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A thread to talk about news and politics affecting Europe as a whole, rather than just politics within specific European countries.

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    Original first post 
Spinned off from the British Politics Thread. Basically a thread where we talk about news and politics that affect Europe as a whole rather than certain countries in it.

Anyway BBC News section for Europe Based news.

Edited by Mrph1 on Jan 9th 2024 at 3:24:05 PM

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#2901: Jun 29th 2016 at 9:59:29 AM

A man who cannot pizza, should not pizza!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
desdendelle (Avatar by Coffee) from Land of Milk and Honey (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Writing a love letter
(Avatar by Coffee)
#2902: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:11:21 AM

Incidentally, I plugged that article to an Italian friend. His reaction was

If it stops cities from being invased [sic] by egiptian [sic]- or pakistani- owned pizzerias, that's good actually

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground
TerminusEst from the Land of Winter and Stars Since: Feb, 2010
#2903: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:15:19 AM

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy opposes EU talks with Scotland

Ah, Spain. Predictable. Also douchey.

edited 29th Jun '16 10:15:44 AM by TerminusEst

Si Vis Pacem, Para Perkele
FieldMarshalFry Field Marshal of Cracked from World Internet War 1 Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Field Marshal of Cracked
#2904: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:16:08 AM

I think Spain may be about to overtake France as "killjoy dick of Europe"

advancing the front into TV Tropes
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#2905: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:16:31 AM

Not spain in general, just piece-of-shit Rajoy.

And while the Spanish electoral system was never doubted before, it's only thirty years old and this situation is utterly new.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#2906: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:27:52 AM

[up][up] It's due to one word: Catalonia — they also want Independence.

Keep Rolling On
Quag15 Since: Mar, 2012
#2907: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:30:43 AM

[up][up]Nearly 40, actually.

edited 29th Jun '16 10:30:50 AM by Quag15

raziel365 Anka Aquila from South of the Far West (Veteran) Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
Anka Aquila
#2908: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:34:41 AM

Speaking of Spain, is the socialist party going to yet again block any attempts of forming a government? Shouldn't they put aside differences and at least try to act on behalf of the country?

Instead of focusing on relatives that divide us, we should find the absolutes that tie us.
Quag15 Since: Mar, 2012
#2909: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:38:04 AM

[up]If they were smart (though I don't know if their constitution allows it), they and Podemos would form an agreement of sorts (here in Portugal we have the agreement of sorts involving the Socialists, the Communists and the Left Bloc) to get parliamentary support. However, while the Socialists and the Communists here have buried a hatched after 40 years of rivalry, it seems that neither their Socialists nor Podemos want to compromise on things.

AngelusNox The law in the night from somewhere around nothing Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
The law in the night
#2910: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:51:05 AM

[up][up]Nah, it would make government work without them ruling and they can't afford that.

edited 29th Jun '16 10:51:17 AM by AngelusNox

Inter arma enim silent leges
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#2911: Jun 29th 2016 at 10:57:20 AM

[up][up]The socialists's leadership want to join with the PP, but they know doing that is suicide for next election. They're kind of like Parliamentary Labour in their attitude to the base, who would be fine joining up with Podemos, or so I heard.

[up]Why not?

edited 29th Jun '16 10:58:13 AM by TheHandle

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
raziel365 Anka Aquila from South of the Far West (Veteran) Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
Anka Aquila
#2912: Jun 29th 2016 at 11:02:33 AM

[up][up][up] If I recall correctly, they attempted that at first but the leader of Podemos kept rejecting any sort of agreement that wasn't on their favour, which is why Spain had to make the elections again.

[up][up] It's times like this that makes me think how prissy politicians can be everywhere in the globe, no matter if they belong to a Third or First World country.

edited 29th Jun '16 11:03:22 AM by raziel365

Instead of focusing on relatives that divide us, we should find the absolutes that tie us.
AngelusNox The law in the night from somewhere around nothing Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
The law in the night
#2913: Jun 29th 2016 at 11:55:45 AM

[up][up]Those parties rely the rhetoric of how flawed the political and economic system are and the only way to fix it is to elect them and empower them in order for them to reform everything.

Making the government work without their rule would mean they are either wrong or that they aren't entirely needed for things to get better thus undermining their own rhetoric.

Inter arma enim silent leges
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#2914: Jun 29th 2016 at 12:03:19 PM

Why wouldn't they rule? The PSOE and PP have no experience making coalitions, but Catalonia has had those more often than not, and, bar a few hiccups, it worked. It's called a coalition government, it's totally a thing.

edited 29th Jun '16 12:03:43 PM by TheHandle

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
AngelusNox The law in the night from somewhere around nothing Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
The law in the night
#2915: Jun 29th 2016 at 12:07:35 PM

[up]Sheer spite for one.

It isn't being unable to form coalitions that is the problem, it is the prospect of losing influence because a coalition was formed and they aren't the ones leading it.

Inter arma enim silent leges
Quag15 Since: Mar, 2012
#2916: Jun 29th 2016 at 2:59:50 PM

It also doesn't help that Podemos is a very recent party, and thus, are more prone to the make-or-break factor, while here in Portugal, the Communists have a long history and a solid presence and, thus, has the ability to engage into the agreement with the Socialists (in spite of their historic rivalry, which was violent in the first couple of years after the revolution) without their support base feeling they are being betrayed (it also helps that the Communists here have been generally orthodox (especially from the 90's onwards), unlike other Communist parties in Europe who were blown away by their Euro-Communist tendencies of the 70's and 80's).

And the Left Bloc here is starting to solidify their political presence (in spite of a few shots in the foot every now and then), so, the agreement has managed to survive so far.

edited 29th Jun '16 3:02:17 PM by Quag15

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#2917: Jun 29th 2016 at 3:36:44 PM

We never hear of Portugal, for better or worse. How're you guys?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
TerminusEst from the Land of Winter and Stars Since: Feb, 2010
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#2919: Jun 30th 2016 at 6:29:37 PM

Regarding Catalonia, do you guys know how popular independence actually is? Is it established that the only reason that they don't split is because of the Spanish Army, or is it likely that a Cat Doornote  would in fact fail at the polls?

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#2920: Jun 30th 2016 at 8:36:11 PM

Catapult? Cataphract? Cataleap? Cataleave? Catalout? Catalone? Catsolong? Catalong? Catalogoff? Cataloff?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#2923: Jul 1st 2016 at 4:33:17 AM

Right Wing politians and a possible Dolchstosslegende. What could go wrong?

"You can reply to this Message!"
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#2924: Jul 1st 2016 at 7:22:18 AM

Fraud allegations charges revolve around the company Indra awarded a contract to count the vote, and which has faced corruption charges]in relation with the PP government, and gets a failing grade from Transparency International. It's primarily a defence company, so what else did you expect?

The company claims to speed up the counting process via technologies such as OCR, OMR and ICR , which, it alleges, provide reliability, speed and transparency.

A Recount Petition is underway. Here are the charges as translated from the above link.

  • The Interior Minister in charge of counting the votes, has previously been caught flagrantly using the institution and the police to destroy political rivals.
  • The government skipped its typical bidding process and gave the contract for counting votes of the June 26 election by “negotiated procedure” – something totally unusual in this type of contract. Indra is a different company than the one that counted the December 20 election, which won through competitive bidding.
  • Indra is fully wrapped in a web of corruption with the Popular Party.
  • The election results do not correspond at all with any of all surveys, to an exceptional and historical degree.

Reader Bran emailed, “there is a push to have the voting boxes opened and counted manually, under observation of the electoral commission.”

This of course assumes the ballots have not already been destroyed.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
WackyPancake from My computer. Since: May, 2011
#2925: Jul 1st 2016 at 7:45:43 AM

Indra does not count the votes. It provisionally counts the votes the night of the election and shows it to the media, but the real recounting is done by the Junta Electoral Central.

In every single polling station there are representatives from every major party. The votes are counted in front of them. They all bring back a copy of the document where the votes are annotated. The recounting is also open to the public and everybody is free to watch.

Numerous media have come out to debunk the rumors, including Huffington Post and the not-exactly-conservative journalist Ignacio Escolar. Pablo Iglesias himself and several other Podemos authorities have said there is no fraud and the elections were clean.

Stop feeding conspiracy theories.

"I like girls, but now, it's about justice."

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