[kreuzberger]

Is it true that the HMG yesterday gave the cold shoulder to Jacques Delors' funeral?

That would be as disgraceful as it is mean-spirited and downright bloody rude. (That's a "yes", then.)

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Yes.


Ils sont connards.

[Tubby Isaacs]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/ ... s-for-suvs

Parisians vote in favour of tripling parking costs for SUVs
The referendum comes as the city aims to reduce emissions by targeting wealthy drivers in large, polluting cars

7% turnout, for a high profile environmental measure. Tripling charges sounds a bit high- are they really that much worse? But happy to raise more money off these darn things. They're a sodding nuisance in Herefords and Worcs, let alone London.

[kreuzberger]

Christ on a vélo!

The vest-wearing unwashed peasants who pick their teeth in public have gone full-Vichy.

Macron; "a general election, it is then, ya bastards!"

(Ok, I know he's not Scottish but, win or lose, he knows how to settle a score in a Brig'ton pub.)

[Tubby Isaacs]

France has gone mad. Incomes are basically the same as the UK, but with better work-life balance, better infrastructure and cheaper housing.

[kreuzberger]

Macron has tried to raise the retirement age to twelve and fascism is the only answer. Apparently.

[Youngian]

Quite the audacious gamble. France, Netherlands, Italy and US could all be in the grip of the far right next year. And even that cunt Farage as opposition leader if the shit for brains vox pops I’ve heard are anything to go by.

French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the National Assembly following a significant loss to the right-wing National Rally (RN) in the European elections. The RN, led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, secured over 31% of the vote, more than double Macron's centrist Renew party's 15.2%. This election marked a historic shift to the right across Europe, with significant gains for right-wing parties in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Macron, in a social media address, warned that the rise of 'nationalism' poses a 'threat' to France and Europe, emphasizing the dangers of the 'extreme right' to the nation and its people. https://www.overtonnews.com/post/french ... onal-rally

[Malcolm Armsteen]

He must have taken advice from Cameron on D-Day80.

[kreuzberger]

My understanding is that he isn't putting his arse on the line but theirs. He will remain Grand Fromage until the next presidential round, but they will mentime be given an opportunity to both win the parliamentaries and then show what they are made of.

Perhaps, I am wrong.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

It's a brave move.

Says Sir Humphrey...

[Youngian]

These hard right parties will be squabbling in no time, common endeavour isn’t in their DNA. Wilders is an arch Thatcherite, Le Pen a Latin American nationalist populist on economics. Suspect the French have higher expectations than the UK or Holland as to what the domestic state can provide and Le Pen taps into that. As for Trump, what else is there to be said? Meloni is shaping up to be a fairly orthodox right of centre manager with the social conservatism ramped up to 11 (Bavarian CSU?). They’re just complainers blaming foreigners and clever people who wear glasses for all the problems. It will be a shit show.

[Oboogie]

Here's Phil Moorehouse's take.

[Philip Marlow]

The rebrand really has been a spectacular success.

[Philip Marlow]

There just might be a lesson buried in here somewhere…

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... government

From the start of his presidency, Macron has regarded RN as his sole adversary. The left was divided, and he systematically discredited it, even demonising its most radical fringe, France Unbowed. His objective was to occupy the right of French politics, wiping out the threat from Le Pen’s party and the Republicans. There were three components to this strategy. First, his harsh stance on law and order. Second, his renewed focus on Muslims, and his fight against what he termed “Islamist separatism”. And third, and above all, his disproportionate focus on immigration, culminating in a heated, year-long debate about a controversial new bill that restricted migrants’ rights and benefits. When this law, called “shameful” by the Human Rights League, was voted in on December 2023, Le Pen described it as an “ideological victory”.

Pause for applause. Really lad, well done.

[Philip Marlow]

Chinese curse ahoy.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Even if that happens and helps hold the Parliamentary majority, that's going to be an ungovernable coalition, while Le Pen gets to campaign against the stitch up. She might prefer that to being in government with a small majority.

What an egregious fuck up all round. But if so many French people are happy to vote for this shit, it's on them.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Connards...
Chattes...

[Tubby Isaacs]

This is promising, but if it works, how do they agree a Prime Minister? Le Pen might be very happy sitting there and sniping.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

I'm reading that the Rassemblement National (Le Pen) candidate in Calvados (Normandy) has withdrawn after being photographed wearing a Waffen SS cap.

More, please.

[Youngian]

I'm reading that the Rassemblement National (Le Pen) candidate in Calvados (Normandy) has withdrawn after being photographed wearing a Waffen SS cap.

More, please.

FN/RN seem more slick on the surface than Farage’s pack of amateurs but are they?
Le Pen comes across as a crude moron from what I’ve seen of her.