Oi, EU BGers, MEP elections start up May 22nd (3 days) [US BG, Primary season ON, PAY ATTENTION]

[Cantih]

I found out because TPB is linking here
https://forum.suprbay.org/Thread-The...ean-Parliament

May 22nd for the Netherlands and the United Kingdom,
May 23rd for Ireland and the Czech Republic.
May 24th you can vote in Latvia, Malta, Slovakia, and the French Overseas territories and a second days voting in the Czech Republic
May 25th is for all other EU countries.

Now, they're pushing Pirate Party, but even if you aren't on board with that

If you can, go vote.

You've even got at least 3 and up to 6 days to do some research beforehand.


-----
For the US, I should have remembered to start a thread earlier, different states primaries are at different times, some are already done (whoops).
I was focused on CAs, which is fairly late, still weeks away.

When November rolls around, and you find yourself saying "eh, all the choices are shit", well the primaries now are the most effective time to change that.

"But my vote doesn't matter, look, math"
Well, turnout for primaries is pmuch always lower (often significantly lower) than November, and midterms even more so. So this time right now is the best chance you have for a vote mattering.
And yes, a single vote doesn't matter, but groups do, so tell a fucking friend. There's even a thread in GD to teach you how to make some.

[Ashmada]

I found out because TPB is linking here
https://forum.suprbay.org/Thread-The...ean-Parliament



Now, they're pushing Pirate Party, but even if you aren't on board with that

If you can, go vote.

You've even got at least 3 and up to 6 days to do some research beforehand.

I will go vote, partly because voting is mandatory in Belgium (one is liable to pay a 50€ fine if one does not) and partly because I'd vote even if it wasn't mandatory.

But I can't vote for the Pirate Party.
We don't directly vote for European parties, we vote for national parties that are affiliated into European parties, and to my knowledge none of ours are affiliated with the EPP.


As for research, not much need of that. We make sure our Federal & Regional elections coincide with European elections (we fill 3 separate ballots at the same time), so the media won't let us forget we're voting this sunday.

[Mayareira]

I came across a communist party rally in Italy supporting Tsiparas. There were like 10 people watching the speech so good luck to commies there. :/

[Keria]

mhm looking forward the 4 mile round trip walk to my local polling station before work tomorrow :<

[Acevalefor]

It looks like Monica Wehby(R) will be running against Jeff Merkley(D) for US senate. About a week before yesterday's primary, Wehby's domestic issues were flaunted around the news. Apparently she has trouble with ending relationships and goes OCD overly attached girlfriend until her ex is forced to call the cops and threaten harassment charges. This happened twice with different guys. I hope she doesn't act like that on the floor of the senate when a bill she sponsored gets shitcanned...

In other west coast news, Oregon's "hero" http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/05/gov_john_kitzhaber_performs_cp.html Governor, John Kitzhaber is running for a 4th term with virtually no competition to speak of.

edit: I can't get the link title to work.

[Cantih]

I understand the presence is because the election materials were being printed before the arrest happened, but looking through my sample ballot and seeing Leland Yee running for CA Secretary of State makes me cackle.

[Ashmada]

mhm looking forward the 4 mile round trip walk to my local polling station before work tomorrow :<

Hehe, here elections are always on sundays, and we vote in schools. Tiny village means it's quite a short walk for me.


Coincidentally, I was listening to Panic when I read your sig.

[Odin'sLaw]

i decided not to bother this time round even though i picked the better choice last time (fuck you labor your meant to be for the people) i just can't vote conservative again, i kinda wish we went back to the Queen ruling since it would save a lot of money and less people to shift the blame onto (has anyone else noticed a lot of none EU's talking about UKIP today?)

[Ashmada]

Greek results:
Syriza (far-left): 6 seats (+5).
New democracy (right): 5 seats (-2)
Golden Dawn (far-right, neo-nazis): 3 seats (+3)
PASOK (left): 2 seats (-6)
To Potami (various ideologies): 2 seats (+2)
KKE (far-left, communists): 2 seats (?)
Independent Greeks (not sure): 1 seat (-).

Greece is still in shambles in economical terms, and that has cost the traditional parties dearly (mostly the moderate left) in profit of the extremes, as was predictable (extremes always rise in times of crisis).
What wasn't predictable is the sheer scale of the shifts to the extremes!


France:
FN (far-right, racists): 24 seats (25% of the country voted for them!)
UMP (right, corporatism with a dash of religious wankery): 21 seats
PS (left, socialists): 12 seats

The french ruling socialists are fantastically unpopular at the moment, but the victory of the far-right is indicative of one thing in particular: a growing anti-european sentiment.
In national elections, the FN would never win, it usually hovers around 3rd-4th place, so it has to be a question of euroscepticism.


Hungary:
Fidesz (right, libertarian): 12 seats
Jobbik (far-right): 3 seats
Socialists (left): 2 seats
D&K (left, also social-democrats; talk about unnecessary division): 2 seats
Greens (left): 2 seats

Aside from the left being unnecessarily divided, I don't know the situation in Hungary.

As far as my own lil' Belgium is concerned, they're still busy counting the votes for the other elections we also held today (Federal + Regional), so we don't have numbers for the EU parliament yet.




On the whole, it's not looking very good: nazis are making gains, regardless of the reasons behind those gains.
On the other hand, the far-left is also making gains, which might just be what we need to oppose TTIP.

[Moss]

The french ruling socialists are fantastically unpopular at the moment, but the victory of the far-right is indicative of one thing in particular: a growing anti-european sentiment.
In national elections, the FN would never win, it usually hovers around 3rd-4th place, so it has to be a question of euroscepticism.

Could you expand on this a little?

[Ashmada]

Ok:

The french PS (Socialist Party) is unpopular right now because Hollande's gov hasn't been able to solve the economic issues, chiefly unemployement, particularly youth unemployement which, last I heard, had reached a staggering 25%.
So, obviously they were going to lose votes... but this doesn't explain the votes obtained by the far-right FN.
People disappointed by the PS would more likely vote for the far-left parties (all allied in the Front des Gauches, last I checked) or the centrist party (Modem) or even the moderate right (UMP).


The french FN has always stood for 3 things:
- Racism. (and holocaust denial, for the added touch of crass)
- Poujadism.
- Euroscepticism. It's part of their first focus point, actually: other Europeans are obviously inferior to the glorious french, so France should leave the EU.


Ever since Jean-Marie LePen (party founder) stepped out in favour of his daughter (Marine LePen), the racist rhethoric has been toned down. (I'd already mentionned that in the french presidential elections thread)

In fact, it's now been toned down to the point that they claim they're not racist anymore. Still against immigration, but not for racial reasons anymore.
This change in rhethoric (but not policy) has lead to an increase in votes (people are dumb) and somewhat legitimised the party, which used to be seen as abhorrent by most.

Now, what they haven't toned down are their other 2 focus points: they still call other parties, be it left or right, crooks and they still want out of the EU.


As far as Euroscepticism, the french landscape is very different from say, the british landscape.
In the UK, most parties are eurosceptical to some degree: UKIP (far-right) wants out of the EU, Conservatives (right) want a referendum about staying in the EU, Labour (left) are on the fence and only the Liberal-democrats (center) are overtly pro-EU.
In France, it's the opposite: most parties are either pro-EU or neutral on the question, only the FN is overtly anti-EU.


So, given that this was about the EU parliament, the fact that the french voted for the FN massively when normally (see last presidential elections) they would not indicates that they did so specifically out of a growing anti-European sentiment.
Then again, it's just my analysis and I did not follow the french campaign as I was too busy following the Belgian Federal & Regional campaigns.



There you go, not sure it's clearer, but there's quite a bit of background to communicate, I tried to arrange it best I could.

[Mazmaz]

That was a pretty sick break down

[Ashmada]

One thing I forgot: with all those far-right parties trying to clean up their image, they're basically killing their own chances in the EU parliament:

To form an EU party, you need to have at least 25 MEPs and to represent at least a fourth of all member states (28/4=7) and, on the far-right, you have UKIP refusing to associate with the FN, (even though UKIP used to be partnered with Italy's Lega Nord, which is even worse), the FN refusing to associate with Greece's Golden Dawn,... and so forth.
So, they're remaining divided, greatly mitigating the damage their gains could've caused.

[Mayareira]

EU is acting like a little bitch all over again. I mean, what the fuck is the point of forming a union when you complain about it and pull the "dissolve" card every time it stalls a bit?

+ global crisis.
- fuck EU, dissolve.

+ greece in crap
- kick them

+ unemployment is rising
- because of euro, lets switch to lira (as if that'll immediately solve everything)

+ unemployment is rising
- its the germans using europe

+ can't find a work
- because of eu, those croatians are stealing our jobs

give me a break.

[Moss]

That was a pretty sick break down

Yeah very interesting, thanks

[Cantih]

Thankful for small favors.

I get a fuckhead team to work the election with.
At least it's a minimum turnout midterm primary.
(Only ~100 all day, and as usual, less than a handful around my age.)