posted
The 27 member countries voted today to elect representatives for their seats in the EU parliament.
First off, funny story: the swedish Pirate Party got 7% of the votes and got their first ever seat in the EU parliament, against a vote margin of 4%. It's the most noteworthy item on our side, not just because of their heavy focus on personal integrity re: digital rights issues, but also because they are now the largest of the "discontent" parties in Sweden (receiving many votes from people disillusioned with the major blocs), meaning that they have replaced and effectively silenced our second biggest discontent party, the xenophobic and ultra-nationalist SD (which normally thrive on throwaway votes), keeping them out of a EU seat for at least five more years.
Sadly, this seems to be the exception to the overall trend. Reports showed that in several of the 27 EU states, among them the Netherlands, Italy and Hungary, various extremist, xenophobic and populist parties have earned seats in parliament, which may have visible effects in future EU dealings in the areas of integration, immigration and foreign aid, and will help the individual parties gain legitimacy in future national elections. Especially noteworthy was the hungarian "Movement for a Better Hungary" party, criticized for its anti-Romany/gypsy and antisemitic nationalism.
The general voting result gave the majority of seating votes to right-wing/conservative/christian parties (except in Sweden), with green parties coming in third.
It seems the outcome of the election will allow the Treaty of Lisbon to be enacted this year, which will make a lot of tweaks and amendments to the administration and operation of the EU, and most importantly it will finally make the European Charter on Human Rights legally binding (despite opposition from the UK and Poland, who will opt out of it).
Average voting participation was at 43%, a two-procent drop from the 2004 elections, but blank votes was at an all-time low. Reports also showed that there's been an overall marked rise in voting participation from the age group 18-30 compared to earlier elections.
Tidbit 1: We just had a national TV broadcast covering the election here, with leaders from all the twelve parties coming to the studio to comment, travelling from their individual party conventions. Our right-wing prime minister and major party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt was held up in traffic on his way to the studio because of Bruce Springsteen's three-day concert in the middle of Stockholm.
Tidbit 2: This was the first TV-covered election night where the studio invited Youtube-recorded questions to be submitted live, which would be broadcast nationally. The feature was riddled with technical problems (looping sound, buffering issues) but finally they got a clip up, and it was of an angry teen that at first was eloquent and then went into a tirade and compared the european electoral committee to feces, before the clip was cut short. The TV host immediately changed subject but I could see the young, appointed "youtube-clip" handler in the lower-right corner of the TV screen, clutching the sides of his expensive laptop, face red as a strawberry, and morbidly unable to stop grinning.
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I'm ashamed to say I didn't vote. Mostly because I didn't have a bloody clue who our EU candidates were. Though I gather a couple BNP MPs managed to get in, possibly due to a general apathy. Bugger.
posted
Ah, well there's always 2014, the year Martin Landau steals SpaceShipOne from under Branson's nose and claims the moon.
I don't know how you englishtypes have it, but here we choose a voting sheet from the party we want (all made out in the same dimensions, layout and font but with different color sheets), and each has a list of representatives on it that we can tick off if we want, but it's not required. So you can just go the party line if you want. ... .... Yeah?? Well at least it's more interesting than ZIP CODES. *rimshot*
Registered: Aug 1999
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quote: Especially noteworthy was the hungarian "Movement for a Better Hungary" party, criticized for its anti-Romany/gypsy and antisemitic nationalism.
Well, I know what wars to look for on the horizon, I guess.
Or
"Those that refuse to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it."
Or
Maybe this is an insane balancing of scales- we Americans finally get someone worth having in office and the EU swings to the right- as though there is an unsaid deal not to let the world get too sane.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:we Americans finally get someone worth having in office and the EU swings to the right
Actually, it's the other way around. 75% of the conservative leaders in power in Europe today rode in on the right-wing wind that Bush spread around the world during his romantic "call to arms" in 2002-2005, and many of them are still in their first term.
Basically, as long as Berlusconi is in power in Italy, swinging his mile-long, hair-implanted "ego" around in italian and EU politics, the barometer will stay put at "frigid right".
If there is to be an Obama-effect in elections in Europe, he has to prove himself, the people need to see if he actually can lead and isn't just saying the right things and looking good. There are still people in America that think he's a terrorist ayrab (sic), so...
In my own country, the democrats have been just as unimaginative and leaderless as their US counterparts during the Gore/Kerry years, and there is skepsis that they can offer something better than the current conservative government in next year's 2010 election.
Isn't it the same on the UK side? Are the Tories looking to taking power in the next election?
Registered: Aug 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Reverend: Though I gather a couple BNP MPs managed to get in, possibly due to a general apathy. Bugger.
Yes, two BNP racist tossers MEPs were elected. It's largely to blame on the way the major parties performed as I gather...the BNP didn't really improve their performance as they polled around the same number of votes, it's just everyone else did so bloody awfully that it was enough to get seats this time. Personally I'm quite surprised about how badly Labour did here in Wales...I don't think anyone would have predicted the Tories coming top, being closely followed by UKIP ('cause yes, there's nothing like the hypocrisy of a eurosceptic party being elected to the EU). I'd been expecting the Lib Dems to make some gains in Wales instead...oh well.
Registered: Jul 2006
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quote:we Americans finally get someone worth having in office and the EU swings to the right
Actually, it's the other way around. 75% of the conservative leaders in power in Europe today rode in on the right-wing wind that Bush spread around the world during his romantic "call to arms" in 2002-2005, and many of them are still in their first term.
Basically, as long as Berlusconi is in power in Italy, swinging his mile-long, hair-implanted "ego" around in italian and EU politics, the barometer will stay put at "frigid right".
If there is to be an Obama-effect in elections in Europe, he has to prove himself, the people need to see if he actually can lead and isn't just saying the right things and looking good. There are still people in America that think he's a terrorist ayrab (sic), so...
How exactly would Obama "prove" himself to Europe? I mean, it's not as though you're all following the minute' of his campaign promises (many of which he's already fulfilled), is it?
(shrugs) At least he's trying new things- like not dictating down to muslims and being the first person I can recall in US politics to say Israel's ever-expanding settlements are illegal.
Hmmmm...how does security play in your elections? I'd think, with a greater muslim population than the US, the EU would be very keen on any outreach between the US and the muddle-east.
And if you think Obama's a terrorist, just Google "Obama" and "Antichrist" for some real nuttery.
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
You have to wonder at what the various Xenophobic parties are going to get up to in the EU political arena. The BNP guys will land at the parliament in Brussels and their tiny heads will explode at the sheer number of foreigners.
Are they going to rise to their feet and shout "Keep out of my country, you FREAKS!" for 5 years? Will they band together with the SD and the other ultra-nationalists in an attempt to gain some voting power, then realise what they're doing and kill each other in a frenzy of self loathing?
Truly, those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I think people need to watch more History channel stuff to wake themselves up to what's happening here.
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
To be honest, the far right parties in Brussels are all on the very fringe of their respective political circles.
Five years in Europe will show MEP's and those around the European Parliament just how repulsive the BNP is, and will (I expect) by and large ingnore them as they have very little sensible to say.
I just think it's depressing that so many people in the Midlands are stupid enough to firstly belive the tripe the BNP spew, and secondly to actually think that the BNP will represent and reflect the feelings of the electorate.
At least we now know that there are at least 943598 racists in the UK (given that only 34% of the electorate turned out in the UK to vote), and that there are 120139 in Yorkshire & Humber, and 132194 in North East England. The BNP increased it's share of the vote by 1.3% omn the last European Election. England should hang it head in shame.
-------------------- I have plenty of experience in biology. I bought a Tamagotchi in 1998... And... it's still alive.
Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:How exactly would Obama "prove" himself to Europe? I mean, it's not as though you're all following the minute' of his campaign promises (many of which he's already fulfilled), is it?
Yes, how indeed. I'm only describing political reality, he's still the new kid on the block. And precisely because the rest of the world is not following the detailed performance of his campaign promises, he needs to do what earlier, globally inspiring presidents have done. He's got a lot going for him, and in order for his leadership and example to "rub off" in the elections in Europe 2010-2012, you need two things from him and one thing from Europe. From Obama, some visible and memorable achievements are needed (peace-deal in Africa/Middle East, productive communication with a dictator or something else that inspires confidence even in the opposition). Secondly, he needs to have been in office long enough for everyone to get used to it.
On Europe's part, for there to be something resembling a paradigm shift, I'd say at least 5-10 major countries need to produce credible party leaders who support and appreciate Obama's initiatives (maybe such as France's Ségolène Royal, who's already ahead in polls over Sarkozy for 2012, without even having formally announced her candidacy).
quote:Hmmmm...how does security play in your elections?
That's a very interesting question. In the analysis of the swedish EU vote, the three most relevant issues for the voters was shown to be "employment", "peace" and "environmental concern". Regarding peace, Europe has troubles of too. I've seen very little "rabblerousing" towards islamic threat. I can't speak for other countries, here the concern in the mideast-west clash has been about how to adress failures in integration policy for our immigrants, it's a concern. Lots of theater plays and movies are made on the topic.
Regarding the centrist-right majority of the EU vote, it needs to be mentioned that the EU leadership and assembly has been in existence since 1979, and is less fluctuating and changeable than the leadership of individual countries. With that said, the election of EU-representatives doesn't necessarily reflect sentiments in coming national elections. However, some politicians have received pointed criticism for using the 2009 EU-election as a premature springboard to steal votes for the local election next year (*cough*-"Spicy meatball!").
Axeman:
quote:Are they going to rise to their feet and shout "Keep out of my country, you FREAKS!" for 5 years? Will they band together with the SD and the other ultra-nationalists in an attempt to gain some voting power
In line with what the beacon of ginger said, the only advantage with classic "malcontent" parties whose platform is prejudice and hatred is that they don't know how to work together with others, even similar parties in other countries, so they seldom last long or keep a seat. The only question is how much they manage to get done during their time. For good or bad, a mandate in the EU is easier to achieve than a spot in your own parliament/government, so many oddball parties chase a seat in the EU as a gateway to recognition and credibility, stepping up their game at home after coming back from their little field trip.
Registered: Aug 1999
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