I understand. Apologies for any confusion.
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EU discussion / and other European countries
- Thread starter Amar__
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That's also the extreme poverty of Le Pen's response. 'You can't exclude me this way, millions of people voted for me!' It's terrible logic, cause it suggests that politicians should have levels of immunity depending on the number of votes they got. I hope her comments are receiving vigorous pushback in France, cause I can already see the European right wing parroting this, but this logic shouldn't take hold.
Speaking of terrible logic - I hope European countries will have something better to say about the new US requirement that companies drop their EDI policies (or not get UD government contracts anymore) than 'don't interfere with us'. Cause of course, countries interfere all the time. What else would anyone call it when the EU criticizes Uganda's anti-gay policies or Erdogan's anti-democratic moves? The response should be based on societal principles, not sovereignty. (Also because, obviously, the US can make whatever decision they want about their own government contracting.)
The usual suspects, political crooks from all sides have a similar position. Wauquiez went as far as suggesting that it is electors that should determine her eligibility. It's stupidity of the highest order, thousands of people lose part of their civic rights every year and in this case it makes perfect sense since the offence is linked to an abuse of said rights.
European and US companies had been folding to the demands of China left and right, sure in chinese territories, and sure, US is asking the companies as a whole operating everywhere, but I will not hold my breath if they can find any caveats and the EU politicians will receive a lot of pressure of the lobbies that pays their campaigns and brings jobs to the territory.
My guess is that the european companies will test the limits to the max if that means losing business with the US if it is a relevant percentage and the european politicians will look to the other way to the least blatant mal practises
Yeah, and that sort of comment has been around for a bit already. The Dutch right wing has been complaining about activistic judges as well, and of course Trump does it all the time. You'd think it should be fairly easy to dispelled this logic: judges follow the law as it is (within its bandwidth), so if you don't like that, don't ask them to break laws for you, but get yourself elected and change the law. Simple! (The logic, not the actual process to complete.
)Yeah, and that sort of comment has been around for a bit already. The Dutch right wing has been complaining about activistic judges as well, and of course Trump does it all the time. You'd think it should be fairly easy to dispelled this logic: judges follow the law as it is (within its bandwidth), so if you don't like that, don't ask them to break laws for you, but get yourself elected and change the law. Simple! (The logic, not the actual process to complete.
I see your point but I have a better one. Don't commit fraud and particularly not when it goes as high as 4m€, none of them would defend my right to vote if I defrauded them. Also when it comes to french judges everyone is getting it, I'm not joking when I say that nearly all parties have been on the wrong end of a judgement for similar issues that includes higher profiles than Marine Le Pen like Juppé or Fillon. Fillon(LR-UMP) got 10 years of ineligibilty. Guerini(PS- left wing) got 5 years of ineligibility for traffic of influence. The Modem(centrists) had a similar case they got 2 years of prison and 2 years suspended of ineligibility. There is also the Urba case involving again the PS and Henri Emmanuelli, he got 2 years without civic rights and 18 months of prison.
Yeah, fair enough! And as you said, Sarkozy is going to a process right now as well. Le Pen is not special, just another fraudster who gets discovered and sentenced.
Germany right now is Arnold in T2 trying to smile at the thought of ramping up military might…
I reckon Japan just might flex their muscles too which will be interesting for Chinese x Japan relations.
I reckon Japan just might flex their muscles too which will be interesting for Chinese x Japan relations.
Question for my fellow europeans.
I don't use social media for politics, just sports and entertainment, so my algorithm is sort of calibrated to that. However, I've recently been bombarded with posts about boycotting american companies and instead use european alternatives. Some of them are clearly paid posts.
Anyone else having this experience?
I don't use social media for politics, just sports and entertainment, so my algorithm is sort of calibrated to that. However, I've recently been bombarded with posts about boycotting american companies and instead use european alternatives. Some of them are clearly paid posts.
Anyone else having this experience?
I can promise you that if you want to make a movie reference, it's probably a lot closer to the task of Asterix to aquire permit A-38 , them trying to figure out how to rebuild an army around the horribly inefficient and corrupt behemoth that the state department for procurement had become.
I don't really do social media, but I don't really see anything different on youtube - recommendations are either related to the video I just watched, or inbetween they're completely random crap of whatever nonsense is currently trending. Memes, conspiracy bullshit, far right propaganda, random "lifehacks" and sure, also US politics related stuff either praising or crapping on their current government. Nothing's changed in that regard, watching without an account had always resulted in weird random crap that I wouldn't ever watch being recommended.
I haven't noticed much difference.
Seeing as Hungary has now come out against the ICC can the EU begin the process of removing any voting rights on EU matters from Hungary?
Fat chance of that happening on the basis of that specifically. Not when both the German chancellor and his incoming successor also stated that they would disregard the warrant on Netanyahu.
Not that I disagree that they should have started the process of removing Hungary's voting rights - and probably quite some time ago, when Orban started turning his country autocratic. It's just not going to happen over this one specifically.
The threshold to limit voting rights, never mind kicking someone out is very high. And I suspect that Orban's legal team has read the relevant legislation so that they never quite give the commission the smoking gun to do so
Oh I know it is difficult. Still, is beyond me
On the Trump administration's alliance with EU far right leaders to transform the EU from within.
"The Trump administration and far-right European politicians see an opportunity to transform the EU from within. In turn, liberal Europeans have an opportunity to undermine this transatlantic alliance—before it gathers real momentum."
https://ecfr.eu/article/when-cultur...AvMfpTgVnIa-OWWCy1_aem_G8Lxdz9PHj_LYmoHi4cCew
When culture war and trade war clash: Trump’s troubled alliance with Europe’s far right
"The Trump administration and far-right European politicians see an opportunity to transform the EU from within. In turn, liberal Europeans have an opportunity to undermine this transatlantic alliance—before it gathers real momentum."
https://ecfr.eu/article/when-cultur...AvMfpTgVnIa-OWWCy1_aem_G8Lxdz9PHj_LYmoHi4cCew
So even small country leaders like Fico from Slovakia can tell EU publicly to feck itself, while enjoying the EU commodities, and EU won't do anything about it.
https://www.euronews.com/2025/04/16...oscows-victory-day-parade-despite-eu-warnings
https://www.euronews.com/2025/04/16...oscows-victory-day-parade-despite-eu-warnings
The Verfassungsschutz, the German interior intelligence agency, has published a 1000 pages long report that classifies the AfD as „gesichert rechtsextrem“, which means they believe they have sufficient proof that the AfD is an extremist right wing party working to abolish the principles of our constitution.
This is rather huge in that this allows for different measures to be introduced to fight that scum. They might be excluded from public financing, public broadcasting might be able to refuse to invite party members into their shows and this could serve as the foundation for an attempt to prohibit the party as such. So a small but potentially important victory for our democracy.
This is rather huge in that this allows for different measures to be introduced to fight that scum. They might be excluded from public financing, public broadcasting might be able to refuse to invite party members into their shows and this could serve as the foundation for an attempt to prohibit the party as such. So a small but potentially important victory for our democracy.
This guy has calmed down his batshit rhetoric of late from what I gather, but still... not good. Potentially another EU state about to fall to Russia.
Friedrich Merz has failed to be voted chancellor in the first attempt. Our parliament will have to vote again within the next two weeks.
This has never happened before in Germany and shows how much Merz is disliked by many.
This has never happened before in Germany and shows how much Merz is disliked by many.
Not much of a strong mandate for Germany to become the main mover and shaker in Europe again.
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, but not exactly a great sign for the future
True. Though I don’t blame those voting against him. I would have a hard time to vote for him, too. The mistake lies within the SPD and CDU being completely tone deaf while choosing their candidates. Merz is loathed by the whole country and Scholz should not have been nominated, either. The people were clearly extremely unhappy with him. Both parties, but especially the CDU have demonstrated once again that the will of the voter matters less to them than their internal agreements and deals.
Anyone voting against him had the platform and freedom to do this within their own party without making their country take part in their internal struggles. AfD couldn't have wished for more.
They also had this platform and as they are subject only to their conscience, I see nothing generally being wrong with that. If you believe Merz is wrong for the job, then vote accordingly.
The failure lies within a party insisting on nominating this complete disaster of a human being for chancellor. They are reaping what they sew.
Doesn't leave 60% who can vote for the remaining opponent? Any chance it will go like in French and the threat of Simion winning will make the other half of the country unite to come and vote in larger numbers?
(Also, that 'gypsy' bit is racist, right? It seems to be used negatively and it's a common Rumanian stereotype. Or am I missing something?)
If you think Merz is wrong then maybe not let yourself elect to parliament on the back of his campaign? I think it's perfectly possible to blame both the party and the politicians constituting those parties, don't actually see a point in distinguishing the two, to be honest.
The SPD ran against Merz, not with him. Not voting for him would be understandable.
And vice versa if you are part of the CDU/CSU and think that Merz betrayed his own campaign promises in the deal with the SPD I also can understand if someone voted against Merz.
Aren't you misunderstanding the situation a bit? Those are three different parties (or 2.5, depending on how you count the CSU), Merz is merely the candidate of the CDU. SPD politicians certainly did not "let themselves elected to parliament on the back of Merz' campaign". And even for CDU or CSU politicians, saying that they either slavishly follow Merz or not put themselves up for vote is a very odd understanding of how a democracy should function.
Who do you think they should have put forth? SPD probably Pistorius - best and most well-liked top rank politicians the SPD has had in a long time. But for the CDU/CSU, I struggle to name anyone in their upper echelons who would be competent, likeable and with the necessary political backing. Though I guess I agree Merz is just about the worst one they could have picked.
Well whoever it was apparently hadn't thought it through because they now went on to vote for him...
Did the SPD truly run against Merz given everyone and their dog knew they were going to end up in a coalition with him, from the moment the SPD itself decided to end the previous government by sacking Lindner?
Pistorius would have been the logical choice for the SPD and I believe they would have won with him. The CDU would have been better off with almost every candidate they have, except for Spahn and Klöckner. Basically anyone who doesn't come across like Mister Burns the second he opens his mouth.
I can't stress enough how disappointing and ignorant it was to nominate Merz. He is the prototype of everything people dislike about politicians. A snob who clearly despises common people, makes politics for big companies only, is solely driven by his quest for power, has absolutely no ability to lead people, is entitled like no other politician I have ever seen in Germany and has no idea about the every day life of the average person. Everything about him is wrong. The man isn't even a good speaker and has no charisma at all. There is just nothing remotely likable about him and his politics are exactly like that. And they nominate that man in a time of division that demands a true leader capable of unifying the country. It makes me so angry.
Hey, now you're not being fair to Merz. He doesn't need to open his mouth to come across like Mr. Burns.
You might want to read up on the "D-Day papers" and how the FDP essentially forced Scholz' hand by intentionally sabotaging the government. They had been planning this breaking for weeks beforehand. As much as I dislike the wanker, Scholz hardly had a choice but to sack Lindner and his ilk, only keeping Wissing who had decided to rather quit the FDP alltogether and stay onboard until the snap election than participate in the charade.
And yes of course the SPD ran against the CDU, everything else would have essentially been total political surrender and just weakened their stance before the negotiations even began. I also think Scholz massively underestimated how disliked he was - he probably still doesn't quite grasp it. To be clear, nobody loved him before he even begun his office - he was generally seen as some wet blanket, utterly boring, almost certainly corrupt (Warburg Cum Ex and some other stories especially from his time in Hamburg), but rather predictable and tame, nobody likely to make waves.
Germany's situation sounds very familiar.
Lots of washed up neo liberal losers like Keir Starmer standing against a rising tide of fascist populism. Same in Ireland, sounds similar in France. They're a painfully uninspiring group.
Lots of washed up neo liberal losers like Keir Starmer standing against a rising tide of fascist populism. Same in Ireland, sounds similar in France. They're a painfully uninspiring group.
