A Question for European DUer's

[T_i_B]

Since the elections for the European parliament are on June 10 I thought I would do a thread on the matter.

I just thought I'd ask European DUer's what parties are standing in your neck of the woods, what issues are likely to play a part in these elections, what the voter turnout is likely to be and well, if you want to mention which parties are better or worse you can do that here as well.

Here's the UK Euro election website for a bit of reference as well.

http://www.europecounts.org.uk/

[Kellanved]

1. Domestic issues

The Greens and my Social Democrats (SPD) play the "peace card", with their opposition to the Iraq war. I personally think the SPD campaign is not especially well-planned, but the reaction on the street is surprisingly good.

("Power of Peace" and "Future fair ")

("No Mushroom clouds" and "IT'S YOUROPE")

The Conservatives (CDU/CSU) try to gain votes from the general discontentment with the Federal Government. Their other argument is inner Security; the only "European" factor in the Campaign is the question whatever Turkey should be allowed to join the EU, or not.

("Security", and a poster equating Europe with a rotten apple :puke:)

The "liberals" (FDP) have no message whatsoever - as usual.

("We can do it better" (what?), and "Preserve freedom, fight Terrorism")
The Socialist's (PDS) aim for protest votes against the Social System reforms.

("Enough", "Fairness in the own country", and "Europe at the UN's side").

Other parties running:

Republicans (Far Right, bordering to Neo-Nazi)
Animal Rights Party
the Greys ("for a better Europe for old people")
The Women (feminist party)
NPD (Neo-Nazis)
Eco-Democrats
Party of Bible-abiding Christs
Christian Center ("For an Europe with God's law")
Center (Wacko- Conservatives)
middle-class Socialist's party (La Rouche)
Germany Party (Anti Immigration, anti-Europe)
Independent Candidates
German Communistic Party
German Party (?)
Family Party
Party for Social Fairness, part of the fourth Internationale
Upraise



IMHO turnout will be under 50% - I fear that the conservatives will win.

[T_i_B]

3. Thanks Kellanved

No big debate on the common agricultral policy or the EU constitution in Germany then? I would have thought that this election should be all about European issues personally but then again I am English.

I'll post the link to my meeting room thread on the EU constitution now for good luck anyway.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=111x22516

[aneerkoinos]

2. Hello

from Finland. Voter turnout gonna stay low (probably below 40%), there are no political issues, only personal publicity issues because most political parties and media don't really care and/or understand the importance of EP, and parties don't really campaign.

Gonna vote Greens, who have generally done good job at the EP.

http://www.eurogreens.org/cms/default/rubrik/2/[e-mail]


I hope you in UK can humiliate New Labour so badly that Blair is forced to resign. But who will you vote, if you do (to deny Tories victory)? LibDems? Greens? Galloways Respect? Socialists/Other?

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Since we get a form of proportional representation

for our European elections (UK divided up into 12 regions, each electing several members) at least we don't have to think of tactical voting, for once.

The turnout for European elections in Britain is usually derisory - about 25%. The main feature this time may be the racist British National Party, who might get a seat with as little as 9% of the vote in the North West region. If there are lurkers here from that area, for God's sake go and vote for someone else who can get elected - even if it's the Tories.

Blair would never resign over European results. Labour did worse than the Tories in the last ones, but that was just put down to our innate Euroscepticism/Europhobia. This time, the Lib Dems are trying to get Iraq seen as a European issue - how Blair ignored working with most of Europe, etc. I'm not sure how much that will work; I think the Iraq protest vote will be split between Lib Dems, Respect and the Greens, and make little overall difference.

[T_i_B]

5. Here are the UK choices

I'll keep the desciptions cut down to the EU, Iraq and perhaps the parties electoral records.

Labour. Essentially "tory lite" as often discussed on here. They have been forced recently into a humiliating U-turn on the matter of holding a referendum on the proposed EU constitution. They talk the pro-Europe talk but have tended in power to hold to the same pragmatic line as the John Major government that preceded it, only without self destructing over the issue as that government did.

Conservative. About the only set of elections the tories ever seem to do well at is the European elections. This is because their Euro-sceptic platform tends to be shared by the general public and parroted endlessly in much of the UK press. However, they can be a bit obsessive on the subject, which is a big part of the reason why they got booted out by a landslide to Blair in 1997.

Both main parties supported the Iraq war and continue to have poor records on that issue.

Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats are all for the EU, and as such are a tad out of step with Euro-sceptic public opinion. They did oppose the Iraq war and are gunning for the more moderate pro-UN protest vote on that issue. I think they may well have an average vote at this election but they are the best alternative to "new" labour for many progressives.

Greens. The Greens are anti-globalization, as I am sure you are aware and this tends to influence their position on the EU, making them Euro-sceptic, but they do try to keep their distance from the right wing sceptics at all times.

RESPECT Coalition. "gorgeous" George Galloway's new party. Very much aimed at the Iraq protest vote but hampered by Galloway's reputation IMHO. I questioned one of their men about their Euro policies in Sheffield a couple of weeks ago and they are very similar on that issue to the Greens. They may well take one or two seats along with the Greens.

UK Independence Party. Hard right, vehemently anti-EU isolationist eejits. Their big draw at this election is erm.....Robert Kilroy-Silk. (they are welcome to the moran if you ask me)

BNP Neo-nazi's. Very nasty.

Plus Scottish & Welsh nationalists, various other small parties and if you are lucky the Monster Raving Loony Party. Dunno if the Socialist Alliance are joining up with Galloway but you might also see other Marxist rump parties if far left wackiness is more your tastes. European elections do tend to have lots of choice on the ballot paper, some of which is inevitably better than others.

Essentially if you are left-wing and disillusioned with "new" labour you can vote your concience to a large degree thanks to the PR system at these elections, and with the voter turnout certain to be abysmally low your vote will count. However, I still have reservations about PR. I guess I just prefer voting for individual candidates as opposed to party lists that can be easily controlled by the likes of Peter Mandleson.

[Capt_Nemo]

6. Great thread TiB!

Here in Portugal there are 5 main parties (those with parliamentary representation). 4 of
them make part of our political landscape
since the 1974 revolution brought us democracy and one of those, the communists (PCP) have
been arround since 1921 (they went underground during Salazar's fascist regime - 1928-1974).
The leftist nature of the April revolution had a curious efect in the names of the
parties, that are slanted left relative to their true ideologies.

Let's start by those on the dark...I mean right side of the political spectrum:

CDS-PP: Partido Popular (Popular Party). Changed the name a few years ago. The "C" in the
early acronym stood for "centro" (center) somewhat disguising their rightist nature. As
a matter of fact they recently started to drift to the far right, mixing populist
demagoguery with some thinly veiled Salazar regime nostalgy. They are unquestioning neo-con
cheerleaders. Closet Europhobes that have to hide their hatred for the European Union
since they are the very same capitalist cronies that profit from the development funds
that come from "Old Europe". Junior partners in the current right wing governmet.
These will be the first elections where an offshoot of the PP will run headed by a guy
who started as a proxy for PP's current leader and now is his sworn enemy. The problem
for him is that he is a bigger idiot than his ex-master, so although a rummsfeldian unknown
this new party is not supposed to stand a chance.

PSD: Partido Social Democrata. These "social-democrats" are in fact center right and the
main party in the right of the spectrum. The senior party in the current governmental
coalition they have moved a bit to the right, dragged by the CDS-PP. This has happened
because among other things they are the most ideologicaly heterogeneous party among the
major ones. One could say that what holds them together is the desire to get to power
to rule in the behalf of the economic/finantial elite. They are mild Euroenthusiasts
since they know from where the money flows. Many of them have been seduced by the
neo-con propaganda (not to the same extent as the PP), mainly because of their alignments
from the Cold War time, but they are not bright enough to understand what the whole
thing is about, poor fools...

PS: Partido Socialista. Our Social-Democrats, when they are in power the substance of
their policies is hardly distiguishable, from the PSD. Nice words but irrelevant deeds.
as our main party of the left it does not make me very proud, but the behaviour of the
communists doesn't make it easier for them to establish a wider leftist consensus. The
most Euroenthusiast party in Portugal for historical reasons (their leadership got us into
the EU). Most of them are staunch opponents of neo-conservatism, although there is a small
number of "cruise missile leftists" among them (one of them was sent to Iraq by our
goverment to be another clown on the CPA).

PCP: Partido Comunista Português. The oldest of our modern parties. They were the main
political force that worked to bring down the fascist dictatorship. Closely aligned with
the Soviet Communists since their early days, the years in the underground reinforced their
links to the USSR and made tabu of any criticism of the Soviet leadership. After the
revolution they helped to bring about, in what was their finest hour, they failed to
adapt to the new realities of democracy. Their blind faith in the Soviet Union had as
a consequense that the convulsions in the 80's were mirrored inside the party and when
the wall came tumbling down in 89, the party members in deep denial (just like FOX viewers)
cose to purge the "reformers" and keep on marching into oblivion, with the deep conviction
that their beloved Soviet Union will raise from the ashes one day. Problem is that since
then fewer and fewer voters take them seriously, while to the left of them a new, vibrant
force is taking the place they could have had if they had chosen the path to reform.
Most Eurosceptic party, for what they wanted was to be part of the Soviet sponsored
Council for Mutual Economic Assitance instead of the decadent capitalist european community.
Still want to believe that Stalin was victim of a western propaganda campaign and that he
didn't persecute anyone and that Kim Il Sung and Fidel Castro are true democrats.
They are a dead party, just no one has told them that yet...

BE: Bloco de Esquerda (Leftist Block). Recently formed federation of leftist forces has
built upon the successes of a Pseudo-Trotskyite party and the failures of our Communists.
Have a growing parliament representation since the late 90's. Since then they have
an impressive record in setting the agenda in the parliamentary discussions, putting
the traditional leftist parties to shame. The best and the brightest
of our left have been gravitating towards them, and they were this week among the founding
members of the new leftist european movement that has Italy's reformed Communist Fausto
Bertinotti as its head. Know all about PNAC and are sworn enemies of the neo-cons.
Although not always in agreement with their positions, this
is the party I have been voting for in the last elections and they will get my vote
again in June.

[Capt_Nemo]

7. Bump!

[Capt_Nemo]

8. re-bump!

[T_i_B]

9. Chirac isolated after his own party votes in favour of EU referendum

I'll post this for any French DUer's who may be round here.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,11882,1214000,00.html

The pressure on Jacques Chirac to hold a referendum on the European constitution was mounting yesterday after his party voted in favour of the poll.

The national executive of the centre-right UMP voted to campaign for a referendum in the run-up to the European elections on June 10-13 - although the head of the party, Mr Chirac's close ally Alain Juppé, made sure that the words "while respecting the constitutional prerogatives of the president" were included in the motion. The ruling council's decision followed a typically forthright speech from Mr Chirac's ambitious rival on the opposite wing of the party, the finance minister Nicolas Sarkozy.

"Popular opinion must be consulted at every major stage of European integration," Mr Sarkozy told the executive on Sunday night. "I simply do not see how it can be possible to tell the French people that the European constitution is a major step, and then to just assume that it can be adopted by parliamentarians without making the effort to consult French public opinion directly."

Almost all of the French political class, from the Eurosceptic, pro-sovereignty Movement for France to the far-left Workers' Struggle, agrees with the Communist leader Marie-Georges Buffet that "democratically and morally" a referendum is "the only acceptable decision".

[Kellanved]

10. a very similar thing happened to the German Greens (Fischer)

No English link, but I see no way for a Constitution without a Referendum (would be a nice change to vote on a Constitution for once).

[BonjourUSA]

11. French are schizophrenic

The majority is in favor of an European integration process because they think that's a necessity for the future to face the change of the world. They want a European policy for foreign, military, police, justice, tax system affairs. The French youth is balanced now between European and French being.

In the same time, they feel EU can be a threat for their style of life. They want to keep the values which seem essential for them (for right or wrong reasons).

About a referendum, Sarkozy is right. EU must go forward with a democratic process.

[T_i_B]

12. Ah, yes

"They want a European policy for foreign, military, police, justice, tax system affairs."

That kinda reminded me about the main thing that "new" labour is promoting about it's EU policies at the moment, the certain "red line" issues such as taxation and the military that it apparently will not scede power to Brussels on. I can agree to a point with this one, certainly if we are not in the Euro zone we should not give Brussels power over taxation but the military?

The problem here is that most Brits don't do nuance and as such any attempt to sell a complex policy such as the EU constitution is going to be very much an uphill struggle.

Any thoughts on the parties on the EU ballot in France BTW?