Conservatives refused to join this bloc, and stay allied, but independent.

[nathanbedford]

Am I correct in an overall assessment that the gains across Europe for the Christian right (Merkel Sarkozy at al) were at the expense of the social left but that much of the gains must be adjusted for dangerous increases by the Green party in many countries. In other words, the voters did not become more capitalistic but more socialistic and the shift has been masked because the greens are officially a separate party?

My experience here in Germany is that the people accept uncritically the posturing of the Green party and do not look behind it and discover its radical socialism. In other words, global warming is a matter of conventional wisdom.

Anecdotally, my neighbors say they are not happy with so much immigration but they don't even think about it unless I ask them. So, in a way, I am surprised that seems to have driven results in, especially, Austria.

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Does this newspaper ever use the label “extremist” in regards to leftist political parties?

Or do they save that label for conservatives only?

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

I haven’t thoroughly analyzed it, I’ll wait for the professionals to add it all up, but it seems like increased votes for anti-immigrant (e.g. BNP) parties and Euro-Skeptic (e.g. UKIP) parties is roughly comparable to votes for the Green and far-left (neo-communist) blocs. It is like European politics has been put into a food-processor, and no one has tasted the new pate yet.

[nathanbedford]

Food processor-good analogy that.

[Shady Ray]

Am I correct in an overall assessment that the gains across Europe for the Christian right (Merkel Sarkozy at al) were at the expense of the social left but that much of the gains must be adjusted for dangerous increases by the Green party in many countries. In other words, the voters did not become more capitalistic but more socialistic and the shift has been masked because the greens are officially a separate party?

I think that is one way to look at it, however, it might be worth noting that the Greens gained 9 seats EU-wide, but the EUL/NGL (Die Linke in DE) lost 7 overall.

I think the most significant result in Germany was the strong showing by FDP, which increased its take from 6% of the electorate in last EU election to 11%. The Greens in Germany remained flat and Die Linke only picked up an extra 1.5% over last time.

I can't speak for all of Germany, but here in Bavaria I can hardly get through brotzeit without hearing about taxes and/or Turks...doesn't matter if I am with my 60 year-old in-laws or my wife's 30 year-old friends, they are all pissed off. But yes, when it comes to global warming, everyone I know over here buys into it completely.

[NTHockey]

Okay 0bambi - still want to be like Europe?

[SunkenCiv]

Anti-immigrant parties gained MEPs in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, the Netherlands and Slovakia. Governing parties generally suffered but this trend was bucked in Italy, where Silvio Berlusconi's Party of Freedom was heading for gains, and in France, where Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP recovered dramatically from a poor showing in 2004. The turnout of about 43 per cent, compared with the low of 45.47 per cent in 2004, meant that 213 million voters abstained from the poll despite mandatory voting in several countries.

Thanks TigerLikesRooster.