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Edited by Mrph1 on Jan 9th 2024 at 3:24:05 PM
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I am optimistic because in the past, right wing parties like Ukip mainly managed to gain seats because the participation in the elections is so much lower, which is screwing the numbers in favour of them. But thanks to more recent event, I get the feeling that a lot of people, especially young people, have realized how important that specific election truly is. If there is a higher voter turnout by them, it could push the numbers in favour of the moderates and pro-EU parties.
@Septimus: Leaving aside the usual far-righters (who would be an almost invisbile minority, if not for the PNR party who likes to stir up controversy through billboards), there's not much of a concern about immigration because of two factors:
a) Most of the people who immigrate here are either old (usually British, with the French coming here more often) folks essentially retiring in regions such as Algarve note or young tech/start-up people note doing their attempts at career building in Lisbon and Porto.
b) As for refugees, well, let's just say that the majority (apart from some college-oriented folks)... quite simply leave and go elsewhere, because of lack of sufficient jobs (you know, effects of the austerity and all that which are still felt here and there, which is why youth unemployment is a massive concern; the brain drain is still going strong, and most young folks working don't have a sustainable career yet) and/or opportunities. To give you my local anecdotal example, there were about 20 Yazidi refugees in my city a year or two ago. Of those, only 1 person remained. The rest left (presumably towards other European countries, or towards Porto and Lisbon).
Edited by Quag15 on Jan 2nd 2019 at 10:56:55 AM
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Italy mayors defy far-right leader on migrants
Salvini, also interior minister, on Thursday demanded the resignations of the rebellious leaders of Florence, Palermo and Naples, with the last escalating the row by also offering to take in migrants stranded at sea that Italy has turned away.
"This (law) incites criminality, rather than fighting or preventing it," Palermo mayor Leoluca Orlando said.
"It violates human rights. There are thousands, tens of thousands of people who legally reside here in Italy, who pay their taxes, who pay into pensions, and in a couple of weeks or months they will become... illegal," he claimed.
The tough new anti-migrant law, adopted by parliament on November 28, makes it easier to expel new arrivals and limits residence permits in a country that has become the main gateway for migrants crossing the Mediterranean.
It also abolishes humanitarian residence permits granted until now to vulnerable people, families or single women with children.
Salvini, head of the far-right League party, was quick to suggest Orlando "take care of the many problems in his city instead".
But his rebuke proved counterproductive with other mayors joining in the protest.
- 'We will not bow' -
Florence mayor Dario Nardella said his city would "not bow to" a law which "expels asylum-seekers and, without repatriating them, throws them out onto the street".
Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris vowed that the parts of the law that he said were unconstitutional, "such as those on the right to asylum, will under no circumstances be enforced".
He then upped the ante by offering to take in 32 migrants who are blocked in limbo at sea after being rescued by an NGO but denied a safe port in Europe.
- 'Heart of stone' -
"I hope the boat approaches the port of Naples, because — contrary to what the government says — we will launch a rescue plan and let them dock. I will oversee the rescue operation myself," he told a local radio.
He accused Salvini of having "a stone instead of a heart".
Salvini snapped back on Facebook that those who helped illegal migrants "hate Italians and will answer to the Law and History".
Orlando said he would seek legal advice on whether the law was unconstitutional.
Good. Someone has to put the brakes on this man at some point.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Finally! I was waiting for something like this. It's the big advantage AND disadvantage of the Italian system that it gives the regions considerable power.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-13/tense-days-await-sweden-to-seal-deal-rejecting-nationalists
Sweden political deadlock seems close to end.
Servant of the Omnissiah
From what I can see, every party is bandwagoning to keep the far-Right out of power.
Not that I have a problem with that, but the voters in Sweden might disagree. Giving the far-Right even more votes in the next election.
Troubled times ahead for Sweden, it would seem. They really need to get down to having an honest debate about immigration.
I hold the secrets of the machine.
What day was the article 13 thing happening this month?
According to this, the next step is January 18th. And all the awfulness that had been slightly chipped at at some point, has been restored with a vengeance.
Edited by Medinoc on Jan 14th 2019 at 11:45:52 AM
"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
If Sweden is anything like Germany than the parties absolutely do the right thing. We have a pattern here: Every time a moderate party suggests that it might be ready to go in coalition with the fringe or moves towards a far right position, the voters are expressing their anger by swinging to another moderate party. Moderate voters don't want the stain of those parties on their politics.
I can't read what it says, from what i've heard from other tropers the article 13 isn't quite what most are making it out to be.
roaming, lurking, arguing
The polish mayor of Danzig Pawel Adamowicz has died today of his injuries, after having been heavily wounded in an assault with a knife.
Adamowicz was known for being a liberal politcian, staunchly pro-european and having been at odds with the right-wing polish government. He was also known for being one of the most popular politicians in Poland.
The jury is still out, wether this was a politically motivated assassination or not, though the signs do point towards it being one.
Edited by TheNohen on Jan 14th 2019 at 6:13:37 PM
Stop Killing My Titles
We need to decide if Polish happenings will be posted here or in the Eastern European thread.
The culprit has allegedly suffered from schizophrenia prior to his earlier sentence for four armed robberies in Danzig/Gdańsk banks, which presumably would have been exacerbated further in prison. Cannot say for sure at the moment, but he didn't seem to be aware that late Mayor Adamowicz was no longer in PO and was currently independent. (alternatively, he didn't care for it, which is damning enough)
Incidentally, the director of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Jerzy Owsiak decided to step down from his position, after having been running it since 1993, citing himself as being responsible for not providing enough security for the event in Gdańsk, which Adamowicz attended.
Edited by FergardStratoavis on Jan 14th 2019 at 7:19:12 PM
grah
Stefan Löfven voted back in as Swedish prime minister
That sounds like good news, even with the asterisk of it being a minority government with tentative support of the centre-right.
Meanwhile in Switzerland we are seeing youth protests, including schoolchildren. Demanding that we take more serious action against climate change. One of my brothers was organizing one of those.
Servant of the Omnissiah
At least the Swiss are on the ball with the rest of Europe. It's interesting how the protests are not that the Governments aren't doing anything, but about how they're not doing enough.
Compare that to the United States, where....well.
I hold the secrets of the machine.
Note that Switzerland has general elections this fall, and climate change is expected to be a big topic.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
So they are going to reconsider the nuclear phaseout? Because, well..
Article 13 was rejected, as well as 11: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/01/article-13-and-11-update-even-compromises-are-compromised-copyright-trainwreck
Well...back to the drawing board I guess.
Well that's a relief.
I thank the governments of all countries who voted against for having more integrity than mine.
"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
New France-Germany treaty aims to revive EU
It's vague enough to not really matter in any way, except declare a direction.
Edited by TerminusEst on Jan 22nd 2019 at 2:21:27 AM
Si Vis Pacem, Para Perkele
Stop Killing My Titles
The director of The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, Jerzy Owsiak, returned back to his post after thousands of encouraging messages pleading with him not to leave. He's touched that so many people called him or wrote to him, and I'm happy to announce that he's staying around for the time being. As a face of the Charity in question since its inception, most Poles immediately equate it with him.
As for other news, the boss of the security firm that kept watch during that fatal night supposedly lied that the murderer of Mayor Adamowicz used a "media" plaque to get onto the scene. Investigation is under way, and I hope the gov doesn't just bury it with no satisfying conclusion.
grah
Don't underestimate the importance of those kind of gestures.
