2019 European Parliament Elections
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 7:42 pm
Since Trumptonium is abandoning his thread, I'll be posting one in its place. As he said though, it is a big deal with the European Parliament being reduced to 705 seats(unless the insanity of Brexit reaches Hunter S. Thompson proportions, which it might), and the Euroscpetics are looking for as many as a third of the seats in the new parliament(225 according to current projections). Greens and far-left parties, too, are poised to make gains. The old parties are still around, but some of the newer ones are still trying to form Europarties. France's En Marche!, for example, wants to set up its own group, but they still can't get the votes from other countries. M5S, from Italy, has thought about setting up its own anti-establishment Eurosceptic party. Whatever the grousing look like, one thing that is certain is that turnout will consist, as it usually does, of exactly eight people and a particularly intelligent rottweiler...except in Belgium where voting is compulsory.
So, let's look at the major groupings! (Don't take it personally if I've left your country out, I'm getting what are considered the major ones on here)
European People's Party(EPP): Centre-right, Pro-European, Liberal Conservative, Christian Democratic
Major members include the UK Conservatives(just in case), Austria's ÖVP, Belgium's CD&V and cdH, Czechia's KDU-CSL and TOP 09, France's Republicans, Denmark's Conservatives, Finland's KoK, Germany's CDU/CSU, Greece's ND, Hungary's Fidesz(why, I have no idea), Ireland's Fine Gael, Italy's Forza Italia, The Netherlands' CDA, Poland's PO, Portugal's PSD, Spain's PP, and Sweden's Moderates.
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats(S&D): Centre-left, Social Democratic, Pro-European
Major members include Austria's SPÖ, Belgium's PS/sp.a, Czechia's CSSD, Denmark's Social Democrats, Finland's SDP, France's PS, Germany's SPD, Greece's PASOK, Hungary's MSZP, Ireland's Labour, Italy's PD, The Netherlands' PvdA, Portugal's PS, Spain's PSOE, Sweden's Social Democrats, and UK's Labour.
European Conservatives and Reformists(ECR): Right Wing, Eurosceptic, Conservative, Economic Liberalism
Major members include Belgium's NVA(no Walloon equivalent in ECR), Czechia's ODS, Denmark's DPP, Finland's Finns Party, The Netherlands' CU and SGP, Poland's PiS, Sweden's Sweden Democrats, and 18 UK Conservatives and 1 UUP.
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe(ALDE): Social Liberalism, Pro-European, Conservative Liberalism
Major members include Austria's NEOS, Belgium's VLD and MR, Czechia's ANO 2011, Denmark's Venstre and Radical Left, Finland's Centre Party and SFP, France's MoDem and UDI, Germany's FDP, Ireland's Fianna Fail, a small section of Italy's PD, The Netherlands' VVD and D66, Spain's Ciudadanos, Sweden's Liberals and Centre Party, and UK's Liberal Democrats.
Greens-European Free Alliance(Greens-EFA): Eurofederalism, Green Politics, Regionalism
Major members include Austria's GRÜNE, Belgium's Ecolo and Groen, Denmark's SF, Finland's VIHR, France's EELV, Germany's Alliance 90/Greens, Ireland's Green Party, The Netherlands' GroenLinks, Sweden's MP, and UK's Greens, SNP, and PC.
European United Left-Nordic Green Left(EUL-NGL): Soft Eurosceptic, Democratic Socialist, Left Wing to Far Left
Major Members include Czechia's KSCM, Finland's Left Alliance, France's Left Front(including the PCF), Germany's Die Linke, Greece's SYRIZA, Ireland's(and Northern Ireland's) Sinn Fein, The Netherlands' SD and PvdD, Portugal's PCP-PEV, Spain's PODEMOS, and Sweden's Left Party.
Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy(EFDD): Eurosceptic, Right wing, Populist
Major Members include Germany's AfD, Italy's M5S, Poland's Wolność(Liberty), and a section of UK's UKIP.
Europe of Nations and Freedom(ENF): Right-wing to Far-right, Eurosceptic, Populist, Nationalist
Major Members include Austria's FPÖ, Belgium's VB, France's RN(formerly FN), Germany's Blue Party, Italy's Lega, The Netherlands' PVV, Poland's KNP, and UK's UKIP.
Then, we have the Non-inscrits that are either too radical or independent for any of the major groups. Greece's Golden Dawn and KKE both belong to this one, as do a handful of independents.
Right then, whom do you support?
Personally, I'm in favour of S&D as a major party, but with a transferable vote, I'd actually say the Greens-EFA for first and EUL-NGL for second, and S&D for third. Europe needs to fight back against this populist storm and work towards the old goal of ever greater union.
EDIT: Now that Britain's staying until Halloween, the Parliament will actually be 751 seats like before.
So, let's look at the major groupings! (Don't take it personally if I've left your country out, I'm getting what are considered the major ones on here)
European People's Party(EPP): Centre-right, Pro-European, Liberal Conservative, Christian Democratic
Major members include the UK Conservatives(just in case), Austria's ÖVP, Belgium's CD&V and cdH, Czechia's KDU-CSL and TOP 09, France's Republicans, Denmark's Conservatives, Finland's KoK, Germany's CDU/CSU, Greece's ND, Hungary's Fidesz(why, I have no idea), Ireland's Fine Gael, Italy's Forza Italia, The Netherlands' CDA, Poland's PO, Portugal's PSD, Spain's PP, and Sweden's Moderates.
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats(S&D): Centre-left, Social Democratic, Pro-European
Major members include Austria's SPÖ, Belgium's PS/sp.a, Czechia's CSSD, Denmark's Social Democrats, Finland's SDP, France's PS, Germany's SPD, Greece's PASOK, Hungary's MSZP, Ireland's Labour, Italy's PD, The Netherlands' PvdA, Portugal's PS, Spain's PSOE, Sweden's Social Democrats, and UK's Labour.
European Conservatives and Reformists(ECR): Right Wing, Eurosceptic, Conservative, Economic Liberalism
Major members include Belgium's NVA(no Walloon equivalent in ECR), Czechia's ODS, Denmark's DPP, Finland's Finns Party, The Netherlands' CU and SGP, Poland's PiS, Sweden's Sweden Democrats, and 18 UK Conservatives and 1 UUP.
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe(ALDE): Social Liberalism, Pro-European, Conservative Liberalism
Major members include Austria's NEOS, Belgium's VLD and MR, Czechia's ANO 2011, Denmark's Venstre and Radical Left, Finland's Centre Party and SFP, France's MoDem and UDI, Germany's FDP, Ireland's Fianna Fail, a small section of Italy's PD, The Netherlands' VVD and D66, Spain's Ciudadanos, Sweden's Liberals and Centre Party, and UK's Liberal Democrats.
Greens-European Free Alliance(Greens-EFA): Eurofederalism, Green Politics, Regionalism
Major members include Austria's GRÜNE, Belgium's Ecolo and Groen, Denmark's SF, Finland's VIHR, France's EELV, Germany's Alliance 90/Greens, Ireland's Green Party, The Netherlands' GroenLinks, Sweden's MP, and UK's Greens, SNP, and PC.
European United Left-Nordic Green Left(EUL-NGL): Soft Eurosceptic, Democratic Socialist, Left Wing to Far Left
Major Members include Czechia's KSCM, Finland's Left Alliance, France's Left Front(including the PCF), Germany's Die Linke, Greece's SYRIZA, Ireland's(and Northern Ireland's) Sinn Fein, The Netherlands' SD and PvdD, Portugal's PCP-PEV, Spain's PODEMOS, and Sweden's Left Party.
Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy(EFDD): Eurosceptic, Right wing, Populist
Major Members include Germany's AfD, Italy's M5S, Poland's Wolność(Liberty), and a section of UK's UKIP.
Europe of Nations and Freedom(ENF): Right-wing to Far-right, Eurosceptic, Populist, Nationalist
Major Members include Austria's FPÖ, Belgium's VB, France's RN(formerly FN), Germany's Blue Party, Italy's Lega, The Netherlands' PVV, Poland's KNP, and UK's UKIP.
Then, we have the Non-inscrits that are either too radical or independent for any of the major groups. Greece's Golden Dawn and KKE both belong to this one, as do a handful of independents.
Right then, whom do you support?
Personally, I'm in favour of S&D as a major party, but with a transferable vote, I'd actually say the Greens-EFA for first and EUL-NGL for second, and S&D for third. Europe needs to fight back against this populist storm and work towards the old goal of ever greater union.
EDIT: Now that Britain's staying until Halloween, the Parliament will actually be 751 seats like before.