Towards a Conservative Europe… Allegro ma non troppo
Elections in the European Union have granted a great victory to the conservative parties, and even to others not so moderate on the extreme right. What happened is relatively complex, and needs to be analyzed country by country. French or German moderate rights are not comparable with the more conservative Spanish and Italian. Not even the British, which, incidentally, will go on their own, instead of fitting into the EPP (European People’s Party). It seems to be definitely: Tories would enter into another group. Why? Maybe because they still have been dragging out the same problem for years; that is, the British conservative have not yet assumed the fact that the British Empire does no longer exist; also because they do not get used to the fact that the rights that matter in Europe are French and German.
In addition, the results made the left-wing wonder if they are not being exceeded by right moderates on their own world’s vision. People seem more and more opting for the centre-right line -not the hard right that ruled the United States during two terms, except maybe in Italy and Spain, as usual.
The sad part should be that the moderate right could fall into a lure of ultraliberal counter measures, shamelessly exploiting the workers to re-impose the awful 65 hours working week that they wisely decided to discard -in view of the fact that people who voted for them would not give support to that issue.
Spanish conservatives did count on the loyal support of their people, while the left has abstained from voting. The left-wing voters’ relationship to the polls is more complex: if they see something they do not like, they do not vote; while the right-wingers, even if their leaders’ ideology is as a satrap’s one, they do not care –e.g. Valencia regional leader Camps involved in corruption cases.
Silvio Berlusconi in Italy is a special case, something that would require a sociological and psychological analysis, and even to ‘craft’ a handbook on psychiatric mental health about those Italian who vote to such a peculiar personnage. Similar to Sarkozy’s France. German right is further levelheaded at least.
However, with Berlusconi and Sarkozy successes, the right removed the mask; they have no longer complex on what they are or what they do. Left-wing should ‘update’ itself before it’s too late… as the right, cleverly aped some issues and even occasionally expressed support to culture –and topics formerly reserved to their competitors as sex, adultery, religion are no longer a taboo.
Must European countries converge to one single model? The question seems to be at the core of the legitimacy of the European integration project.
A different and interesting view from Stefan Collignon over here.
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This is not the real Parliament we are talking about. Nobody but nobody cares what happens in the Toy Parliament in Strasbourg/Brussels. They are not even the real legislators in the European Union. The Commission and the Council of Ministers are.
Maybe so now, Kevin, under the Treaty of Nice. But a new legitimacy will finally take place under the Lisbon Treaty, once Irish vote next nov 09. No necessary going down on much details to say that the Euro Parliament should surely enhance its authority -based on the legitimacy of universal suffrage.
At the end Britain has been a world leader in the more important areas of history.
And it will continue to thrive, inside or outside the E.U. But it will probably do much better inside the E.U.
Greg, London, UK
I like it that the Green Party picked up seats. More and more people get that the current economic disaster was not only caused by Wall St greed, but also by endless war and ecological catastrophe. Under the circumstances more and more will vote green.
Europe always seems to be doing the opposite of what the US is doing. I thought I’d live to see the day to find Europe more conservative that what is now the Union of Socialist States of America (USSA). Thanks for putting my great-grandchildren into debt, Obama.
american conservative
I would like to take up your point AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE.
I am not even sure as to why You made that comment on this forum.
BUT.. BUT… The man who caused your economic problem was your very own Conservative ( Most people have words for him that should not be used on this forum )
G.W. inherited a good economy , and immediateely put the Budget into a large deficit. The larger the better !
He is the one who let the Bankers have their way . In my opinion only the stupid would have voted for him twice !!!
I did have some reservations about the notion “Europe turns right”. It maybe that the voters are unhappy with the incumbent (now toppled) parties and try the other one, not necessarily agreeing the philosophy of the upcoming parties. If the economies continue to wobble, there could be a chance to become post-bubble Japanese politics – Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle without an end.
Pol, Barcelona, Spain
I’d like to discuss two facts that I consider misunderstood by others: low turnout and British role in Europe.
I don’t think that the EP election turnout is low at all: people vote if they think that they can change something or if they want to prevent changes. The more tangible the promises are, the more people vote. Therefore highest turnout is at municipal elections – people make decisions on life in their immediate neighborhood so the candidate promises are very concrete and people see the result of their votes immediately. Country-level elections have high turnout too, because they decide about taxes, social welfare, healthcare, etc. – therefore the elections have very strong left-right polarization. Everybody knows that his/her vote may decide whether he/she will pay regulatory fees or how high taxes will be in the following election period – to me it’s always interesting to see if there are more people benefiting from the society (left-voters) or contributing to the society (right-voters). However, the EP election do not have any tangible topics – the parliament is thousands kilometers far, has no legislative initiative power, the topics dealt there are very general, the left-right cut is very blurred and usually the number of MEPs for a given country is so low that they do not have the power to decide anything anyway and common voters do not have detailed knowledge of parties in all other European countries – therefore, ironically, Libertas.eu, as an attempt for a pan-European political party failed, but it shows the future directions if we want higher clarity and thus the turnout.
That’s why the result are prety expectable: 1) right-wing parties have majority, because they are supported by more educated electorate, while socialistic electorate didn’t have motivation to vote. 2) parties that promised something tangible – preventing flooding by immigrants (in Netherlands, UK, …) or launching EP discussion about validity of Benes Decrees or Trianon Treaty (nationalists in Hungary) have been given votes just because they promised something that can concretely influence life of the voters. Realizing all this, I consider 43% or about 25% in CEE as relatively very high numbers (higher numbers in WE are due to mandatory participation in elections in several WE countries).
The other issue is the British role. I think that everybody who is not “naïve” knows that British Islands, as former naval and colonial power, have throughout their whole history closer relationship to its former colonies than to continental Europe (try to visit London or another British city) and this will not change soon. Britain has always had many aspects of life different from continental Europe – different architecture, left-hand side driving, traditional non-SI measure units, and even the traditional cold/hot water taps
. However, at the same time, Britain was consistent and didn’t interfere into continental matters that much – it took part in Treaty of Versailles negotiations but they didn’t actively pressure on deadly conditions. It took part in Munich Agreement but they didn’t care much about the essence, they just wanted to keep peace in the first place. It takes only very dispassionate part in EU but (unlike another European colonial power) it doesn’t try to mentor other members and try to pretend its importance in EU events. In my opinion it’s fair and consistent behavior and every realist has to count on it.
Kim Hewitt, voting is only mandatory in Belgium … having the CEE voting around 25%-30% (or worse) is not abysmally low, it’s also completely shameful for countries who can’t keep shouting how much they suffered from the soviets and how glad they are to be “free” … yet, they can’t even bother to go voting and defend that right : instead they are quite happy letting nationalistic or ex-communist get to power, and then whine about how corrupt their political class is.
TBH, that’s pathetic !!
The rest of your argument is spot on.
As for Britain, the real identity crisis has more to do with England rather than the UK.
The UK has a very ambivalent relationship with the Continent (dispassionate ? I don’t think so) : 1) it is historically seen as a source of dangers/conflicts which needs to be prevented by divide and rule … and 2) the Continent is an another option compared to the High-Seas, not a necessity.
Whatever the validity of those views (usually, when the UK disengage from the Continent, the UK tends to suffer a loss of influence), it mostly means that the UK, and England in particular, will be negatively skeptical of any integration movements in Europe, and that they can afford to choose alternate alliances/paths.
The UK mostly sees the EU, not so much as a positive experiment, but a dangerous Pandora Box with anti-UK potentials, that needs to be curtailed if it can not be properly guided.
That doesn’t mean that UK contribution to the EU is necessarily negative, but that for those reasons, its participation will only rarely be forward-looking and mostly be defensive (conservationist and very much nationalist, rather than communautarist).
The loss of the British Empire during the 20th century, and the devolution process of the past two decades, had also highlighted an increase in english nationalism towards foreigners in general, but also ex-members of the Empire. Firstly non-white ex-colonies, then non-UK, and now non-english in particular too.
Xenophobic or Imperial arrogance has always been the case to some extent, but with both waning influence and deculturation (think tabloids or westminster), englishness is on the up …. in opposition to everything else.
Angela Steyn
I agree with the basic reasoning of Angela Steyn and Kim Hewitt. I also thing we should not try to go faster than the natural pace of the EU.
I support constructive efforts from any country, but I think we should avoid, with EU, having too much of a good thing … Germans should learn patience. Otherwise they might … lead EU to nowhere. This is a real danger, because this is exactly the purpose of Russia, and Germany seams very eager, lately (already two decades) to dance on Russian political music.
I think, multi-tier vision is not a valid approach for EU integration but a sure approach for EU disintegration. If EU wants to attain its desired (and deserved) Global influence, then it must act ONE-TIER.
As for voting, to my knowledge(heard it at Euronews several days ago), voting is mandatory in Belgium, Luxemburg, Malta and Greece (though not always with a penalty for not voting – like in Greece for example). The participations were, respectively 90, 91, 79 and 53.
The average participation seems to be about 45 (countries with mandatory voting not counted) in Western Europe and 32 in Central Europe (all 10 “newcomers”). So you have a difference of about 13 percent, which is not so huge after all. Anyway, this is maybe not a bigger issue than the low general turnout across EU.
What is interesting is WHY? – Both for EU27 and separately for Western Europe and Central Europe. Interestingly, the lowest turnout was in Slovakia – 20 percent (recently into Euro!!!) and Lithuania – 21 percent (just missed being accepted into Europe for a 0.1 percent away from the criteria threshold!!!).
Starbuck 11, the critique you bring about Central Europe voting is one of the critiques I (and many of my fellow citizens in Romania) bring onto our “abstaining” fellow citizens. So I agree on the reasoning in principle. BUT, this is not the whole story. It is more complicated than that.
Individual decision to vote is one thing, but a phenomenon all across Central Europe is another! While I agree completely on the necessity to be active in Central European countries for upgrading public standing, I also think the phenomenon itself must be addressed from a SOCIAL (and economic) perspective. And the socio-economic dynamics beyond is serious, important, and needs SERIOUS addressing, not being dismissed. This is ALSO because Central Europe is PART of CORE EUROPE, not simply an addition to EU. Being older in the EU does not mean being more European.
Trying to explain a social phenomenon by simple multiplication of individual decisions is a basic (and unacceptable) mistake in any attempt to find solutions.
So, would you please stop talking in terms of “whining eastern Europeans”. Yes, “eastern European” must “grow up” as a society (but please give them the time to do it! There are many serious people doing the required work here!). BUT, western Europeans must be honest, not take social stability for granted and refrain from lecturing all the time. Mutual respect (in all meaning) would do us good – without each other, EU will never reach its Global Role.
Thomas
I think the most serious issue to be addressed is the high number of non-voters. The value of the European vote has to be upgraded. To try to improve on this my suggestion is to make the European citizens feel, that their vote really counts and that Europe is not only in theory their common denominator. The way the voting is conducted now, contains a hint, that it is only the various political parties and not the individua who count. My suggestion is first to introduce horizontal voting in all countries in Europarliament elections and second to find a formula for European citizens to have the possibility, if they wish, to choose to vote for a number of candidates in European countries other than their own. The advantages of such a democratic, pioneering novelty are obvious, while its technical applicability in the electronic age should be warranted. I would expect such measures to increase the public interest in European matters and finally in voting and exercicing an inluence on them.
I am not up on European politics as when I lived there… Doesn’t the low voter turn out say something…. apathy. Could it be that the European taxpayer is sick and tired of paying for everyones lunches?
Regarding in LePen and Geer Wilders, would you rather have them as part of the political process (protected under Free Speech)?
I understand the meaning of the work ignorant: anyone who describes George Bush (sr or jr) as a conservative. The argument that this mess is all of GW Bush’s fault is faulty. Bush left the US with a $400B deficit. Now that deficit is over $1T thanks to the morons in office and those that voted for the “hope and change”. There are few conservatives left in the Republican Party. The Republican Party has come to stand for big government as much as the Democrat Party. Don’t confuse conservative and republican. Just as the term liberal used to describe someone who believed in free trade and laissez-faire.
Fact is that the Union of the 6 was loved by up to 90% of its citizens. Fact is further that the Europe of the 27 is not liked by even 50%!
How come – that is here the question!
Europe has to become more democratic. Poettering failed to struggle for more rights, he even weakened the plenary amendment procedure. Totally undemocratic and instransparent procedures as ACTA demonstrate the need to strengthen the powers of MEPs to keep Council and Commission in check.
I voted 4th June in Holland and I was surprised to find that all the voting booths had pencil crayons
which could be erased.I thought only indelible ink was allowed ?I did report it to the returning officer.
Ken
Well, it looks like the centre-right party in all the countries has done very well. Even in the anti-governmental countries