The European Elections

 

Sunday, some citizens from the European Union went to the polls and did their civic duty by voting for members of Parliament. I say some, because not enough went, if you look at the results. The far right upset records by obtaining 30% in France. In the past eight years, I’ve been proud to live in a country that isn’t governed by an extreme party, as the USA was and may again be. Well, I hope I don’t have to swallow my pride.

Even on “normal” years, elections in Europe are a culture shock for newly arrived Americans. More than a dozen parties vied for power in this election. Also, parties are allowed limited advertising, a huge change from the US of A. Since parties that receive at least 5% of the vote get government subsidies, it doesn’t take much to get on the ballot. For example, the “Animaliste” party. I make fun of them, but some of them make sense to me—convert to a more plant-based economy, get away from intensive farming, etc. But what differentiates them from a “Green”? I don’t know. Speaking of Greens, had the four parties been united, they may have gotten somewhere. They weren’t. At least one had the sense to admit that we need nuclear energy in our ecological conversion.

Will the Left unite to beat back the far right? Will the two “normal” right wing parties unite? And why on earth did Macron call for elections anyway? I must have been the only one who wasn’t surprised. Over the weekend, Brigitte made a comment that these were Europeans elections, not French ones. So, Emmanuel thought he could take a gamble.

But, will these coming elections be like the Chirac/LePen run- off in 2002, when shocked French people reacted by knocking LePen on the ropes? Or will it be like the Chirac dissolution of the Assembly in 1997, when his party lost the elections?

Does Macron think he has the grandeur of Chirac? He is playing with fire. He may get burnt.

 

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