Front National Rising

[Savonarola]

I don't know what a bobo is.  Is that a Euroracist slur?

Bohemian bourgeois;   

It's actually an American neologism coined by David brooks.

[Ideologue]

Oh.  Well, I don't like them.  Unless I'm one of them.

I liked Defending Your Life, anyway.

[Capetan Mihali]

It's actually an American neologism coined by David brooks.

Which is a big reason Duque's compulsive use of the term is so grating.

[derspiess]

Before we get Fireblade too excited, they only got 7% of the national vote in an election with record low turnout.

Yeah, don't we get one of these "shock" stories every 3 or 4 years?

[Valmy]

Before we get Fireblade too excited, they only got 7% of the national vote in an election with record low turnout.

Yeah, don't we get one of these "shock" stories every 3 or 4 years?

Yeah the FN scare stuff was big in the 90s for Godsake.

[Admiral Yi]

Bohemian bourgeois;   

It's actually an American neologism coined by David brooks.

It's what you aspire to be Log.

[Ideologue]

I want a house and a wife and kids.  That doesn't sound that bohemian.

I would prefer not to work for a living but to do something artier, but that could describe everybody.

[Admiral Yi]

I want a house and a wife and kids.  That doesn't sound that bohemian.

That's the bourgeois.

I would prefer not to work for a living but to do something artier, but that could describe everybody.

That's the bohemian.

[derspiess]

[Ideologue]

Fair enough.

[Capetan Mihali]

[Duque de Bragança]

Before we get Fireblade too excited, they only got 7% of the national vote in an election with record low turnout.

Yeah, don't we get one of these "shock" stories every 3 or 4 years?

Yeah the FN scare stuff was big in the 90s for Godsake.

Started in 1983 in Dreux, somewhat supported by Mitterrand to undermine the right-wing to divert attention from the PS switch to financial austerity. Bobos don't like to be reminded of it though

[Capetan Mihali]

Before we get Fireblade too excited, they only got 7% of the national vote in an election with record low turnout.

Yeah, don't we get one of these "shock" stories every 3 or 4 years?

derspiess doesn't want to get his hopes up again.   But yeah, I particularly remember the SHOCK in 2002 when M. Le Pen won the first round.

[Duque de Bragança]

Before we get Fireblade too excited, they only got 7% of the national vote in an election with record low turnout.

Yeah, don't we get one of these "shock" stories every 3 or 4 years?

derspiess doesn't want to get his hopes up again.   But yeah, I particularly remember the SHOCK in 2002 when M. Le Pen won the first round.

That's when Fireblade Le Pen came into play indeed.

[Sheilbh]

Why is it a shame that the Parliament is getting more powers and to which party do you refer to?

I think I forgot to finish that thought, sorry. It's a shame that more and more power has been given to the Parliament in the hope that that will increase democratic participation and legitimacy, while participation and legitimacy are still declining.

Even the latest wheeze of the EP elections choosing the Commission President. In theory an elected European Commission President could help engage citizens, but that's not what we've got. Instead we've got Schultz, Junker or Verhofstedt who aren't making anyone more interested in voting and they may not even be the most effective Presidents.

I remember about ten years ago when people said that the EU should focus on legitimacy by results - the Europe of results was a phrase I remember. But I don't know if that's there any more. The crisis doesn't look like a positive European result, or like it's being dealt with and even new member states aren't converging like they used to.

It seems a real problem to me if Europe isn't able to draw legitimacy from its success, or from popular participation and support. If there's no results and anemic popular support, then what's left? A Europe of Erasmus parties?

Well, there is still the taboo of allying with the FN, so no worries, whereas the PS can ally with the the leftist Greens of course and Front de Gauche i.e Mélencon and his communists, leftist and whatever buddies.

That seems rather less taboo though. From outside it looks like in recent years the UMP and Sarko especially were trying to steal the FN's language, voters and occasionally policies.

Yeah, don't we get one of these "shock" stories every 3 or 4 years?

Sort of. It's not shock necessarily but worry growing over these last four years.

But I think this time it's different

I think Jean-Marie Le Pen was a great performer but the FN was only really about him and I think they collapsed a little before he retired. I think there is a comparison to Poujade but in Fifth Republican Presidential elections.

Marine seems to be building a party which is a little more worrying, and is working to make that party more respectable. She took over in 2010. Since then they've had their best ever vote in a Presidential election, their second best in a legislative election (though that won them most seats). They're likely to go from sixth in the European elections, winning around 7%, to possibly first or second with around 20%. And she's outpolling Hollande.

To take these elections what's striking is how the FN have seen turnout in areas they're competing increase. There's 36 000 municipalities in France, the FN competed in 560. From that they won 5% nationwide. What's also interesting is that where the FN stood turnout was higher. I think nationwide it was in the low 60s (from an English perspective, still remarkable), the areas they targeted have turnouts over 65%

For me it's not necessarily about the FN. It's this rising this populist right and in some places far-right is a European trend (and has been growing since the 80s) and it's one that worries me. How are our political systems, across Europe, failing this much? Can we fix it? Or are the older, working class voters (who, in the UK are supporting a neo-Thatcherite ex-stock broker, in Italy a comedian, in France a Le Pen and in Germany fiercely respectable professors) just 21st century Luddites and coal miners?

Though I do actually worry about Greece. Golden Dawn are still polling about 10% despite many in the party being arrested for a politically motivated murder. The leading party in the polls is the far-left radicals in SYRIZA. I remember the Golden Dawn politician who predicted they wouldn't win this election but the one after a SYRIZA government.

It's what you aspire to be Log.

It really isn't. At least as Brooks described it or as I've seen it in use since.

Started in 1983 in Dreux, somewhat supported by Mitterrand to undermine the right-wing to divert attention from the PS switch to financial austerity. Bobos don't like to be reminded of it though

There's a new English language biography of Mitterrand that's apparently excellent