Politics in France

[Art0ir]

One of the popular chaps in the running for the Socialist party wants out the EU.

Nicolas Sarkozy is running again, promising to lock up 10,000 Muslism "suspected of being radicalised", wants to tear up the Lisbon treaty and remove EU supremacy over French law.

Marin Le Pen and her band of lunatics (extreme left economics, extreme right social policies) are looking set to mount a genuine challenge next Spring.

The economy continues to falter and it's starting to hurt people in their wallets.

How do we think it will end? Similar scenarios in Spain, Portugal, Italy, etc. Will 2017 see the real rise of populism/disfranchisement across Europe?

[Art0ir]

crankedup said:

Le penn looks all set to win through, if this transpires France are heading for the eu exit door. This must signal the death nell for the eu project imo.
Those that work for the French public services enjoy incredible generous perks, use of public facilities FOC for example, very generous maternity leave, sick pay. How the hell France can afford it all I don't know, how long it can last, who knows.
10% extra tax for non Nationals anyone? That's going to hurt.

Even as someone who has great disdain for the EU, Le Pen's France is not something anyone should get excited about.

Her manifesto is a patchwork quilt of the nuttiest leftist economic policies you've ever heard of with some pretty preposterous far right social ideals.

An organised roll back of the EU to what it was presented as years ago is what is required, not a collapse. Wishful thinking at this stage maybe but a disorganised disintegration from within will create a lot of chaos.

[Art0ir]

Pretty excellent piece here from the Beeb of all places on Le Pen and the journey thus far. Very balanced look at the party as it stands today and their odd mix of left/right sensibilities.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/marine_...