European Parliament election, 2009

[Matrix]

I did a voting test and came with this result:


Translated to European parties that's:
- ALDE
- EPP
- PES (Party of European Socialists)
- ALDE
- GUE-NGL
- Independent (Party for the animals)
- I/D (Independence/Democracy) (Orthodox christian parties)
- Greens-EFA
- Independent (Extreme right, nationalistic)

[Socrates]

I still don't know. This is the first time that I'm voting ever, and I want to vote for whoever is best to get rid of Sarkozy in 2012. And if you ask, despite my wish to vote for the best and not just for the "less worse" : yes, these elections in France are seen as a test for Sarkozy and nothing else. I'm progressively changing my mind : before I kept wanting to vote for the best and saw no one good, so no vote ; now I see things from the strategic point of view.

But to give an answer : probably something like Green, Centre or Socialist.


EDIT : BTW, after all the buzz from the trial of the Pirate Bay in Sweden and the (still going) vote of the HADOPI law in France, I'm eager to see how good the Swedish Pirate Party will do.

[Shabbaman]

Hmm, let's see what party wants to get rid of agricultural subsidiaries...

[Rik Meleet]

Originally Posted by Shabbaman

Hmm, let's see what party wants to get rid of agricultural subsidiaries...

Why get rid of them; please motify.

My choice may not be a surprise. I have done the voting test and it confirms my opinions are still that of the SP.

[Socrates]

I will probably vote for the European Democratic Party (although I'll closely analyse different programs). For two reasons :

• Because I feel quite close to such a spirit, especially their view on what Europe should be.
• Because I want Sarkozy to lose the Presidential in 2012, and there is a good chance that François Bayrou, co-leader of the party, but also leader of the newly formed Mouvement Démocrate in France, kicks Sarkozy's ass in 2012. So anything towards this is good to take. Yes, a simple, national "anti-vote", as often.

EDIT : Lol, I see I'm repeating my first post...

[Lt. Killer M]

seeing as each and every party had high-ranking members play lapdog to the religious intolerant's 'pro reli' campaing lies, I must say that this time I would prefer to not-vote (i.e. turn in an empty ballot). If you have an imbecile in your team, OK, I can accept that. If you keep in a racist, I'll never vote for you, ever. And if you peddle to the religious extremists, to the detriment of social peace, then you deserve to be tried and hanged.

So far, none of the candidates has answered my email asking their stance on the matter. Heck, they live in the state where it happened, and can't be bothered to prepare a standardized text explaining their views on a matter that was all over the press for weeks?

Fuck 'em!


Thus, me no vote FOR anyone this time.

[Rik Meleet]

I've just read an intersesting article in NRC.Next about the impopularity of "Europe" for voters of parties that are labelled by the "traditional" parties as "populistic". In NL those parties are SP, LPF (Pim Fortuyn), TON and PVV. The article makes 2 points;
1 - the traditional parties have -over time- abandoned 40% of the population so these voters are not represented anymore.
2 - Europe offers no good things for these people and only increases their burden.

Has anyone else read it ?

Edit: here it is: http://www.nrc.nl/achtergrond/articl...voor_Nederland

[ProPain]

Interesting article, but I only partly agree.

I agree that traditional parties have been estranging a big part of the electorate. I don't really think this is caused by the fact that people with higher educations are generally in power in politics and political parties. Long before Pim Fortuyn and the massive success of the SP Frits Bolkestein, who's quite the upper class intellectual imo, opened up the immigration discussion. At the time other parties thought this to be borderline racist. Nowadays everybody regards this very differently.

I do think that for a long time different views on subjects as immigration and european integration were just not done. They werent regarded as subjects that could be discussed but the general consensus (In the case of europe: european integration is good) was more or less considered to be a universal thruth instead of an opinion.

I also don't agree with the fact that people with lower educations have only things to lose from european integration. In my opinion it's an illusion to think that a more nationalistic approach will keep foreign competition outside our borders. For the example of the painters/bricklayers etc. this reasoning is correct for the short term, long term we will just drive up our general price level and all lose out. For the big industries and non-location bound services (i.e. trucking) this reasoning doesn't even work short term.

Car manufacturers are moving their production facilities to eastern europe and there's nothing we can do about that. A nationalistic approach won't help us prevent this. Nationalistic measures like import tax will only work short term and make products more expensive for the internal market. We will lose out in the long term. Globalisation can't be stopped I fear, our only choice is to adapt the best we can but inevitably it will mean adusting our standards of living. In the long run we will all benefit from a European Union (and I;m convinced we're benefitting a lot short-term as well as the break down trade barriers in the EU meant a lot more income for a trade nation like ours)

What I do consider one the great benefits of the big chances in our political landscape is the fact that opinions that were long not voiced are now in the open. I mostly do not agree with mr. Wilders but I'm convinced it's a good thing his party is there because apparently he represents a large chunk of the dutch electorate.

Not sure what I'll vote however. Although I'm convinced European cooperation is crucial for our future I have my doubts about the way the European bureaucratic machinery is organised. And not a fan of the agricultural subsidies either. I think the French are rich enough to fund their own farmers

More military cooperation and a more cohesive foreign policy would be brilliant though.

For now I;m thinking of not voting.