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Post by pieter on May 21, 2019 7:53:08 GMT -7
European far-right populists rally with Matteo Salvini in Milan From left, Geert Wilders, leader of Dutch Party for Freedom, Matteo Salvini, Jörg Meuthen, leader of Alternative For Germany party, Marine Le Pen, Leader of the French Rassemblement national, Vaselin Marehki leader of Bulgarian 'Volya' party, Jaak Madison of Estonian Conservative People's Party, and Tomio Okamura leader of Czech far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy, attend a rally organized by League leader Matteo Salvini, with leaders of other European nationalist parties, ahead of the May 23-26 European Parliamentary elections, in Milan, Italy, May 18, 2019. (Luca Bruno/AP)
Nationalist parties from across Europe held a rally on Saturday in Milan promising to reshape the continent through next week’s EU parliamentary election.
Headlining the event was Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and Marine Le Pen of France's National Rally (RN; Rassemblement national). The two populists are eager for their Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group to become the third largest party in Brussels.
“There are no extremists, racists or fascists in this square,” Salvini said. “Here you won’t find the far-right, but the politics of good sense. The extremists are those who have governed Europe for the past 20 years.”
Thousands of flag-waving supporters of Salvini’s League party packed a rain-soaked central Milan square to see far-right and anti-immigrant leaders from 11 European Union countries present a common front in their battle to pull back power from Brussels.
“This is a historic moment,” said RN leader Marine Le Pen, “we say no to this immigration which has submerged our nations, putting our people at risk,” she said, playing up an issue that has helped fuel support for nationalist groups.
Hundreds of opponents gathered on the sidelines, their boos, jeers and whistles sometimes drowning out the speakers. “Fascists leave Milan,” they chanted as Salvini took the stage.
The ENF also includes Austria's Freedom Party, Belgium's Vlaams Belang and the Netherlands' Party for Freedom, whose head Geert Wilders was present in Milan.
But despite their shared dislike of immigration and the EU, Europe's populists remain divided on many key issues on the continent, including budgetary discipline, migrant distribution and relations with Moscow.
Notably absent from the rally was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party. Orban has publicly supported Salvini and promised "cooperation" after the vote, but refuses any form of alliance with Le Pen.
Poland's governing PiS (Law and Justice party) also did not attend the rally, however, smaller parties such as Bulgaria's Volya and Slovakia's Sme Rodina, took place in the event.
Most of Europe's rightwing nationalists are currently divided into three blocs and a tangled web of alliances in the European Parliament, which Salvini and Le Pen would like to overhaul if not destroy.
The League is expected to emerge as Italy’s largest party for the first time next week as Salvini said he was working night and day for Italy. “If it is necessary, I will give my life for Italy, for my children, for you. I will stop at nothing and for nobody[/,” he said.
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Post by pieter on May 21, 2019 8:15:57 GMT -7
WARSAW, Poland – Thousands were marching in the Polish capital saturday to celebrate the nation's European Union membership ahead of key European Parliament elections. EU Council President Donald Tusk and Poland's opposition leaders were among those marching in Warsaw. The pro-EU rally aimed to underline that Poles want to be an important member in the 28-nation bloc, even though the current rightwing government is highly critical of the EU and its institutions. Before the march, leaders from center-left parties called on the Poles to vote in May 23-26 elections, saying they are crucial for Poland's standing in the EU. The elections are also seen as a test of support between the ruling party and the opposition, ahead of national parliament elections in the autumn.
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Post by pieter on May 21, 2019 8:18:02 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on May 21, 2019 8:19:46 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on May 21, 2019 8:28:36 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on May 21, 2019 8:31:36 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on May 21, 2019 8:35:17 GMT -7
This party may be the largest party during the European elections in the Netherlands
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Post by pieter on May 21, 2019 10:42:02 GMT -7
AP ArchivePublished on 26 Mar 2019 (21 Mar 2019) Former White House strategist Steve Bannon is predicting a "stunning victory" for populists and nationalists in the European Parliament elections in two months, but says they can do it without his help. Bannon has been trying to form a movement uniting populist and nationalist voters across Europe ahead of the May 23-26 vote, but the reception from some European leaders has been lukewarm. Speaking Thursday at an event in Rome, Bannon acknowledged that the politicians in Europe don't need him. "They are fully capable of winning elections on their own." He said the "populist, nationalist and sovereignty movement" is gaining traction, thanks to politicians like Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: www.facebook.com/APArchives Google+: plus.google.com/b/10201102858... Tumblr: aparchives.tumblr.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/APNews/
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Post by Jaga on May 23, 2019 23:07:03 GMT -7
Pieter, as far as I know in Netherlands PVDA party should win, then folk party should e second (VVD). I think this is probably a good sign, but I would like to hear Pieter's take on it
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Post by pieter on May 24, 2019 0:47:27 GMT -7
Jaga,
The official results will be known on Sunday, because the Dutch elections were early and not to influence other countries, the official Dutch count will be known on sunday. But it is trye that the Dutch Social Democratic Labour Party, the PvdA (Partij van de Arbeid) seems to be the large winner. The rightwing Populist Freedom Party (PVV, Partij voor de Vrijheid) of Geert Wilders and the leftwing populist Socialist Party (SP) are the big losers and probably will not be represented in the European parliament. But after the Labour party (PvdA)the rightwing Populist and National conservative Forum for Democracy (Forum voor Democratie) of Thierry Baudet also seems to win many votes and will be with 3 seats in the European parliament. The Labour party (PvdA) will have 6 parliamentarian seats in the EU parliament and the other Center left and center right parties will also be represented in the EU parliament with a few seats.
The Christian Democrats of the CDA with 4 seats, the center left social liberal D66 party with 2 seats, the Centre-left to left-wing GroenLinks (Greenleft, the Dutch Green party) with 3 seats, the Protestant christian party combination (biblical Calvinist christian parties) CU-SGP with 2 seats, the Party for the Elders 50PLUS with 1 seat, the Party for Animals with 0 or 1 seat, and like I said earlier the PVV and the SP with 1 or zero seats.
Cheers, Pieter
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Post by pieter on May 24, 2019 0:55:40 GMT -7
The European elections are not popular in the Netherlands and thus the rightwing populists and leftwing populist suffer from the fact that few of their voters will have the discipline to vote. Center left and center right voters and centrist voters have more with Europe, the European Union and the benefits and the importance of the Union for the Netherlands. The European Union is important for a trade (import & export), Financial, Industrial and agricultural (food industry) country like the Netherlands.
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Post by pieter on May 24, 2019 0:57:02 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on May 24, 2019 0:59:34 GMT -7
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Post by Jaga on May 24, 2019 4:47:01 GMT -7
Pieter,
I was watching the elections in Netherlands since the exit polls were reported in Poland. According to these exit polls Timmermans's Labor party was winning. If this is a case I think we can celebrate. Maybe this would move the trend in other countries into winning by left-wing.
In Poland the elections are also not popular. Right now, since it is flood some parties are using it to show that they care for people.
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Post by pieter on May 24, 2019 11:16:37 GMT -7
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