French Election
Discussion
I'm slightly surprised that there isn't a thread on this already.
The first round of voting has left France with a choice between :
Macron - Centrist and socialist light.
Le Pen - Far right and Nationalist.
It looks like the election will be a close run thing, various polls placing them within a few percentage points of each other, and the key themes for the election seem to be immigration, taxes, pensions & jobs, and the EU. If Le Pen wins, then this could be a prelude to FREXIT, so potentially a big impact to European politics...
The first round of voting has left France with a choice between :
Macron - Centrist and socialist light.
Le Pen - Far right and Nationalist.
It looks like the election will be a close run thing, various polls placing them within a few percentage points of each other, and the key themes for the election seem to be immigration, taxes, pensions & jobs, and the EU. If Le Pen wins, then this could be a prelude to FREXIT, so potentially a big impact to European politics...
Edited by tangerine_sedge on Monday 11th April 10:14
Macron isn't much of a Socialist. In fact the clear dividing line was between Macron with his Globalist agenda and those representing the "left behinds" whether that be Le Pen or the hard-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
The MSM will unite behind Macron and he will likely win the second round fairly convincingly. Though Le Pen will likely do at least 5% better than last time, because the same trends that have driven the "populist revolt" have only grown since 2017.
The MSM will unite behind Macron and he will likely win the second round fairly convincingly. Though Le Pen will likely do at least 5% better than last time, because the same trends that have driven the "populist revolt" have only grown since 2017.
tangerine_sedge said:
I'm slightly surprised that there isn't a thread on this already.
The first round of voting has left France with a choice between :
Macron - Centrist and socialist light.
Le Pen - Far right and Nationlist.
It looks like the election will be a close run thing, various polls placing them within a few percentage points of each other, and the key themes for the election seem to be immigration, taxes, pensions & jobs, and the EU. If Le Pen wins, then this could be a prelude to FREXIT, so potentially a big impact to European politics...
Since the mess of brexit Le Pen has backed off Frexit but does have a very different view to many on the direction the EU should take. The first round of voting has left France with a choice between :
Macron - Centrist and socialist light.
Le Pen - Far right and Nationlist.
It looks like the election will be a close run thing, various polls placing them within a few percentage points of each other, and the key themes for the election seem to be immigration, taxes, pensions & jobs, and the EU. If Le Pen wins, then this could be a prelude to FREXIT, so potentially a big impact to European politics...
JagLover said:
Macron isn't much of a Socialist. In fact the clear dividing line was between Macron with his Globalist agenda and those representing the "left behinds" whether that be Le Pen or the hard-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
The MSM will unite behind Macron and he will likely win the second round fairly convincingly. Though Le Pen will likely do at least 5% better than last time, because the same trends that have driven the "populist revolt" have only grown since 2017.
That's why I labelled him "socialist light". It feels to me like it's the same fundamental issues that were at the heart of BREXIT, hence why I feel it's quite an interesting topic.The MSM will unite behind Macron and he will likely win the second round fairly convincingly. Though Le Pen will likely do at least 5% better than last time, because the same trends that have driven the "populist revolt" have only grown since 2017.
I find the labelling of Le Pen far right interesting. I think she's a weird amalgam of both far right and far left.
From the DT today the say "Le Pen’s plan includes an income tax exemption for the under-30s and low-interest loans of up to €100,000 for couples starting a family, with debt wiped clean if they have three children. She proposes free public transport for young workers and tax-free overtime pay for the proletariat.
She wants to keep the retirement age at 60 for the less privileged who left school early and have put in 40 years of hard labour. She wants to reindex pensions to rising inflation, raise the minimum to €1,000 a month."
Which sounds, economically at least, very left wing. I guess to pay for that, you couldn't have an open-door immigration policy as you'd quickly go bankrupt. Or, considering France's debt levels, at least more quickly. Which kind of makes sense to Le Pen; high social security spending, low immigration, Locals good, foreigners bad.
From the DT today the say "Le Pen’s plan includes an income tax exemption for the under-30s and low-interest loans of up to €100,000 for couples starting a family, with debt wiped clean if they have three children. She proposes free public transport for young workers and tax-free overtime pay for the proletariat.
She wants to keep the retirement age at 60 for the less privileged who left school early and have put in 40 years of hard labour. She wants to reindex pensions to rising inflation, raise the minimum to €1,000 a month."
Which sounds, economically at least, very left wing. I guess to pay for that, you couldn't have an open-door immigration policy as you'd quickly go bankrupt. Or, considering France's debt levels, at least more quickly. Which kind of makes sense to Le Pen; high social security spending, low immigration, Locals good, foreigners bad.
Iamnotkloot said:
I find the labelling of Le Pen far right interesting. I think she's a weird amalgam of both far right and far left.
From the DT today the say "Le Pen’s plan includes an income tax exemption for the under-30s and low-interest loans of up to €100,000 for couples starting a family, with debt wiped clean if they have three children. She proposes free public transport for young workers and tax-free overtime pay for the proletariat.
She wants to keep the retirement age at 60 for the less privileged who left school early and have put in 40 years of hard labour. She wants to reindex pensions to rising inflation, raise the minimum to €1,000 a month."
Which sounds, economically at least, very left wing. I guess to pay for that, you couldn't have an open-door immigration policy as you'd quickly go bankrupt. Or, considering France's debt levels, at least more quickly. Which kind of makes sense to Le Pen; high social security spending, low immigration, Locals good, foreigners bad.
The French have just transitioned quicker to the new divide. Globalist vs nationalism (including economic nationalism). The old Republican party has virtually ceased to be a viable political force as it straddled the new divide, just as the Conservatives do/did here but they have adapted quicker and the electoral system prevented their being supplanted. From the DT today the say "Le Pen’s plan includes an income tax exemption for the under-30s and low-interest loans of up to €100,000 for couples starting a family, with debt wiped clean if they have three children. She proposes free public transport for young workers and tax-free overtime pay for the proletariat.
She wants to keep the retirement age at 60 for the less privileged who left school early and have put in 40 years of hard labour. She wants to reindex pensions to rising inflation, raise the minimum to €1,000 a month."
Which sounds, economically at least, very left wing. I guess to pay for that, you couldn't have an open-door immigration policy as you'd quickly go bankrupt. Or, considering France's debt levels, at least more quickly. Which kind of makes sense to Le Pen; high social security spending, low immigration, Locals good, foreigners bad.
Iamnotkloot said:
I find the labelling of Le Pen far right interesting. I think she's a weird amalgam of both far right and far left.
I think she's trying to appeal to both ends of the left behind spectrum. The far right (grr foreigners) and the far left (grr jobs, taxes and pensions). Considering how Boris managed to steal the UKIP vote and secured the red wave, then it's possible to make work. Interesting times!tangerine_sedge said:
Iamnotkloot said:
I find the labelling of Le Pen far right interesting. I think she's a weird amalgam of both far right and far left.
I think she's trying to appeal to both ends of the left behind spectrum. The far right (grr foreigners) and the far left (grr jobs, taxes and pensions). Considering how Boris managed to steal the UKIP vote and secured the red wave, then it's possible to make work. Interesting times!
tangerine_sedge said:
Iamnotkloot said:
I find the labelling of Le Pen far right interesting. I think she's a weird amalgam of both far right and far left.
I think she's trying to appeal to both ends of the left behind spectrum. The far right (grr foreigners) and the far left (grr jobs, taxes and pensions). Considering how Boris managed to steal the UKIP vote and secured the red wave, then it's possible to make work. Interesting times!Craigyp79 said:
tangerine_sedge said:
Iamnotkloot said:
I find the labelling of Le Pen far right interesting. I think she's a weird amalgam of both far right and far left.
I think she's trying to appeal to both ends of the left behind spectrum. The far right (grr foreigners) and the far left (grr jobs, taxes and pensions). Considering how Boris managed to steal the UKIP vote and secured the red wave, then it's possible to make work. Interesting times!Iamnotkloot said:
I find the labelling of Le Pen far right interesting. I think she's a weird amalgam of both far right and far left.
From the DT today the say "Le Pen’s plan includes an income tax exemption for the under-30s and low-interest loans of up to €100,000 for couples starting a family, with debt wiped clean if they have three children. She proposes free public transport for young workers and tax-free overtime pay for the proletariat.
She wants to keep the retirement age at 60 for the less privileged who left school early and have put in 40 years of hard labour. She wants to reindex pensions to rising inflation, raise the minimum to €1,000 a month."
Which sounds, economically at least, very left wing. I guess to pay for that, you couldn't have an open-door immigration policy as you'd quickly go bankrupt. Or, considering France's debt levels, at least more quickly. Which kind of makes sense to Le Pen; high social security spending, low immigration, Locals good, foreigners bad.
The labelling of her as far right is the establishment doling out the usual tropes to defeat any potential negative impacts to their power. If you want to get the broad brush out one could say that she is heavy into some aspects of socialsim and of nationalism. Hmmm, a socialist nationalist? Will the establishment media dare take that and run with it? Maybe they'll just flog populist. We can't have the proletariat getting what they want!!From the DT today the say "Le Pen’s plan includes an income tax exemption for the under-30s and low-interest loans of up to €100,000 for couples starting a family, with debt wiped clean if they have three children. She proposes free public transport for young workers and tax-free overtime pay for the proletariat.
She wants to keep the retirement age at 60 for the less privileged who left school early and have put in 40 years of hard labour. She wants to reindex pensions to rising inflation, raise the minimum to €1,000 a month."
Which sounds, economically at least, very left wing. I guess to pay for that, you couldn't have an open-door immigration policy as you'd quickly go bankrupt. Or, considering France's debt levels, at least more quickly. Which kind of makes sense to Le Pen; high social security spending, low immigration, Locals good, foreigners bad.
Abdul Abulbul Amir said:
dieselgrunt said:
Would be bad news for Ukraine and neighbouring countries if Le Pen wins, she has promised to leave Nato
Not sure anyone would actually notice.pquinn said:
Abdul Abulbul Amir said:
dieselgrunt said:
Would be bad news for Ukraine and neighbouring countries if Le Pen wins, she has promised to leave Nato
Not sure anyone would actually notice.I guess it signals French independence in a fairly meaningless way.
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