German federal election 2009

[Sheilbh]

Briefly New Labour was nothing less than the political wing of the British people.

Please tell me you're kidding.

It's a Blair quote.  In one of his rhetorical flourishes in the 90s he said the goal of New Labour was to be 'nothing less than the political wing of the British people as a whole'.  I think the party came pretty bloody close to it between his election as leader and the 97 election.  His approval rating was in the 70s, in polls Labour got over 50% and the Lib Dems did well too - at this point Blair was speculating that he'd like a Lib-Lab coalition.  And there was a genuine enthusiasm and hope tied up in Blair.  I think that's the big difference with Cameron is he doesn't have the same excitement around him.

I mean the country, as a whole, has to be pretty supportive for a political leader to get away with hailing their victory with the words 'a new day has dawned, has it not?'  I love the cod Biblical sound of that.

[Neil]

Remember, everyone, that jealousy is Matrim's virtue.  He lives in crushing poverty, and his only respite has been bankrolled by our peoples.  He won't be satisfied until everyone lives under the crushing poverty that only left-wing policies can provide.

[Alatriste]

Some domestic issues like the TGV question wasn't handled that well though but both Lisbon-Porto and Lisbon-Madrid lines are needed (mixed freight-passenger) in order to be connected to Europe by rail for real.

Well, we Spaniards tilted between 'mildly amused' and 'puzzled'  to hear that TGVs were designed exclusively for Spain's benefit and to make Portugal an Spanish province... I mean, come on, those trains will allow Spanish businesses easier access to Portugal, but Portuguese businesses will get easier access to all of Europe!

Actually we are quite divided about Portugal. A third of us think a united Iberian peninsula would be cool (we have to check with the French if the Hall of Mirrors is available, tough), another third think Portuguese would only add their problems to ours, and the rest are undecided.

[citizen k]

A third of us think a united Iberian peninsula would be cool ...

[Martinus]

In Germany's case, it suffered from 16 years under the extreme right (CDU, under Kohl, together with FPD), then the right (SPD, Schröder) and then an extreme right/right-wing CDU/SPD grand coalition. They ALL worked under the banner of "Free Market" and worshipped "Deregulation".

What are you smoking and can I have some?

[Syt]

This seems to be global

Add on top a feeling that "the big parties are all the (corrupt, self serving) same" and "whatever I vote, nothing will change, anyways".

Yep

Well, there's two basic kinds of election campaigns you can run:
- centered around people
- centered around polarizing topics

The first option only works well when you have a charismatic personality - Kohl, or before that Schmidt and Brandt.
The second works if you have a major topic where you strongly distinguish yourself from the opponents.

Unfortunately, the recent campaigns in Germany were increasingly lacking in either.

[Fate]

A third of us think a united Iberian peninsula would be cool ...

Is that map correct around the Seville area (bottom left corner of Spain)? It was underwater in Roman times? 

[Alatriste]

In general the sea was higher in Roman times (see Thermopylae, or Pompeia, or Ostia, 3 kilometers from the sea today) and the Guadalquivir river is known for its abundant sediments, but I think this map exaggerates the effect many kilometers. Hispalis would have been on the coast, or close to it!

[Neil]

In general the sea was higher in Roman times (see Thermopylae, or Pompeia, or Ostia, 3 kilometers from the sea today) and the Guadalquivir river is known for its abundant sediments, but I think this map exaggerates the effect many kilometers. Hispalis would have been on the coast, or close to it!

Europe has been literally rebounding from the ice age for thousands of years now.

[Zanza]

Of course here in the USA we could only dream of someday having 70.8 % turnout.

In the 1970s we had turnouts in excess of 90%. 70% is by far the lowest yet.

[Martim Silva]

As for the so-called Left Victory

Socrates is from the RIGHT WING of a centre left party, hardly different from the other main party, a centre right party which goes by the name of Social democratic party btw.
Do I need to remind you about the Tony Blair-like neo-liberal policies of Socrates?

The portuguese Socialist Party is a member of the International Socialist and seats with the European Socialist Parties in the European Parliament. We consider it center left because, as you might know, for us Socialism IS the center of the political spectrum.

Socrates did have some non-socialist policies (which earned him intense criticism from his own party) and are the main reason why he lost ground - the electorate didn't like his early love affair with Liberal ideas - and, then again, he himself recanted his ideas this year when the utter failure of Liberal policies became appearent, and proclaimed in Parliament he was now for a stronger and more social State.

He's lost the absolute plurality he had and will have to negotiate with the PSD or, even worse, the CDS-PP.

While Socrates kept doors open, many members of the PS (like Ana Gomes, Ferro Rodrigues or Manuel Alegre) have already voiced total disagreement with an understanding with CDS, as it is "against nature", since that party is the "ideological opposite" of the PS.

http://dn.sapo.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=1375306

Every party but the PS increased the number of seats, even the PSD (doing worse would have been difficult though).

The PSD actually had basically the same votes (1,646 million vs 1,639 million) than it had in 2005. It merely increased its seats due to the Hondt method of distributing MPs.

http://www.legislativas2009.mj.pt/

Calling the CDS-PP an extremis right is ridiculous. That goes for the PNR and their ilk with their 0.3 %.

The Social Democrats are right-wing. The CDS-PP keeps screaming it's to the right of them. Where does that put it? Guess you missed its leader diatribes against immigration:

http://tv1.rtp.pt/noticias/?article=65722&visual=3&layout=10

http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/politica/paulo-portas-emprego-politica-vistos-imigrantes-tvi24/1051115-4072.html

As for the PNR, it is a meaningless Fascist party. That said, it is fun to note that the Fascist leader regretted losing votes to the CDS-PP, which is ideologically very close to it:

http://dn.sapo.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=1374294

As for the Socialist victory, the Financial Times (which I guess is not blessed with Duque de Braganças' perceptions on portuguese politics) had this to say:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3814ec82-ac62-11de-a754-00144feabdc0.html

Portuguese companies fear radical coalition

Portuguese business leaders on Monday called on José Sócrates, the prime minister, to rule out an alliance with the radical left after his centre-left Socialists lost their overall majority in Sunday's general election.

(...)

The Bloco de Esquerdo (Left Bloc), an alliance of former Maoists and Trotskyites who want to pull Portugal out of Nato, nationalise energy companies and increase taxes on the rich, doubled their number of deputies in the 230-seat parliament to 16.

The hard-line Communists won 15 seats, one more than before, giving the left-of-centre parties a comfortable majority (...).




As for Germany, I guess the Germans will keep having to see Merkel give lavish birthday parties to the bankers and their buddies... with taxpayers' money:

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4596587,00.html

Deutsche Bank boss throws party, Merkel foots the bill

In April 2008, Deutsche Bank chief Josef Ackermann invited about 30 guests from home and abroad to the German chancellor's office where he hosted a belated dinner to celebrate his 60th birthday in February.

In a report by the German ARD public television on Monday, Ackermann said Merkel had wanted to do him a favor and had asked him to invite some of his friends over to a party at the chancellery.

"I have to say it was a wonderful evening," the Deutsche Bank chief said in the report.

But it turns out the event was paid entirely out of the chancellor's budget (...)


I guess she is really going to go all out now.

[Duque de Bragança]

The portuguese Socialist Party is a member of the International Socialist and seats with the European Socialist Parties in the European Parliament. We consider it center left because, as you might know, for us Socialism IS the center of the political spectrum.

This is true but meaningless as I said Socrates in actions and words is a member of that  PS right wing.
Need I you to remind you that the PS was the party which put an end to the Kolkhoze experiment in Alentejo, something the centre-right nor the right could do back then?

Socrates did have some non-socialist policies (which earned him intense criticism from his own party) and are the main reason why he lost ground - the electorate didn't like his early love affair with Liberal ideas - and, then again, he himself recanted his ideas this year when the utter failure of Liberal policies became appearent, and proclaimed in Parliament he was now for a stronger and more social State.

Some? There wasn't anything left. As to the apparent reversal (minimal wage rise), well it was election year

While Socrates kept doors open, many members of the PS (like Ana Gomes, Ferro Rodrigues or Manuel Alegre) have already voiced total disagreement with an understanding with CDS, as it is "against nature", since that party is the "ideological opposite" of the PS.

http://dn.sapo.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=1375306

I would hope so for the sake of both parties and electorates.

The PSD actually had basically the same votes (1,646 million vs 1,639 million) than it had in 2005. It merely increased its seats due to the Hondt method of distributing MPs.

http://www.legislativas2009.mj.pt/

Of course, it was a disappointment, but the PS lost both much more votes and seats.
Btw, we are still waiting for the results of the Portuguese abroad always screwed by the Left's humanitarian views, pro-illegal immigration but anti-Portuguese abroad... I don't think the PS benefit a lot from these 4 seats.

The Social Democrats are right-wing. The CDS-PP keeps screaming it's to the right of them. Where does that put it? Guess you missed its leader diatribes against immigration:


http://tv1.rtp.pt/noticias/?article=65722&visual=3&layout=10

http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/politica/paulo-portas-emprego-politica-vistos-imigrantes-tvi24/1051115-4072.html

That's where we disagree, with your Leftist-Portuguese (or even worse are you a Lisboete of that kind ?) viewpoint.
In European scale, PSD is barely centre-right. Need I to remind you they call themselves social-democrats. Might be in part due to the PREC leftist intellectual terrorism in 74-75 but still it's not a real-right wing nor conservative party.

As for anti-immigration stances, that does not make it extreme right wing. Do I need to remind you about Karl Marx theories about the Reserve Army used by bosses to weight on the wages. i.e immigrants tools of the bourgeoisie. I guess he's Extreme right wing too

Many parties and unions, even communist ones were famous for this aspect.

Most respectable socialist parties are not in favour of unlimited immigration in Europe as well.

As for the PNR, it is a meaningless Fascist party. That said, it is fun to note that the Fascist leader regretted losing votes to the CDS-PP, which is ideologically very close to it:

http://dn.sapo.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=1374294

It's meaningless correct, that's why it tries to claim some credit for the CDS-PP. A real extremist right wing party wouldn't be pro Turkey EU like the CDS-PP. Hell, even a real democrat-christian one like the CDU/CSU would be against.
Guess he's a just pinko after all...

As for the Socialist victory, the Financial Times (which I guess is not blessed with Duque de Braganças' perceptions on portuguese politics) had this to say:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3814ec82-ac62-11de-a754-00144feabdc0.html

Portuguese companies fear radical coalition

Portuguese business leaders on Monday called on José Sócrates, the prime minister, to rule out an alliance with the radical left after his centre-left Socialists lost their overall majority in Sunday's general election.

(...)

The Bloco de Esquerdo (Left Bloc), an alliance of former Maoists and Trotskyites who want to pull Portugal out of Nato, nationalise energy companies and increase taxes on the rich, doubled their number of deputies in the 230-seat parliament to 16.

The hard-line Communists won 15 seats, one more than before, giving the left-of-centre parties a comfortable majority (...).

In Cauda Venenum

Read your own article:

"However, the antagonism between the parties and Mr Sócrates' reluctance to damage his business-friendly credentials make any formal alliance unlikely."

He will use the leftists for whatever socially progressive questions he needs for diversions and enter in quid pro quos economy wise with the PSD.

As for Germany, I guess the Germans will keep having to see Merkel give lavish birthday parties to the bankers and their buddies... with taxpayers' money:

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4596587,00.html

Deutsche Bank boss throws party, Merkel foots the bill

In April 2008, Deutsche Bank chief Josef Ackermann invited about 30 guests from home and abroad to the German chancellor's office where he hosted a belated dinner to celebrate his 60th birthday in February.

In a report by the German ARD public television on Monday, Ackermann said Merkel had wanted to do him a favor and had asked him to invite some of his friends over to a party at the chancellery.

"I have to say it was a wonderful evening," the Deutsche Bank chief said in the report.

But it turns out the event was paid entirely out of the chancellor's budget (...)


I guess she is really going to go all out now.

I'll leave that part to the Germans. Doesn't strike me as a good idea if you ask me though.

[syk]

Huzzah, apparently Gestapo-Wolle (Schäuble) leaves the interior and becomes Minister of Economics. First good news about about the coming government as that leaves some hope a tiny chance we'll get someone less idiotic as Minister of the Interior for a change.

[The Brain]

Huzzah, apparently Gestapo-Wolle (Schäuble) leaves the interior and becomes Minister of Economics. First good news about about the coming government as that leaves some hope a tiny chance we'll get someone less idiotic as Minister of the Interior for a change.

Gay people make great Ministers of the Interior.

[Syt]

Future health minister Philipp Rösler:


Oddly, I only ever met one other Philipp, he was half-Japanese, when I was at school.