Post: #1

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32006268

Quote: France's centre-right UMP party and its allies have taken first place in the first round of local elections, partial results show.

Projections suggest that the far-right National Front - despite strong gains - came second with about 25% of the vote, behind the conservatives on 31%.

President Francois Hollande's governing Socialists came third with 20%.

Voters are electing representatives in 101 departments, or counties, charged with issues like schools and welfare.

The results mean the second round on 29 March will see a run-off between the UMP and the FN in many constituencies.

In the past, voters for rival parties have combined in the second round to keep the far right out.

The poor results for the Socialists follows on from their defeats in municipal and EU elections last year.

Some polls ahead of the vote had indicated that Marine Le Pen's FN could come top in the first round.

Analysis: Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris

It's another big vote for the French far right, following the municipal and European elections last year. In this first round of departmental or county council elections, nationwide 24.5% of voters chose the National Front, according to one poll.

It is a figure that shows yet again how Marine Le Pen's strategy of building a system of local organisation and shutting down the party's overtly racist elements is paying off.

However, opinion polls had suggested the far-right could have done better - even emerging as the most popular party in the election.

That didn't happen, which has given some cheer to the mainstream opposition here, led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

line
Ms Le Pen had been hoping the elections would build momentum ahead of her expected bid for the presidency in 2017.

Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls welcomed the news that the FN had scored less that some had predicted, saying the results showed it was not the strongest force in French politics.

However, Ms Le Pen called for Mr Valls to resign, celebrating what she said was a "massive vote" for her party, exceeding its performance in the European Parliament elections.

For the first time, voters in these elections are not choosing single candidates - but pairs of candidates - one man and one woman - in order to enforce strict gender equality in local politics.

Post: #2

although i'd like to celebrate the well-deserved routing of the french socialist party, the last line in your post prevents me from doing so.

Post: #3

(03-23-2015 11:51 AM)DannyAlberta Wrote:  although i'd like to celebrate the well-deserved routing of the french socialist party, the last line in your post prevents me from doing so.

Same, I was excited to see the right making inroads then I hit the end of the article and my jaw dropped.

Post: #4

This is valid in all countries:



also relevant:



You will see when a politician starts doing something to upset the money power - there is a simple sign to find that out: He usually dies quickly.

Post: #5

Far right = 50/50 gender equality haha

Post: #6

I don't understand that last sentence in the article. It seems just tacked onto the end, and I can't tell who is doing what.

Post: #7

(03-24-2015 11:04 AM)Phoenix Wrote:  I don't understand that last sentence in the article. It seems just tacked onto the end, and I can't tell who is doing what.

My assumption would be that running pairs of candidates was something that came from the French Socialist party, which has been in power. Based on the analysis I've read, the far right party is gaining momentum largely due to growing anti-immigration sentiment and increased nationalism following the Charlie Hebdo massacre. While I generally distrust major political parties as a rule, I hope that this change in French sentiment is the result of more people waking up to a politically incorrect reality in their nation.

Post: #8

National front are phoneys. They're worse than the socialists in terms of economic policy. They're basically communists who don't like brown people.

If they win the election and have a chance to implement their shitty policies, it'll be the nail in the coffin for the already stagnant and underachieving French Economy.

Post: #9

(03-25-2015 01:29 PM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:  National front are phoneys. They're worse than the socialists in terms of economic policy. They're basically communists who don't like brown people.

If they win the election and have a chance to implement their shitty policies, it'll be the nail in the coffin for the already stagnant and underachieving French Economy.

I wouldn't use the phrase "nail in the coffin" when it comes to an economy. Economies rise and fall, that shit is cyclical and can be fixed by appropriate reforms.

On the other hand, "nail in the coffin" is 100% accurate when describing French immigration policy. If the FN can fix the immigration policy, a few years of economic disruption are a small, small price to pay.

And for what it's worth, I highly doubt that having the FN in power vs the Socialists or the UMP will make a material difference to the French economy.

Post: #10

(03-25-2015 04:58 PM)Fast Eddie Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 01:29 PM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:  National front are phoneys. They're worse than the socialists in terms of economic policy. They're basically communists who don't like brown people.

If they win the election and have a chance to implement their shitty policies, it'll be the nail in the coffin for the already stagnant and underachieving French Economy.

I wouldn't use the phrase "nail in the coffin" when it comes to an economy. Economies rise and fall, that shit is cyclical and can be fixed by appropriate reforms.

On the other hand, "nail in the coffin" is 100% accurate when describing French immigration policy. Demography is permanent, once you fuck it it up there is no going back unless you start talking about fluffy things like "genocide." If the FN can fix the immigration policy, a few years of economic disruption are a small, small price to pay.


And for what it's worth, I highly doubt that having the FN in power vs the Socialists or the UMP will make a material difference to the French economy.

A tale for you

There was a village, with a single guy of Arab origin living there. Everyday people would complain about him, saying "he steals the French's bread".

One day he had enough, and he left the village.
The villagers did not have bread for weeks, because the guy was in fact the baker.

I hope you get the moral of the story.