European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread - Page 1029
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Silvanel
Poland4601 Posts
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JayuSC2
Austria32 Posts
On January 13 2018 07:44 RvB wrote: Are you talking about liberals in the European sense or US? I can't really think of a country with a real liberal (libertarian) party. It's usually socially conservative + economically liberal Vs Socially liberal + economically socialist. We do have a party that you can consider socially liberal and economically liberal, they are called "neos", admittedly they are relatively small (5,3%). They consist of mostly socially liberal former members of the ÖVP (the big socially conservative / economically liberal party). I'm sure similar parties exist in other european countries, but you are right about them being too small to have a relevant impact on the political situation in most countries. | ||
Danglars
United States12133 Posts
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Big J
Austria16289 Posts
a) an institution (like a state) cannot tell how well its members truely feel b) for that reason economies just happen to serve the people best when they are most free, because then they can develop the most to their own interest. Conservative parties just see free markets and individualism as tools for their own planning concepts which is violating the base thought of a). Had the USSR outperformed the USA for whatever reasons, they would have probably jumped the centrally planned economy train like the political opportunists they have always been (going from pro-monarchists, to pro-democratic bourgeoise, to pro-war monarchists, to anti-monarchists, to pro-fascists, to pro-socialdemocrats, to pro-free markets). | ||
opisska
Poland8852 Posts
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TheDwf
France19747 Posts
"I fight the far-right in France, I deplore it everywhere in Europe. To bring Europe forward is the most efficient answer to the growth of extremes." Jesus, this guy... When you consider the EU's attitude towards governments which include far-right forces and you remember what happened to Syriza, you understand where the true danger is for those people. | ||
Danglars
United States12133 Posts
On January 14 2018 04:41 TheDwf wrote: https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/951850438290235392 "I fight the far-right in France, I deplore it everywhere in Europe. To bring Europe forward is the most efficient answer to the growth of extremes." Jesus, this guy... When you consider the EU's attitude towards governments which include far-right forces and you remember what happened to Syriza, you understand where the true danger is for those people. What a mealy-mouthed conclusion! To bring Europe forward is some kind of efficient answer to the growth of extremes? Forward to what? What's growing the extremes? | ||
Nyxisto
Germany6287 Posts
On January 14 2018 11:23 Danglars wrote: What a mealy-mouthed conclusion! To bring Europe forward is some kind of efficient answer to the growth of extremes? Forward to what? What's growing the extremes? Inaction and half-hearted responses on part of the politicians in government and the inability to tackle big issues. Macron's right about this. | ||
Danglars
United States12133 Posts
On January 14 2018 12:14 Nyxisto wrote: Inaction and half-hearted responses on part of the politicians in government and the inability to tackle big issues. Macron's right about this. Macron is in part substantiating accusations that he is for inaction and half-hearted responses. The quickest way to inaction is saying to be in favor of forward progress without saying what you mean. His entire response appears half-hearted in the way that I might say I'm against extremes but have absolutely no idea how to combat them. If he had a hearty response, I suppose he might consider giving it. | ||
Nyxisto
Germany6287 Posts
On January 14 2018 12:23 Danglars wrote: Macron is in part substantiating accusations that he is for inaction and half-hearted responses. The quickest way to inaction is saying to be in favor of forward progress without saying what you mean. His entire response appears half-hearted in the way that I might say I'm against extremes but have absolutely no idea how to combat them. If he had a hearty response, I suppose he might consider giving it. For the most part Macron is stifled right now by the fact that we haven't been able to put up a government over here in Germany since the elections. But he laid out pretty clear plans for integration, especially on security and immigration ever since he's been running. And also importantly, he's stuck to what he's promised with his reforms in France. | ||
Big J
Austria16289 Posts
Contrary to their first stance to form the biggest block in the opposition the SPD has been negotiating with the CDU/CSU to form a coalition. The first step, finding a rough agreement what the next parliamentary period should be about, has ended in agreement between those parties, despite the CSU trying really hard to piss off the SPD. This result still has to be approved by the SPD base, which in parts, led by the young socialists but also by others, seems to be in open rebellion against another coalition with the conservatives. Which the CSU is obviously critizising, basically telling the SPD how they dare to have innerparty democracy and not just do as their leaders say. General public polls are also not in favor of another CDU/CSU - SPD coalition, which isn't news, since the public polls have been in favor of re-elections in case of CDU/CSU-FDP-Greens not being able to form a government. | ||
TheDwf
France19747 Posts
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Nyxisto
Germany6287 Posts
If I had to guess I'd say the GroKo is going to be approved but with much less support than Schulz would want. If it's actually rejected he's probably done | ||
SolitudeEU
40 Posts
to give a bit more insight into the SPD/coalition talks: There is not one decision, if it will become another grand coalition, but in fact two. The first one will be a party conference on Sunday, 21st. The conference will decide if the SPD wants to start formal talks about building a coalition with the CDU/CSU. If the conference disapproves, the story ends there as the SPD will not enter the coalition. The conference is also made from delegates from each local chapter of the SPD, but most of them are functionaries/power brokers of the party (like local MPs for example). If the conference backs the talks, however, both parties will have to agree on a "coalition contract", which will be build upon the agreements in the preliminary paper, but will add more depth and details and also pin down who gets which ministries and such. Then comes a second decision: Both parties must sign off on the agreement. In the CDU/CSU this will be done by the leadership of the respective parties and no-one expects any dissent there. The SPD however will have to ask all its members (around 440.000 people) in a yes/no-referendum, if they approve of the coalition-agreement. if the majority disapproves it is null and void and the SPD will not enter the coalition. This makes it kinda hard to predict what will happen. I personally would think it is relatively likely (around 75%) that the party leadership can win the vote on the 21st to start formal coalition talks. However, I am also a good bit more skeptical about the chances of the membership-vote, but it's also harder to gauge because no one polls members of the SPD. It has to be said, that there are indeed parts of the base that actively work against the grand coalition. Mostly the Jusos (the youth-wing of the party), some of the east-german state-parties and some of the organizations on the left-wing of the party. Hope that helps. | ||
{CC}StealthBlue
United States41072 Posts
One is a revered sheep’s milk cheese, as Spanish as acorn-fed pigs, a famously insane knight errant or the napkin-strewn floor of a tapas bar. The other is a mild cow’s milk cheese, sometimes bulked out with vegetable oil, that is sold cheaply in Mexican supermarkets and stuffed into quesadillas. The two cheeses share a name, manchego, but they have about as much in common as a Spanish tortilla and its Mexican namesake. That is how they have come to be at the centre of a standoff that is slowing down a major trade deal between Mexico and the European Union. Manchego makers in Spain say their product has a denomination of origin and want Mexican cheeses to stop carrying the same name. Ismael Álvarez de Toledo, president of the Spanish Brotherhood of the Manchego Cheese, is adamant that there is only one product worthy of the name – and it is made from the milk of sheep in the region of La Mancha. “[Mexican manchego] is an insipid cow’s milk cheese that sometimes doesn’t even look like a cheese because it sometimes comes in slices for making sandwiches,” he said. “The only thing it’s got in common with our cheese is the name. But it’s a fake name.” This dogged defence is now dragging down negotiations to update a trade deal between Mexico and the EU that was signed in 2000. In the face of an uncertain future for the North American Free Trade Agreement, as Mexico attempts to diversify its trade away from the US, the deal is now being revised and broadened. The EU had hoped revisions would be agreed before Christmas. But despite a three-day visit to Brussels by the Mexican economy minister, Ildefonso Guajardo, a deal could not be struck. Geographical indications are jealously guarded by EU member states. A decade ago, the Spanish government made strident appeals for the European commission to take action against Belgium after it emerged that a cheese manufacturer there was selling an “imitation” product, Queso Manchego. That is a brand name that since 1996 has been tied to cheeses made in Spain. Mexico is fiercely protective of its own denominations of origin, such as those for tequila and mescal liquor. But the country’s dairy industry does not express the same anxiety about protecting regional cheeses. “Mexico is more like the US in that we focused more on brands,” said Rene Fonseca, general director of the National Milk Industries’ Chamber. “We’ve not worried about protecting generic names.” If anyone is to blame for the confusion, Fonseca argues, it is the Spanish conquistadores who brought the name manchego to Mexico. “What other name would they use except something from their country of origin?” he said. “Europeans themselves gave it this name. There’s no attempt here to trick anyone.” But Álvarez insisted the confusion led to real losses for Spanish producers, especially in the American market. “If we try to sell cheese in Miami – or anywhere where there’s a Mexican influence – and say, ‘Right, here’s our manchego for $15 a kilo,’ people are going to say, ‘But we can get manchego for $7!’” Santiago Altares, secretary of the Manchego Cheese Denomination of Origin Regulatory Commission Foundation, said Spain exported around 80 tonnes of manchego to Mexico in 2016 alone. Claims that manchego had become a blanket term for cheese, he said, were deeply disingenuous. “The suggestion that it’s a generic term is a fallacy,” he said. “These people in Mexico are trying to take advantage of the name, reputation and fame of manchego cheese for their own economic benefit. “They’re also cheating consumers in Mexico, the US and other countries where they sell their fake manchego. It’s a fraud and a swindle.” Source | ||
TheDwf
France19747 Posts
Would you say that, so far, Macron's results are: Negative: 37% Positive: 35% Too early to judge: 21% No opinion: 7% Would you say that his action corresponds to his promises: Yes: 55% No: 31% No opinion: 14% How do you consider the government's policy: Rather left: 7% Rather centre: 27% Rather right: 39% No opinion: 27% | ||
m4ini
4215 Posts
On January 16 2018 05:20 TheDwf wrote: Some poll about Macron's action: Would you say that, so far, Macron's results are: Negative: 37% Positive: 35% Too early to judge: 21% No opinion: 7% Would you say that his action corresponds to his promises: Yes: 55% No: 31% No opinion: 14% How do you consider the government's policy: Rather left: 7% Rather centre: 27% Rather right: 39% No opinion: 27% It really isn't surprising that Macron's actions are seen negatively though, or that he isn't well liked even though he's one of the better politicians france had in power for a while. Someone pointed out earlier, Macron comes through with his promises, which include reforms. Something french folks are inherently allergic against. Especially in regards to the labour market. Now, i'm not commenting on the impact of these reforms, i only know that reforms are needed. Anyone who'd implement them would be hated in france. Regardless of how needed they actually are. | ||
TheDwf
France19747 Posts
On January 16 2018 06:07 m4ini wrote: It really isn't surprising that Macron's actions are seen negatively though, or that he isn't well liked even though he's one of the better politicians france had in power for a while. Someone pointed out earlier, Macron comes through with his promises, which include reforms. Something french folks are inherently allergic against. Especially in regards to the labour market. Now, i'm not commenting on the impact of these reforms, i only know that reforms are needed. Anyone who'd implement them would be hated in france. Regardless of how needed they actually are. May I ask where you're from? | ||
sc-darkness
856 Posts
On January 16 2018 06:07 m4ini wrote: It really isn't surprising that Macron's actions are seen negatively though, or that he isn't well liked even though he's one of the better politicians france had in power for a while. Someone pointed out earlier, Macron comes through with his promises, which include reforms. Something french folks are inherently allergic against. Especially in regards to the labour market. Now, i'm not commenting on the impact of these reforms, i only know that reforms are needed. Anyone who'd implement them would be hated in france. Regardless of how needed they actually are. I think you're right. France is known for workers' protests and minimum work week is slightly lower in comparison to other EU countries. I think a bit of right wing should help (not too much though). | ||
xM(Z
Romania5257 Posts
- our second gov. failed after only 7 months; the first minister, Mihai Tudose, was forced to resign after he lost the backup of his party, PSD. - the scenario played out was similar to the one that happened when the first PSD cabinet lead by Sorin Grindeanu fell in summer last year; a conflict broke out between the leader of the PSD party(Liviu Dragnea) and the prime minister(s) so Dragnea is now at 2 - 0. Dragnea blames everything on Lucian-Silvan Pahonţu head of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_and_Guard_Service ; Pahontu allegedly corrupted Dragnea's premiers with ... alluring proposals . the president Klaus Iohannis named Mihai Fifor to temporarily take the post of prime minister and i think PSD proposal for premier is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viorica_Dăncilă (come to think of it, he has a lot of women in power (very)loyal to him; from mayors to minister heads). Edit: a brief historic - http://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/romanias-ruling-left-sinks-own-government-for-second-time-in-a-year/ (on another note: i've left some arguments here unanswered because either i don't have the time to do it or i'm at a point in which if you're not with me ... i'll kill you; so i'd rather not). | ||
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