Veteran German MEP Manfred Weber has again been elected as leader of the biggest group in the EU parliament. Weber is a long serving German deputy from the CSU – Christlich Soziale Union – political party and a well known figure in EU circles. He was re-elected chairman of the EPP Group in the European…
Politics
Will France Return to the Politics of Hate, Nationalism and Xenophobia?
Photo by Dawid Małecki on Unsplash The European Parliament elections with their low turn outs, unknown politicians, and use as a protest vote against incumbent governments have exploded into life with the decision of President Macron to dissolve the French Parliament, writes Denis MacShane. In effect he is holding a plebiscite asking the French people and indirectly the…
Far Right Gains in France a Pivotal Moment
Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash Gains by the far right in last week’s EU elections are “deeply concerning”, says former UK MEP Claude Moraes The far right held their positions in Italy and the Netherlands (with swings between far-right parties rather than to them). But they failed to make headway in other countries where they were predicted…
Shock Waves in French Politics
Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash The European Green Party says it is “outraged” by the reported agreement between Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National and Les Républicains in France. The last 72 hours in French politics have been described as the “wildest” of a lifetime. It all started with the outcome of the EU elections at the weekend…
No Right Wing Coalition in New Parliament?
Photo by ev on Unsplash The “much hyped” rise of the Far Right in the EU election was “limited,” says a former British Labour MEP. Richard Corbett was speaking after nationalist parties in some EU countries made a significant impact in the weekend’s election. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally won about 32% of the vote and hard-Right Italian…
European Political Centre Holds Balance of Power
A respected Brussels political pundit says he is relieved that predictions of a major breakthrough for Far Right parties in the EU elections was not realised. Some nationalist parties did score heavily in certain EU member states such as France, Italy and Germany. But the centre right EPP group is still by far the biggest…
Far Right Gains in European Elections
Photo by Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash One of the EU parliament’s most senior MEPs says “Europe will survive” despite the rise of nationalist and Far Right parties in the European elections. The comments by Polish MEP Danuta Huebner come after a weekend of shocks in the EU wide poll. First exit polls show gains for the centre-right and…
Danes in UK among EU citizens prevented from voting in EU elections
Polls Swing in Favour of UK Rejoining EU
Photo by Matt Brown on Unsplash A new survey says 63 percent of those planning to vote Labour in the UK general election support Britain rejoining the EU. A second and separate poll on voter intentions reveals that almost six in 10 voters (58 per cent) think that Brexit and Britain’s relationship with the EU should be one of the…
The Torch of Freedom Burns Bright in France
Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash The ideals of Liberté, Egalité, and Fraternité sparked the French Revolution over two centuries ago and transformed the world. With its recent constitutional enshrinement of reproductive rights, France has reaffirmed its commitment to these principles, writes Alyssa Milano. I recently visited the beautiful city of Paris for a fan convention. Reuniting with…