France's Macron appears set for Elysee in runoff with Le Pen

[Baerboxer]

9 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Excluding the Iraq business, what have you against Blair?

 

Please make a list......

 

His relaxing of financial regulations helping his banker mates contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. He flogged off the gold reserves when prices low with good old Gordon for starters.

 

 

[Grouse]

4 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

I don't want him to deliver anything - I'm not a French citizen.

 

I would imagine employment, immigration, law and order (including perceived no go zones), refugees, are on the agenda. French people do indeed have excellent benefits and enjoy strong protection in employment. 

 

As for the EU. The current French Foreign minister suggested a EU wide poll of all citizens to see if they agreed with the current direction the EU is being steered in. He was ignored. 

Will be interesting to see how Macron gets on with Brussels, the Commission and Merkel/Schulz.

 

What is Macton's vision for Europe?

 

 

He is very pro EU but wants to recast the European Project apparently. I expect constructive modifications.

[Prbkk]

3 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You seriously think a French president has that much power over the EU?

 

The only changes to anything will be if Merkel (or a slim chance Schulz) and Juncke agree.

It's not France but everywhere, even including Germany. The EU Juggernaut is on notice.

[Grouse]

14 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

His relaxing of financial regulations helping his banker mates contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. He flogged off the gold reserves when prices low with good old Gordon for starters.

 

 

I thought Gordon flogged the gold (while TB was PM) and Thatcher relaxed the regs. Happy to be corrected though....

 

This is all off topic though I can see some Blairisms coming down the tracks 

 

I don't intend to comment further on EM/TB comparisons

Edited April 24, 2017 by Grouse

[dunroaming]

12 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You seriously think a French president has that much power over the EU?

 

The only changes to anything will be if Merkel (or a slim chance Schulz) and Juncke agree.

I think with the UK gone France does have more of a voice but only marginally.

[Grouse]

16 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You seriously think a French president has that much power over the EU?

 

The only changes to anything will be if Merkel (or a slim chance Schulz) and Juncke agree.

France has significant leverage

[KunMatt]

1 hour ago, Grouse said:

Macron looks ideal to me

 

provincial education, pro EU, banking background and a real polymath.

 

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

 

To me, he's a liberal democrat. Son of Tony Blair? He's no socialist.

 

Apparantly pro Obama and uses social media as a tool to gauge policies.

 

Now let Germany fall into line for a hat trick!

 

You're backing Macron, awesome!   That means that Le Pen is sure to win.

[Andaman Al]

Le Pen has achieved a great deal and has never before garnered so much support. However this support comes from the ill-educated and to a great extent frightened French citizens who only hear one thing.  That is deport and ban immigrants and after the recent events in France it is understandable that le Pen thrives on the fear.

You could be writing about Trump and the USA!

[Baerboxer]

35 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

I think with the UK gone France does have more of a voice but only marginally.

 

I think you're right. 

 

France isn't the great power it would like to be in the EU. With the UK gone will get a little bit more. But isn't and won't be the strongest voice.

[Baerboxer]

36 minutes ago, Grouse said:

France has significant leverage

 

Such as?

 

Could you list please?

[Baerboxer]

47 minutes ago, Grouse said:

I thought Gordon flogged the gold (while TB was PM) and Thatcher relaxed the regs. Happy to be corrected though....

 

This is all off topic though I can see some Blairisms coming down the tracks 

 

I don't intend to comment further on EM/TB comparisons

 

Off topic so let's not proceed here. But think you'll find TB was Gordon's boss and that TB also removed regulations.

[Gillyflower]

Up to the very last second - before picking up the Macron voting slip - I didn't know for whom to vote.  I would have voted for anyone in preference to Le Pen.

 

The French (in the 1st round) usually vote for anyone for whom they have a sympathy.  I nearly voted for one of the little chaps, but felt this time that it was too serious to play around.  They often vote Le Pen just because they want to be ornery or stir the shit. which is what they have done this time (I hope).  Some years back I was in a study group and got talking politics with one of the others.  She was an ardent communist (when the PCF was pretty strong).  Her aunt lived in Marseille and voted J.M.L.P.  My colleague told me that if she lived there, she would vote for him too.  It's easy to be a rabid communist when you live in a country town of 10,000.

[Baerboxer]

49 minutes ago, Prbkk said:

It's not France but everywhere, even including Germany. The EU Juggernaut is on notice.

 

Italy is where the EU ought to be on the biggest notice. 

 

But as for Germany and the others. Sure the politicians will say and do somethings because they're worried about elections and votes. Then it'll be back to the agenda - moves towards a more integrated federalism with more central control.

 

Remember the German FM said that elections can't be allowed to change things.

[Baerboxer]

3 minutes ago, Gillyflower said:

Up to the very last second - before picking up the Macron voting slip - I didn't know for whom to vote.  I would have voted for anyone in preference to Le Pen.

 

The French (in the 1st round) usually vote for anyone for whom they have a sympathy.  I nearly voted for one of the little chaps, but felt this time that it was too serious to play around.  They often vote Le Pen just because they want to be ornery or stir the shit. which is what they have done this time (I hope).  Some years back I was in a study group and got talking politics with one of the others.  She was an ardent communist (when the PCF was pretty strong).  Her aunt lived in Marseille and voted J.M.L.P.  My colleague told me that if she lived there, she would vote for him too.  It's easy to be a rabid communist when you live in a country town of 10,000.

 

It has been said in round 1 people vote with their hearts in France but round 2 is with the head.

 

Will be interesting but I expect Le Pen will go the same way as Willders in Netherlands - less of a real threat than expected. AfD won't do very well at all in Germany.  And UKIP won't do well in the UK.

[Gillyflower]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

It has been said in round 1 people vote with their hearts in France but round 2 is with the head.

 

Will be interesting but I expect Le Pen will go the same way as Willders in Netherlands - less of a real threat than expected. AfD won't do very well at all in Germany.  And UKIP won't do well in the UK.

You don't know them as well as I do.  It's true to a certain extent that they vote with their heart, but I can assure you to vote Le Pen it is mostly to stir the shit.

 

As for you above who say that France doesn't have much leverage in the EU you don't know what you are talking about.  The EU is Germany and France.

[Baerboxer]

Just now, Gillyflower said:

You don't know them as well as I do.  It's true to a certain extent that they vote with their heart, but I can assure you to vote Le Pen it is mostly to stir the shit.

 

As for you above who say that France doesn't have much leverage in the EU you don't know what you are talking about.  The EU is Germany and France.

 

You may well be right. Many people use protest votes to stir the shit and send a message to the establishment. This could be one way.

 

Sorry, I know you are French. But if you think France is the major partner or even an equal to Germany in the EU then you're really kidding yourself.

 

Let's see if France manages to get French adopted as the EU's main number 1 official language!

 

We will see just how big an impact Macron makes on the EU and Germany and if he can make any changes Germany doesn't want or agrees with.

[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You may well be right. Many people use protest votes to stir the shit and send a message to the establishment. This could be one way.

 

Sorry, I know you are French. But if you think France is the major partner or even an equal to Germany in the EU then you're really kidding yourself.

 

Let's see if France manages to get French adopted as the EU's main number 1 official language!

 

We will see just how big an impact Macron makes on the EU and Germany and if he can make any changes Germany doesn't want or agrees with.

Or to put it another way. Let's see how big an impact Merkel makes on the EU and if she can make any changes France doesn't want or agree with.

[Baerboxer]

Just now, ilostmypassword said:

Or to put it another way. Let's see how big an impact Merkel makes on the EU and if she can make any changes France doesn't want or agree with.

 

Where have you been for the last several years - looking for your lost password?

 

Hollande's really been running the EU, selected Juncke, - right-ow, if you say so,

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Where have you been for the last several years - looking for your lost password?

 

Hollande's really been running the EU, selected Juncke, - right-ow, if you say so,

What is this mystical power that Germany has? It gets to say no.  But so does France.  In fact so does any nation.  Tell me exactly how this works.  

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, KunMatt said:

 

You're backing Macron, awesome!   That means that Le Pen is sure to win.

I you backing the FN? I would not be surprised ?

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Sorry, I know you are French. But if you think France is the major partner or even an equal to Germany in the EU then you're really kidding yourself.

.

France is a major country in the EU. 

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Such as?

 

Could you list please?

Champagne, claret and calvados

[Grouse]

45 minutes ago, Gillyflower said:

You don't know them as well as I do.  It's true to a certain extent that they vote with their heart, but I can assure you to vote Le Pen it is mostly to stir the shit.

 

As for you above who say that France doesn't have much leverage in the EU you don't know what you are talking about.  The EU is Germany and France.

Well said, madam!

[Grouse]

This is worth reading...

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/macron-marine-le-pen-french-election-results-brexit-theresa-may-europe-grow-up-a7698881.html

 

Time for a couple of snifters in celebration I think ?

[joecoolfrog]

3 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Would you also agree that people should learn the lessons that the extreme left is just as nasty? And those that don't be declared insane?

Absolutely I would , Corbyn for example is a carbon copy of Michael Foot who was humiliated by the British electorate just 35 years ago. If we dont learn from the mistakes of the past we are destined to repeat them , its not difficult to grasp.

If anything the Corbyn supporters are even more insane , they simply have to look across the water and see what a mess Hollande ( with very similar policies ) has made in France.

Insane of course is an emotive phrase , but blinkered and ignorant ( of history ) are indeniably accurate descriptions of those who swing too far either left or right.

Of course voters get exasperated sometimes with the mainstream ,which ls what the extremists thrive on. Sadly though there is seldom a quick and beneficial fix in politics , Trump is just the latest to prove the point.

[Guest]

I guess those people who voted for LePen and live in Phuket, Khon Kaen and Pattaya really don't like immigrants..

[Fulwell53]

23 hours ago, Andaman Al said:

I get it, BUT at worst, she has come second already and 50% of the voters did not vote for her but also did not vote for Marcon. Second place for a Fascist senior politician. That is very troubling. 

Quite often get a lot of donkey votes when it becomes clear to many there is only going to be one winner as is the case with macron now that fillon has thrown in his vote to him.

BLondie has only the loony right and fascist thugs to support her and she  realises they have a bad stench around them hence her 'standing down from the party' claptrap.

Then again she might donald to enlist russian hackers to help her also win a dodgy election.

Nothing lacks morality and decency as much as a far right politician.

[Opl]

11 hours ago, oilinki said:

I guess those people who voted for LePen and live in Phuket, Khon Kaen and Pattaya really don't like immigrants..

 

Maybe they would explain it this way :

 

- they left France and started a new life in Thailand 

- they feel upset by the " massive immigration"  - especially from north Africa ( Marocco, Tunisia, Algeria..) ,, Africa..coming to France and European countries 

- and now ... they notice ... second, third, ..  generation of these migrants .. also born in France and french citizens..so  "french muslims" ..  do also come to live in Thailand and not only for holidays .. Phuket, Pattaya .. just like they did

 

 

      

Edited April 25, 2017 by Opl