Posted on 05/27/2014 4:12:17 AM PDT by mgist
After five years of economic crisis, the 2014 elections to the European Parliament were always expected to produce victories for the populist parties that reject the EU and its political values. And so it has proved, with fringe and nationalist movements dealing a blow not just to the European project but to national governments who appear out of touch. The populist surge has been startling. In France, Marine Le Pen’s National Front has won its biggest victory at a national poll since it was founded in 1972. In Britain, Nigel Farage’s UK Independence party came first, humiliating the three main parties. Denmark’s far right People’s party and Greece’s radical left Syriza also emerged victorious.
While this has been a moment of triumph for populist parties, the results are far from a comprehensive rejection of the EU by voters across the bloc. Eurosceptics will remain a clear minority in the European Parliament. Given the scale of the economic crisis that Europe has endured, this is hardly a coup for the European rejectionists.
Moreover, it is significant that mainstream party leaders with strong reform programmes beat off the populist challenge. In Italy, Matteo Renzi, the centre-left leader, saw off the anti-establishment Five Star Movement of Beppe Grillo. In Germany, Angela Merkel’s CDU did less well than in the 2009 European elections. But the German chancellor retained her commanding lead over the Social Democrats, leaving her unchallenged as Europe’s dominant political leader.
The most alarming outcome was the one in France. The triumph of the FN and the shattering defeat for the Socialist party have dealt another setback to François Hollande’s dismal presidency. The result makes it harder for France to play a full role beside Germany as the traditional motor of European integration.
Some on the left and right in France will instinctively respond by turning against the painful economic reform programme that Mr Hollande has finally adopted. This would be a mistake. The only viable path for France is to press ahead with tax cuts and spending reductions that can sustain growth. This may be unpopular. But after this weekend’s results, Mr Hollande has nothing left to lose by sticking to that course.
In Britain, Mr Farage’s victory has left David Cameron’s Conservatives finishing an embarrassing third in a national election. He will now come under renewed pressure from his eurosceptic MPs to cede ground to Ukip either in an electoral pact or by beefing up his pledge in an in-out EU referendum. Mr Cameron must resist and concentrate on consolidating the Tories’ economic policy success.
There is no comfort, meanwhile, for the other UK parties. Ed Miliband’s Labour lacks any of the momentum an opposition should be enjoying one year before a general election. For Nick Clegg, the pro-European Liberal Democrat leader, the almost total wipeout of his MEPs is a shattering personal defeat.
As they prepare to meet at a summit on Tuesday, the EU’s leaders should beware of being complacent about the populist parties’ message at these elections. True, the groups that have grabbed the headlines in the polls – the FN and Ukip – stand no chance of winning power in national contests. And Europe’s populist parties are too bitterly divided among themselves to disrupt the business of the European Parliament. But these results do reflect the mounting concern of many voters that there is too much uncontrolled migration across EU borders and that Brussels today enjoys too much control over national economic fiscal and social policy. Those concerns now need to be addressed in ways that do not undermine the EU altogether.
I don’t see how this is a consensus?
The business and political elites demand the EU and other measures to create a one world economic system to benefit them.
Tony Blair said the current political leadership needs to go after UKIP and other anti-EU parties because they ‘have no solutions’.
Unbridled immigration with cheap labor pools appear to be a big part of the ‘solution’ offered by business and politicins worldwide.
IMO it would be great if Europeans would wake up, but the lure of socialist programs is too strong. They globalists have taken the long approach and younger Europeans don’t know any different.
Without the word “racist” the globalists are without an effective propaganda campaign. They have one word and that is it, destroy it and its effect on people and then watch the globalist heathens wither.
I love how the FT, a business paper, casts the small victory of non-Statist parties as “alarming”, etc., rather than a much-needed correction of unchecked immigration and economic ruin imposed by socialist governments (even those called Liberal Democrats, etc.) Evil “Nationalists” seem to be people who are tired of having everything they built, economically and culturally, being stolen out from under them.
The panic of the globalist “left” (which includes the establishment right) is amusing when you see that the “massive” victories of the right usually amount to less than 30% of the electorate.
The US is heading into November elections with reports of 20% food inflation. Should work out well for the party in power...
They’re all in for a cold shower if they think the good ole US will be able to step up to the plate for them again.
The same Liberal BS that has been rotting away at them from the inside out since the second war has been working its destructive way through the US society and economy as well!
We’re tap city and just as morally bankrupt as THEY are now!
Apparently in places such as the U.K. and France, the people haven’t quite lost control of the electoral system. I hope they recognize and appreciate their good fortune (thus far).
Movements that win or even those that become the primary opposition can no longer be described as “fringe”.
“Eurosceptics will remain a clear minority in the European Parliament.”
As long as their still is a European Parliament.
Yes.
The people are sick of the European government taking more and more power and imposing stricter and stricter restrictions on the people. They are sick of the invading hordes of non-Europeans screaming for free benefits and raping the women.
Enough!
I thought this was a Games of Thrones thread.
We’re beyond tapped but are nowhere near as morally bankrupt. Many Americans still understand freedom and hard work. We’re just kept from organizing by the media and govt operators who are supporting the global agenda.
Notice how the global agenda doesn’t include expanding the concept of natural God given rights to other countries. Its always about pushing a socialist dictatorship.
Alarming to the fascist elites maybe...the word I would use is refreshing.
it seems to me the only difference is that we are going to the place that EU is coming from. If they can make their way out.
The consensus is that people are sick and tired of the political power bullcrap. Whomever was in power has taken it in the shorts. As for how that affects our country, the people have not hurt long enough to take their focus off American Idol or Dancing with the Stars.
But as alluded to by an earlier post, the 20% inflation on food is hurting them but no reasonable party is willing to address and even make a point of this, outside of a handful. But the leadership of both parties make sure to level a political war against them because they voice their opposition to the status quo in public instead of waiting their turn to decide what policies are put on the public shelf for the media’s consumption.
There is a comeuppance coming in this country as well but it will not be seen in any regard until 2016 or 2018. There is a groundswell for our own version of the PKIP as soon as someone steps up to make the break as Mr. Farage has done.
As 2014 elections approach, the establishment, R’s and D’s, will hold onto its death-grip only to show how utterly complicit both sides are for power instead of representation even if the Senate does go to the Republicans. 2006 was a wake-up call for the so-called conservative party (Republicans) but as evidenced by the Minority Leader of the Senate waging a public war against a large portion of the party base, the status quo remains intact because their focus is not on the problem but only on power.
So who will be the one to step up and break from the old tired political bullcrap? I am hopefully optimistic to live to see the day.
I completely agree, I find the voting results in EU refreshing.
Nick Clegg is a Soros puppet, pretending to be concerned about the impact of drugs on UK youths and demanding reform. Of course in Soros' world that mean "drug legalization" and better addiction maintenance options provided by government. Despite rampant propaganda such as this article, Clegg was clobbered. Similar results happened in Colombia, where Soros has vast interests. This is all good news for humanity.
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