EU Politics: I miss Renaults(don't make fun of me)

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LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/GuyVerhofstadt/status/857501791822516224

Sometimes Guy Verhofstadt is pretty good.

Here is a picture of Stalin:

# ¿ Apr 27, 2017 12:56

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 15:00

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Piketty on the second round of the French election: http://www.liberation.fr/debats/201...time=1493476750

quote:

A plus court terme, il y a ce second tour Le Pen-Macron. Quel regard portez-vous sur ce duel ?
Avant tout, dans les jours qui viennent, ne pas perdre de vue l�essentiel : il faut tout faire pour que Marine Le Pen soit battue le plus largement possible. Je comprends la frustration des �lecteurs de gauche, qu�ils aient choisi Hamon, M�lenchon, Arthaud ou Poutou, de devoir voter Emmanuel Macron : si la gauche s��tait unie, elle aurait pu �tre pr�sente au second tour. Mais dans l�imm�diat, il faut donner sa voix � Macron. D�abord, parce qu�il ne faut pas laisser s�installer progressivement l�id�e que l�extr�me droite pourrait un jour acc�der au pouvoir. 70 % - 30 %, ce n�est pas la m�me chose que 55 % - 45 %. Ensuite, parce que plus le score de Macron sera fort, plus il sera clair que ce n�est pas son programme que nous accr�ditons. Ce candidat n�a r�uni que 24 % des votes au premier tour - et encore, beaucoup d�entre eux �taient tactiques, pas des votes de conviction (� peine 15 %). Plus son score sera haut au second tour, plus il sera bien clair que ce n�est pas son programme qui a gagn�, mais l�extr�me droite qui a �t� �cart�e. Il ne faut pas laisser penser � Macron qu�il est, gr�ce � ses id�es ou � sa personne, le seul rempart face au FN.

Bad translation:
In the near future, there will be a second round runoff between Le Pen and Macron. What is your opinion about this contest?
Above all, in the days to come, we must bear one thing in mind: it is vital to do everything we can to ensure that Marine Le Pen is beaten by the widest possible margin. I understand that left wing voters who backed Hamon, M�lenchon, Arthaud, or Poutou may be frustrated about having to vote for Macron; if the left had been united, it could have been represented in the second round. However, under the circumstances, it is essential to support Macron. First, because we cannot allow the gradual normalisation of the idea that the extreme right could one day win power. 70%-30% is a very different thing to 55% - 45%. Second, because the higher Macron's share of the vote, the clearer it will be that it was not his program that we supported. He won only 24% of the vote in the first round, and much of his support was due to tactical voting (only around 15% voted for him out of conviction). The higher his score, the stronger the statement that it was not his program that won but the extreme right that was rejected. We must not allow Macron to believe that he became the last bulwark against the FN because of his ideas or personal qualities.

# ¿ Apr 29, 2017 16:36

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Goa Tse-tung posted:

a black person, right now, would prefer living in the GDR tho

Speaking as a black dude, no they wouldn't.

# ¿ Apr 29, 2017 18:24

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

The Swiss intelligence service is diligently keeping its country safe from threats to the national interest by, uh, getting busted for spying on the German tax authorities and trying to hamper their investigations into German citizens who use Swiss banks to evade the righteous taxes of der vaterland: https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article164132038/Schweizer-Spion-soll-deutsche-Steuerfahnder-bespitzelt-haben.html

# ¿ Apr 30, 2017 11:31

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/858943667347869696

Der zug hat doch bremsen

(or something like that, my german's really loving horrible)

# ¿ May 1, 2017 08:28

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Nilbop posted:

What's that first word?

"plut�t" - the sentence means "Rather Rick & Morty than Emmanuel & Marine".

# ¿ May 1, 2017 22:18

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

I wasn't aware that there was another famous Carnot besides the engineer/scientist who discovered important parts of classical thermodynamics, and was going to say that it seems a bit much to expect Macron to make major scientific discoveries in addition to being president.

# ¿ May 2, 2017 00:55

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/YanniKouts/status/859355763260764161

It's not entirely clear in the embedded tweet, so I'll type it out. Second round voting intentions for supporters of defeated first round candidates are:
Fillon: 49% Macron, 25% Le Pen, 26 % No Stated Position
M�lenchon: 47% Macron, 19% Le Pen, 34% No Stated Position
Hamon: 76% Macron, 5% Le Pen, 19% No Stated Position

Can't help but note that the numbers for two of those groups are very similar.

LemonDrizzle fucked around with this message at 12:05 on May 2, 2017

# ¿ May 2, 2017 12:01

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

ElNarez posted:

It's not even about getting Macron to all of a sudden advocate for the dismantling of global capitalism in favor of worker-run cooperatives or whatever. Rather, it's about Macron acknowledging he needs as broad a support base as possible, and doing the work, in rhetoric at least if not in policy, to make a case for himself to people on the left.

All I am asking for is for Macron to make himself slightly more palatable, and to stop acting like being in first place at the end of the first round means he's absolutely going to win. He scored 24%. That's less than halfway to 50.1. It's a problem. It leads one to think that five years of Macron will do nothing to curb the rise of the FN, because having them as the alternative means he could do whatever lovely thing he wants and get away with it, because otherwise it's gonna be fascism for everyone.

Do you, like, not understand that the requirement to secure the broadest possible support base means he has to appeal to people on his right as well as those on his left?

# ¿ May 2, 2017 19:57

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

ElNarez posted:

Hey, meanwhile, guess who stands to make a cool 3 mil from the money he raised for his campaign?

http://www.francetvinfo.fr/politiqu...os_2171694.html

Fran�ois is getting PAID. But then what else is new.

I mean, at this point I'd honestly be disappointed with him if he didn't grow a big villain's moustache, twirl it while cackling gleefully, and then disappear over the border into Switzerland with all the cash. Like, you've established your reputation, man, now go live down to it!

# ¿ May 2, 2017 22:21

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Shibawanko posted:

The element of foreign conquest in all three isn't there in 21st century islamophobic right wing movements...

How the gently caress can you look at what they say about Muslim immigrants/citizens and say that? Le Pen has literally talked about France being "occupied" in the same way as in WW2, for crying out loud: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/15/marine-le-pen-not-guilty-inciting-religious-hatred-lyon-french-front-national

She told supporters: �I�m sorry, but for those who really like to talk about the second world war, if we�re talking about occupation, we can also talk about this while we�re at it, because this is an occupation of territory. It�s an occupation of swaths of territory, of areas in which religious laws apply � for sure, there are no tanks, no soldiers, but it�s an occupation all the same and it weighs on people.�

# ¿ May 3, 2017 16:12

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/AlbertoNardelli/status/859817550120722436

le projeeeeet s'avance

also jesus christ those PS numbers

Like, this is the death of a major social democratic party in a major developed nation, played out live on camera. Well done Francois, they almost loved you indeed.

LemonDrizzle fucked around with this message at 18:52 on May 3, 2017

# ¿ May 3, 2017 18:43

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Flowers For Algeria posted:

The solid clump of congealed piss and litter in the box? I dunno

please change your cat's litter more frequently

# ¿ May 7, 2017 11:15

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

here is a happy poll to cheer everyone up!

https://twitter.com/YanniKouts/status/861694249691230208

# ¿ May 8, 2017 22:36

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Bild gets right to the heart of the matter as ever:

https://twitter.com/MMQWalker/status/861841587587907585

# ¿ May 9, 2017 08:45

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Kassad posted:

French ex-prime minister Valls plans to back Macron in June elections

Valls: never letting go

Also Valls told local radio on Tuesday that while he is still attached to the �history and values� of the Socialists and will remain a member, �the Socialist Party is dead.�

GaussianCopula posted:

In Germany there almost is a Macron-mania with all the left-wing publications falling over themselves in explaining that for some reason Germany, and Merkel in particular, have now to agree to all the silly ideas of Macron (Eurobonds, Eurozone budget etc.) because Macron won. I don't really understand that logic and have supreme confidence in the our finance minister that at most it will some fluffy plan that actually does nothing (see Juncker Plan) of importance.

Will Schaeuble actually remain finance minister after September? He's 75 already - it'd be asking a lot for him to keep going in the role for another term.

# ¿ May 9, 2017 09:06

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Fiction posted:

Just a reminder to the Macron cheerleaders- almost nobody likes his program. Watch the space for legislative elections.

That's not really a reasonable assertion since the question asks "which of the following factors was most important in your decision to vote for Macron?" - it's perfectly possible that someone might like his program but see stopping Le Pen (or the "political renewal Macron represents") as a more important factor.

# ¿ May 9, 2017 14:36

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/mathieuvonrohr/status/862014044961722370

Le Pen 3 has been pulled from theaters

# ¿ May 9, 2017 19:43

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Flowers For Algeria posted:

Valls and Macron are literally indistinguishable from each other.

I dunno, they seem pretty easy to distinguish to me: one's president of France, the other's a washed up man whose political career just died.

# ¿ May 10, 2017 10:07

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

This is a pretty funny headline:

https://twitter.com/nytimesworld/status/862406673381683200

# ¿ May 10, 2017 21:48

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/spignal/status/862692376673832960

Well, that's quite something.

# ¿ May 12, 2017 02:26

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-france-idUSKBN1882FK

quote:

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told a magazine he shared French president-elect Emmanuel Macron's view that financial transfers from richer to poorer states are necessary within the euro zone.
Macron, who is due to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Monday, has promised to press ahead with closer European integration.
Asked whether Macron was right in believing Europe and the euro zone need a "transfer union", Schaeuble told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine: "You can't build a community of states of varying strengths without a certain balance."
"That's reflected in the European budget and bailout programmes, for example, and that's why there are net contributors and net recipients in Europe. A union can't exist if the stronger members don't vouch for the weaker ones," he added in an interview to be published Saturday.
Some conservatives around Merkel worry the euro zone could develop into a "transfer union" in which Germany is asked to pay for struggling states that resist reforms.
Schaeuble, a veteran member of Merkel's party, said if countries wanted to make Europe stronger, it was necessary for each individual country to become stronger first - including France and Italy but also Germany.
Schaeuble also signaled he would not object if the European Commission gave its blessing to possible French budget deficits: "It's up to the European Commission to design the budget rules."
He added: "The German government and I have never objected to a ruling of the Commission on how the deficits of countries like France should be judged."
The European Commission estimates France's deficit will be 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, from 2.9 percent previously forecast, and 3.2 percent in 2018 from the previous forecast of 3.1 percent. EU rules say countries should keep their deficits below 3 percent of GDP.
Schaeuble expressed hope that Macron would reduce the deficit, saying: "France can do it."
The Commission expects Germany's trade surplus, an indicator that has often caused conflicts with Brussels for being excessive, will slow to 8.0 percent of GDP this year from 8.5 percent in 2016.
Schaeuble told Der Spiegel he considered Macron's criticism of the high German trade surplus to be justified, but said it would decline in coming years, and its size was not the result of politics
"It's right that the German current account surplus is too high at just over 8 percent," he said. "It's due to the high competitiveness of the German economy but also due to the fact that we are part of a currency union."

# ¿ May 13, 2017 16:15

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

The SPD took another kicking in another German state election, recording what was apparently their worst result in that state since the war:

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/863799827754360832

Looks like whatever boost they got from replacing Gabriel with Schulz has been completely halted. Merkel: die ewige Kaiserin.

LemonDrizzle fucked around with this message at 02:17 on May 15, 2017

# ¿ May 15, 2017 02:14

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/864171637670916098

# ¿ May 15, 2017 19:07

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

punk rebel ecks posted:

So anybody know why rent control has been successful in Germany? Or is it really not?

The TL,DR seems to be that Germany has a fairly well-organised planning system that does a better job than most of ensuring that new house building proceeds at a rate that broadly matches increasing demand due to population growth and demographic change. Because supply keeps up with demand, you don't have the kinds of pressures that create black markets and secondary tenancies in the (rent controlled) Swedish housing market, or upward-spiralling rents and house prices in the (much more liberal) UK market.

# ¿ May 15, 2017 23:45

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/Wahlrecht_de/status/864351577280200704

# ¿ May 16, 2017 07:37

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Also, if you're interested in a comparison of the British and German housing markets, here's one from the IPPR, a centre-left British think tank. The executive summary is:

quote:

Germany has higher rates of housebuilding, a much less volatile housing market, and a larger private rented sector than the UK. This paper, the first of three, explores the reasons for these differences, looking at both supply- and demand-side dimensions.

On the supply side: Germany has a more diverse mix of housebuilders, both small and large, who build a wide variety of homes; a broader mix of investors, including build-to-rent; and a planning system that facilitates the release of land and the translation of permissions into completions.
On the demand side: Germany has a more conservative mortgage market with greater restrictions on loan-to-value ratios; a tax system that favours long-term property ownership while discouraging speculation; and a combination of longer tenancies and more rent control, which together make private renting an attractive alternative to home ownership.
Despite the many strong features of Germany�s housing market and wider policy framework, there remain areas in which policymakers in the UK can learn from Germany�s missteps.

While Germany has managed to deliver more affordable homes in the last three decades, its model for delivering them, through the equivalent 20�30-year covenants, has led to a sharp drop in the availability of affordable rented homes.
In addition, the private rented sector in Germany can be difficult to access, with lengthy property-search and application procedures, making entry difficult for prospective tenants and impacting on labour market flexibility. While the UK rental market may be too flexible, to the disadvantage of tenants, a full shift towards a German model could be problematic.

# ¿ May 16, 2017 08:04

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39930986

quote:

Negotiations to form the next Dutch government have collapsed as the four parties involved were unable to decide what to do about migration.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte's centre-right VVD party had sought to strike a deal with the liberal D66, the Christian Democrats and the Green-Left.
The talks had been ongoing for 61 days since an election in March.
The Green-Left support open borders, while the other three want stricter controls.
The minister who had been tasked with forming the new government will submit a report to parliament before the members discuss how to proceed.
Geert Wilders, the leader of the anti-EU, anti-Islam Freedom Party, welcomed the news, saying he was ready to talk.
His party came second in the polls.
In 2012 it took 54 days for two parties to form a government in the Netherlands, the sixth-biggest economy in the EU.

So what happens if no agreement can be struck? Does the VVD/D66/CDA hydra draw in the battered remnants of PvdA to secure a narrow majority?

# ¿ May 16, 2017 08:38

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Austria didn't want to be left out of the electoral fun so it's going to have an election in October:

https://twitter.com/kleinezeitung/status/864481143760048129

Another wonderful opportunity for the peoples of Europe to reject right wing nationalist politics!

The current state of play is:

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/864397841015373824

That's yer bog-standard European social democratic party on 28%, yer bog-standard European christian democrat/center right party on 28%, and your definitely-not-pining-for-the-days-of-the-SS nationalists on 26%.

LemonDrizzle fucked around with this message at 16:53 on May 16, 2017

# ¿ May 16, 2017 16:51

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Also, while I'm mindlessly regurgitating stuff from Twitter, lol:
https://twitter.com/Poulin2012/status/864465843450769409
I guess the sultan don't gently caress around when he's intent on violating your airspace.

# ¿ May 16, 2017 17:01

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/LondonerVince/status/865475193711378434
an old and busted train whose wheels have fallen off, rusting away on a forgotten siding before being taken to the breaker's yard

also, a poll by the same firm has the CDU/CSU + FDP on a combined 49% of the vote, so German politics could conceivably take a swing to the (liberal) right this autumn

# ¿ May 19, 2017 09:21

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

GaussianCopula posted:

black and yellow, black and yellow

You think they'd go for a minority coalition rather than a stable majority?

GaussianCopula posted:

Actually for all intents and purposes they are, as the CDU does not candidate in Bavaria and the CSU only candidates there, which means their polling alone would be meaningless compared to other parties.

FYI, idiomatic English would be to use "stand" or "run" rather than "candidate" there - "candidate" can't be used as a verb.

# ¿ May 23, 2017 14:18

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/PremierRP_en/status/867702542993678336
https://twitter.com/PremierRP_en/status/867700134842429440

well, this looks like evidence of a good and healthy dialogue

# ¿ May 25, 2017 17:04

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

So, uh, this seems like kind of a big deal: https://www.welt.de/politik/deutsch...ialflow_twitter

quote:

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) will sich nach dem entt�uschenden G-7-Gipfel nicht mehr auf die USA als Partner verlassen.

�Die Zeiten, in denen wir uns auf andere v�llig verlassen konnten, die sind ein St�ck vorbei. Das habe ich in den letzten Tagen erlebt�, so Merkel am Sonntag bei einer Bierzeltrede in M�nchen-Trudering. �Wir Europ�er m�ssen unser Schicksal wirklich in die eigene Hand nehmen�, sagte sie unter dem Applaus der 2000 Zuh�rer in dem Bierzelt.

Merkel bezog sich mit ihren Worten auf die neue US-Regierung von Donald Trump, sie bezog aber auch den bevorstehenden Brexit Gro�britanniens mit ein. Es m�sse nat�rlich bei der Freundschaft zu den USA und Gro�britannien bleiben. �Aber wir m�ssen wissen, wir m�ssen selber f�r unser Schicksal k�mpfen.�

After the disappointing G7 summit, Chancellor Merkel no longer wishes to rely on the USA as a partner. "The times when we could completely rely on others are over. That is what I have come to understand over the last few days," she said on Sunday at a speech in a beer tent in Munich. "We Europeans must take responsibility for our own fate," she said to the applause of 2000 listeners. Merkel was referring to the new US government led by Donald Trump, but also to Britain's impending departure from the EU. She emphasised the need for continuing friendship with the USA and the UK, but said "we must recognise that it is incumbent upon us to fight to secure our own future."

Apologies if my translation is off - I'm running on the fumes of dimly remembered high school German here.

e - here's Bloomberg's report in English: https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-05-28/merkel-tells-beer-tent-rally-that-europe-must-plot-own-course

quote:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe must plot its own course as she plunged back onto the campaign trail 17 weeks ahead of national elections.
Fresh from a Group of Seven summit marked by a recalcitrant U.S. President Donald Trump, Merkel sought to shore up support in her bid for a fourth term on Sunday in a Bavarian beer tent, speaking to supporters of her Christian Social Union sister party, which has been hostile to her refugee policy.
�We Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands,� Merkel told CSU supporters spread out on benches drinking beer and eating pretzels in Munich. �Of course we need to have friendly relations with the U.S. and with the U.K. and with other neighbors, including Russia.� Even so, �we have to fight for our own future ourselves.�

LemonDrizzle fucked around with this message at 15:09 on May 28, 2017

# ¿ May 28, 2017 15:02

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

blowfish posted:

Also what if you buy a floatplane?

If you're trying to buy a military seaplane, you stop what you're doing at once and either sell your time machine or use your knowledge of the future to make a fortune on stocks and gambling because afaik there haven't been any militarily relevant seaplanes since WW2 or before.

# ¿ May 29, 2017 08:34

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/newschambers/status/869136084390866946

the train has no brakes.... and is speeding on a collision course towards mar a lago!!!!!

# ¿ May 29, 2017 13:33

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Macron's basically spent most of the press conference telling Putin to eat poo poo, calling RT and Sputnik propaganda organizations, and raising the treatment of LGBT people in Chechnya:

https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/869234789806739458
"We discussed the treatment of LGBT people in Chechnya, and I very clearly explained France's position to president Putin"

https://twitter.com/PedderSophie/status/869223121676640257

https://twitter.com/dmitryzaksAFP/status/869218393001512960

Between this and his power plays with Trump, he's clearly got a pair on him if nothing else.

# ¿ May 29, 2017 18:32

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Flowers For Algeria posted:

Trade sanctions don't necessarily mean an embargo, or even sanctions over the spectrum, you rubes.

Tariffs and anti-dumping duties are a pretty fine-tuned tool, and can be used to exact pressure on specific areas of foreign economies (and the US does this routinely). Europe could simply hit the US with a 400% tax on select products (oil and other fossil fuels, generators, electric generating sets, photovoltaic cells, electric vehicles, and so on), and watch their capitalist class scramble to get Trump's policies changed.

In the context, how on earth would it make sense to impose tariffs on photovoltaic cells and electric vehicles? "We're upset about you pulling out of an agreement to control climate change, so we're going to harm US companies working to combat climate change" ?

# ¿ Jun 4, 2017 14:39

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

Juncker unloading on Trump over the Paris agreement withdrawal:

https://twitter.com/mathieuvonrohr/status/871413337803943937

# ¿ Jun 4, 2017 18:24

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 15:00

LemonDrizzle: Mar 28, 2012; neoliberal shithead

https://twitter.com/tagesthemen/status/872847235637288960

German poll respondents, asked to say whether country X is/is not a trustworthy partner:

France: 94% trustworthy, 4% untrustworthy
Britain: 60%/35%
China: 36%/53%
USA: 21%/75%
Russia: 21%/75%
Turkey: 3%/95%

# ¿ Jun 8, 2017 18:07

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > EU Politics: I miss Renaults(don't make fun of me)

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