Historic gains for France's far-right in local elections

[Behind the Aegis]

Source: France 24


France’s far-right National Front party (FN) hailed an “exceptional” showing in the first round of the country’s local elections Sunday, after winning historic levels of support in a number of towns and cities.

Early estimates showed FN candidates leading in the eastern town of Forbach and the southern towns of Fréjus, Avignon, Perpignan, Villeneuve-sur-Lot and Beziers, putting the party in pole position for the second round of voting on March 30th.

The news was even better for the FN in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont, where the party’s candidate Steeve Briois took a majority of the vote at 50.26 percent, making him the outright winner and mayor.

Under municipal election rules in France, any candidate who gets more than 50 percent is declared the winner and there is no need for a second round.


Read more: http://www.france24.com/en/20140323-historic-gains-frances-far-right-local-elections-national-front/

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Oh yea!

[ForgoTheConsequence]

1. They're so much more intelligent and distinguished than us......

Cool country but anti-semitism and racism is France's dirty little secret.

[Behind the Aegis]

2. It is more of an "open" secret.

Recently:

March 23, 2014 -- Paris -- AJC is appalled by the violent assault on a Jewish teacher in Paris. The man, who was wearing a kippah, was brutally beaten after he left a kosher restaurant on Thursday evening. The assailants broke his nose, drew a swastika on his chest and reportedly shouted anti-Semitic epithets in French and Arabic.

“We pray for the recovery of the teacher, who clearly was targeted because he is a Jew,” said Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, director of AJC France.

The attack occurred the day after France commemorated the second anniversary of the terrorist murder of four Jews, including three children, in Toulouse. Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Interior Minister Manuel Valls powerfully reaffirmed the government's determination to combat anti-Semitism in France, which has posed serious challenges for French society.

A European Union survey of Jews in eight countries, released last year, found that 60 percent of French Jews are worried they may become victims of physical attacks. A majority avoids wearing, carrying or displaying things in public that would identify them as Jews. And as many as 46 percent have considered emigrating because of the unfolding situation.

- See more at: http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=7oJILSPwFfJSG&b=8478375&ct=13795321&notoc=1#sthash.PSfhF5tl.dpuf

It has been an on-going issue. The march against fascism last month (?) was filled with anti-Semitism. Racism against African immigrants is also outrageous. Unless one reads French sources or European ones, it is something we in the States don't often hear about.

[LeftishBrit]

7. Not a secret if you live in Europe

France is a great country in many ways, and the French are much more economically and socially progressive in many respects than the British (at least until Sarkozy, their Conservative Presidents would have been more like Labourites here); but on the downside, they are even more inclined to xenophobic-isolationism than the British are, and that is saying something. This can range in severity from a mild contempt for any nation that doesn't speak French, to the ugly racist, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant attitude that characterizes the LePen supporters.

Not that France is the only country in Europe to have problems with the Far Right; far from it! There are 'teabaggers' everywhere.

[Scootaloo]

3. Keep 'em rolling, Aegis n/t

[DFW]

4. As if this wasn't predictable since a year at least

Hollande was expected to do SOMETHING, even if no one knew exactly what.

Instead, he has been no more than that which he has been all his life: a bureaucrat living off a taxpayer-paid salary who happened to be the head of the right party at the right time. Granted, he has managed to send a few celebrities abroad and organized terror squads of financial goons to audit small businesses and levy fines for violations of non-existing laws (I have witnessed this). But in France, customs officials get to keep a cut of what they seize or fines they levy, so they have an incentive to make shit up "when business is slow."

But on the big issues of improving the lot of the Arabs in the suburban ghettos or getting national expenditures in line with revenue along the EU and Euro guidelines (3% deficit is OK, over that is not), he has done squat. In a country where the president has more power to act than an American president, Hollande has preferred--due to incompetence, laziness, or sheer bureaucratic inertia, which is common in France--to sit on his hands and hope things will get better all by themselves. This is a common European disease, rampant from the mild version here in supposedly "dynamic" Germany, to the intolerant level in totally corrupt Belgium. But Hollande as Monsieur le Président has more power than either the prime Minister of Belgium or the Chancellor of Germany to act on his own, especially if he has a majority in the legislature. Instead of acting with positive moves, he chose cosmetic little publicity stunts (like a 75% marginal tax on practically nobody) to get himself a few headlines to please his base--such as it was, as he was only elected with less than 51% of the vote to begin with. A country known for its cosmetics, France is also pretty good at seeing what's behind the make-up.

As a new president of a party that used to be in the opposition, you basically have two options--try to act on your mandate and piss off the party formerly in power (just ask Obama how easy that is), or not do shit (outside of a few "lookit me!" headlines) and end up pissing off everybody. Hollande just reaped the fruit of option number two.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Depressing

A lot of it is frustration with the economy; but there has always been a significant far-right xenophobic element in France. In the 2002 presidential election, LePen did so well in the presidential election, that the Socialists withdrew and backed the moderate Conservative Chirac, just to block LePen. Incidentally, that's when I first came across Pat Buchanan, as he wrote an article defending LePen - ugh!

Also, the turnout was low by French standards - 55%, which is about 20% more than you'd get in British local elections; but lower than they've had before. Low turnout generally means that the extremists vote disproportionately.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. "Bad" economy always seems to 'birth' xenophobia.

Even here in the US, the popular target is immigrants, as well as Jews. The right-wing wins seem to be spreading across Europe. Turn outs in mid-term elections in the States are always lower than "presidential" years, and are almost always dominated by Republicans. It will be interesting to see what happens here.

[davidpdx]

6. I hope this doesn't mean France is headed for a far right government

I just read an article about the growing number of far right governments in the world. Two are Korea and Japan, both of which interest me. The election of Park here in Korea was a huge disappointment. I all but begged my father-in-law not to voter for her. Park's father was a brutal dictator in the 60's and 70's. She's already selling out to big business. A couple days ago it was announced there will be a huge casino built out by the airport by Caesars Palace in 2020. There are only a few casinos in Korea (one in Jeju, one in Seoul near the base, and one in Gangwon-do). It seems like they are opening the door to approve more.

[Laughing Mirror]

9. We'll see what happens next Sunday

When we see how much a barrage UMP and PS have set up to keep FN from winning more towns and cities.

To further complicate matters, Steeve Brios, the new FN mayor of Henin-Beaumont, was outed a few months ago. So that city of 25,000 not only has a FN mayor now, but one who is gay.

[onehandle]

10. Do these teabaggers have Kochs and GOP 'shadow' organizations propping them up too?

If so, the French people wouldn't stand for it.

Unlike our population of sheep.

[AtheistCrusader]

11. The sine wave of misery strikes again.

Back into the trough.