The EU thread

[Josquius]

In Sweden the Social Democrats sit on a lot of the old votes, people who remember a time when the Soc Dems were THE party in Sweden, so you're not gonna get really big AND be an old-folks party.

Surely they have a on-ramp via mellowing left voters?

[The Brain]

In Sweden the Social Democrats sit on a lot of the old votes, people who remember a time when the Soc Dems were THE party in Sweden, so you're not gonna get really big AND be an old-folks party.

Surely they have a on-ramp via mellowing left voters?

They've grabbed a bunch of old votes, but their profile will by necessity not be old-heavy if they get big, which they have.

[The Larch]

Didn't know wether to put this here or in the Hungary thread:

[HVC]

Surprised it's only 4 percent.

[Admiral Yi]

The same pattern of lower support among the young and the elderly and strongest support amont peak working age people is also present in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. I believe it's similar in some other Western European countries too (it'd be interesting to know about Eastern Europe).

But I was wondering if anyone had any theories?

Competition for jobs with immigrants and net tax payers.

[Sheilbh]

Competition for jobs with immigrants and net tax payers.

Maybe - although it makes me wonder more about the US/UK age polarisation.

[Tamas]

4 percent sounds extremely low. :p

It is a sad irony that Orban's regime has been built on EU funds and would not have been possible, at least not with this speed, without those grants.

[Admiral Yi]

Maybe - although it makes me wonder more about the US/UK age polarisation.

It also doesn't explain the fact that the Pakibashers are strongest in east Germany, which is chalk white.

[Sheilbh]

Rejoice - this is very positive and huge if it can be agreed

Mujtaba Rahman
@Mij_Europe
The Commission is planning to leverage cost of living crisis to propose major changes to EU fiscal rules (Stability & Growth Pact) in Oct - effectively jettisoning preventive arm, abandoning annual structural deficit targets & assessing debt sustainability over 10(not 1)yrs 1/
The core idea is to move away from top down, uniform benchmarks to a more tailored, individualised application of the rules. Member states would devise their own debt reduction plan for 10yr alongside reform & investment plans; Bxl would do DSA & make recommendation to Council 2/
-No 1/20 debt reduction rule
-No annual structural fiscal deficit reduction
-No reference to output gaps
-Only benchmark Commission wd consider wd relate to public expenditures

Will Berlin agree?

[Admiral Yi]

Anyone who can find delight in that announcement should really be working as a bureaucrat.

[Sheilbh]

Anyone who can find delight in that announcement should really be working as a bureaucrat.

Is working as a lawyer that much more exciting?

[Admiral Yi]

Touche

[The Larch]

That sounds like finally burying the austerity era measures. 

[Zanza]

I have doubts that Christian Lindner will agree to that.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Ah, so even more debt.