Question to All International Forum Members

[Middle-aged Europe]

Colin - CDU.
Philip - certainly wouldn't "belong" to a party, but would vote CDU or FDP if bothered to vote.

Could it be generalized this way?:

--> Republicans: CDU/CSU
--> Libertarians and libertarian-leaning Republicans: FDP
--> centrist Democrats: CDU/CSU (or possibly FDP?)
--> liberal Democrats: SPD or Greens
--> very liberal Democrats (BRTD-style ): PDS

[Middle-aged Europe]

no, it cannot.  Al has repeatedly pointed out, for example, that englanders do not vote on social issues to the degree that yankees do.  And in developing nations the issues are almost strictly economic, as I have observed in conversations with folks in central and south american bars and cafes.  Even in our own country it doesn't translate from locale to locale.  For example, I am a registered republican in California, but I can assure you that I would not be a registered republican in Mississippi, for example.  And I'm quite sure I would not be a CDU member in Germany.  Such oversimplification does not work.  Also, note that in many western european nations, the term "liberal" really means liberal, and not what it has evolved to mean here.  Alliances arise from issue disagreements, and since issues vary from place to place, you can expect alliances to differ from place to place, and from time to time.  For example, we have often discussed Chirac's party, and its abject nationalism, not unlike that of the american GOP, yet many republicans here are under the false impression that his worldview is orthogonal to their own.  You'll all do well not to attempt to make such juxtapositions, as it would impede communication and understanding.

I admit that such generalizations aren´t never totally accurate and that the possibility of exceptions remain. On  the other hand, as hard as I try, I can´t imagine many Republicans who would vote for something other than CDU, CSU or FDP in Germany. But surprise me...

[Middle-aged Europe]

Sorry to come to this late, but where would I fit in? For convenience, click on the link in my signature for a rundown of my beliefs.

Al already said that in the U.K. I would probably be a moderate Christian Socialist Labourite, but I'm curious where I fit in other countries. Thanks!

In Germany, clearly one of the two major parties (CDU/CSU or SPD), depending on your geographical, religious and social background. As a protestant worker from Northrine-Westphalia, you would probably vote for the SPD.  As a Catholic from Bavaria probably CSU.

While the CDU is mostly an economically conservative party, they also have a leftist (= populist, in the American meaning of the word) wing.

But you would never vote for either the FDP (far too economically conservative for you) or the Greens (far too socially liberal for you)... well except for solely tactical reasons. ;-)

[Middle-aged Europe]

which german group is closest to pim fortuyn's livable netherlands coalition, would you say? 

Schill?

But I guess it´s not much left of his movement anymore, after he tried to blackmail the mayor of Hamburg, after he was fired by him, after his party broke apart, after the remaining parts of his party were virtually destroyed in the subsequent election, and after Schill left Germany for Cuba. The guy was mucho crazy, but it took some time before even the last of his allies noticed it. Well, at least it never got boring with him. Sometimes I even miss him. He was certainly fun... unfortunately someone (the same mayor he tried to blackmail later) thought it was a good idea to give him a position in the government.

Anyway, I think that was enough gossip... his political positions came probably closest to that of Pim Fortuyn in the Netherlands. His coalition partners in Hamburg were the CDU and the FDP and I think many Schill supporters joined the CDU after the collapse of his party. So, I would say you would either vote for CDU or FDP in Germany. Depends on what is more important for you: economic conservatism (FDP) or social conservatism (CDU).

[Middle-aged Europe]

ganz gut

you win. 

still, my ideal party does not exist in the US, not sure whether it does in Germany either, by the way.  If there's one that's Libertarian-like on civil liberty issues (decriminalize prostitution, drugs, abortion, etc. etc.) and rather centrist on economic issues.  (say, government total not more than 30% overall GDP), that'd be mine.

Um, decriminalize prostitution...? Prostitution IS decriminalized here. So, the question would be if a party wants to "re-criminalize" it.

Anyway, based on these positions, the FDP would probably be best party for you.

[Middle-aged Europe]

to clarify, based on your analogy to fortuyn, I'd say you are right about most republicans.  but on a specific note, there are those on the edges of the party who'd not fall into that category.  several posters on this forum I can think of.  my guess is that the right to keep and bear fully-automated weapons, and other basic tenets of conservatism (liberalism, whichever arbitrary label you prefer) precludes any stereotypical central european political group's juxtaposition on this subset of republicans.

ah, just noted your post.  yeah, I'm using terms rather loosely above.  will read more about fdp.  thanks.

As I said in the beginning, "libertarian-leaning Republicans" would probably vote FDP. Most of them would go for the CDU, though. But I can´t really imagine a Republican who would vote for SPD, Greens or even PDS.   It would require the most extreme case of a RINO I´ve ever seen...

And they aren´t many important parties beside those five... only neo-Nazis, ultra-communists, Lyndon LaRouche´s German affiliate and single issue parties, like a Yoga party, a feminist party or a animal rights´  party. ;-)

[Middle-aged Europe]

www.liberale.de

Ja!  das ist mein partei.  (well, mostly)

as I said before, however, issues, and thus alliances would be different.  For example, this party would put me in bed with opebo, for example.  and here we are diametrically opposed.  see what I mean?

Um, well, maybe... as I said, it was only a generalization and generalizations aren´t always totally accurate.

But doesn´t describe opebo himself as an libertarian-sort type of person? At least I would have placed him in the FDP too.

And I can´t say, if you´re diametrically opposed to opebo. That´s between him and you.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Soupersoulty: mainstream CDU member, wouldn´t bother much to vote FDP for tactical purposes, though.

StatesRights: right edge of the CDU; would despise SPD, Greens, PDS, and the "christian labour" wing of his own party for being "too socialist/communist" and the FDP for being "dangerous liberals" (not in the economic sense of the word, though). Personal admirer of conservative party members such as Brandenburg´s Deputy PM Jörg Schönbohm and CSU parliamentary group leader Michael Glos, because they do not bow down to "the political correctness of the left".