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NPR: Trump's Election Gives Hope to Europe's Far Right

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There's an expression in French, "Jamais deux sans trois," or "Never two without three." After Brexit and Trump, will Marine Le Pen be next?

France holds its presidential election next spring, and Le Pen, the leader of the country's far-right National Front party, could well be one of the top two candidates in the first round of voting, which would propel her to the second-round runoff in May 2017. But she hasn't been seriously considered as a candidate who could actually become president.

Until now.

"I think we can have the same surprise in France," said National Front Secretary General Nicolas Bay, speaking Wednesday on French radio.

Bay called Trump's victory a victory of the people who were "betrayed by the elites." He said both Trump and the National Front have the same platform: rejection of multiculturalism, rejection of globalization and free trade, and strengthening national borders.

There are other important similarities: Both Trump and the National Front want to limit or even halt immigration. Both are wary of Muslims. Trump has toyed with the idea of the U.S. weakening its bonds with NATO, or perhaps even leaving. The National Front wants France to leave, too. It would also remove France from the European Union.

In the Netherlands, Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders called Trump's victory a sign that the West was living through a "patriotic spring" and that it proved that people are fed up with politically correct politicians. His party tops polls and is poised to be the deal-maker in a new Dutch government to be voted next spring.

In Germany, Frauke Petry, the head of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party, was quick to send her congratulations to President-elect Trump. In an early-morning tweet, a German news outlet reported that Petry said, "This night changes the USA, Europe and the world!"

In Greece, which is struggling to deal with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Middle East and Africa, the far-right Golden Dawn party hailed Trump's election as a victory against "illegal immigration" and in favor of ethnically "clean" nations.

In Austria, a candidate of the populist Freedom Party, Norbert Hofer, is poised to become the EU's first far-right head of state in a Dec. 4 runoff with the Green Party. Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache said Trump's win shows "the political left and the aloof and sleazy establishment are being punished by voters and voted out of various decision-making positions."

http://www.npr.org/sections/paralle...hare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
 

Des0lar

will learn eventually
Marine Le Pen winning, Geert Wilders and Frauke Petry... Norbert Hofer in Austria.

Truly the darkest timeline.
 
2017 in Europe is gonna be Brexit/US elections all over again:

Smug EuroGAF liberals here boasting about how their country will NEVER elect a far-right platform, dismissing any evidence as mounting support grows for it, only to be caught completely off guard and meltdown when it occurs.
 

SgtCobra

Member
Geert Wilders can hope what he wants but it won't happen in The Netherlands and if it happens (because everything can happen after seeing today's results) then it will exactly end as it did a few years ago.

They're getting more popular that's for sure. Such a shame too, but hey, those damn immigrants amirite????
Truly the darkest timeline.
I've read this so many times today, jeez.
 

skynidas

Banned
Wilders is probably winning in the Netherlands. I seriously doubt Le Pen will get the presidency in France.
 
I just don't understand what is happening. As a gay man that lives in Central America and was feeling hopeful about social progress and the example bigger countries were setting, I just don't understand.
 
Le Pen is basically a much smarter and more reserved version of Trump. I could see her winning easily.



Not with the way french elections works.
Keep in mind she lost against a no-name at this year regional elections because at the second turn, every other parties stop her and join votes.
 

Wollan

Member
Every French person I've talked politics with in the last few months (most or all of them against her, while admiring her tact and skills) agree that she will win next year.
 

J2d

Member
Ill continue voting for the most far left option here in Sweden but I'm not gonna be surprised when things goes to shit and the Swedish democrats finally gets real influence. Thankfully I don't have any kids.
 

Fularu

Banned
Wilders is probably winning in the Netherlands. I seriously doubt Le Pen will get the presidency in France.
What? She's far ahead of everyone right now.

Le Front National is at about 30% nationaly now

We can all thank fucking Sarkozy for it (and the shittastic Hollande/Valls duo, seriously fuck them for killing the french left)
 

oti

Banned
I'm just wondering what you could do to prevent this. You can't argue with those people. They believe whatever the TV or Russian trolls on the internet tell them. They don't care about facts or data. What can we do? You can't just take away their right to vote, that would betray Democracy. But what could we do to protect it from them?
 

Berto

Member
Feels so good, wierd and refreshing to live in Portugal with a left socialist governament suported by the communist party in a time most of Europe is now so far leaned to the right.
 

El Topo

Member
Germany and France next :(

This talk about Germany is nonsense. We've had a few elections and know what to expect for the federal. It will be ugly, but not comparable to Brexit or Trumpmania. Even if Afd reached 15%, which is beyond what any poll is currently giving them, they would not be involved in any government.
 
It's a chilling prospect, seeing so many countries in the world once again leaning in this direction. Time's on a loop.
 
Legit question - what is this fundamental difference in French elections and how does it stop the tide of voter motivations that seems to be be so angry?



Two turns. First turns every parties run. Then the two first candidates only for the second turn. Thing is, every parties allies against Front National. At this year regional election, Le Pen lost to a no-name because of that.
 

Beefy

Member
This talk about Germany is nonsense. We've had a few elections and know what to expect for the federal. It will be ugly, but not comparable to Brexit or Trumpmania. Even if they ended at 15%, which is beyond what any poll is currently giving them, they would not be involved in any government.

Hope you are right. Just can see this boosting racist parties a hell of a lot.
 
Legit question - what is this fundamental difference in French elections and how does it stop the tide of voter motivations that seems to be be so angry?

There are two rounds to the French Presidential Election.

In the first round every party's candidate is on the ballot. The top 2 advance and then go head-to-head in the second round.
 
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