EP elections 2014 - Results Thread

[ingemann]

Sorry to make this point again, but it bothers me that we have these essentially meaningless elections every five years: EU policies are not altered in the slightest by European Election results, making them purely symbolic. In this respect they make a mockery of the idea (and ideal) of democracy.

I must say I disagree, the European Parliament may not be able to set European policies yet, but it have used the small but increasing power it have to great effect, especially in protection of European citizens and consumers, and limiting corruption in the commision. Also in all likelihood the newly elected parliament will decide who will become President of the Commission.

[ingemann]

In Denmark the pressure is mounting on the Liberal leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen, but for now it looks like he will try to fight through it.

We can only hope he fight it every step of the way.

[ingemann]

Why did the Danish Venstre do so poorly anyway? I thought they were polling fairly decently, especially in national polls.

Because of Lars Løkke Rasmussen's complete lack of judgement in letting other people pay for his luxuries. Ekstra Bladet (a centre left  tabloid) ran first an article serie before the municipality election about him letting GGGIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Green_Growth_Institute paying for 1st class travel and a trip for his daugther to Rio, when they ran a campaign about him lying about the latter a month ago, only for them ending it with a campaign about how Venstre had for his clothing and his wife and son's trip to Spain (the last pissed the members of Venstre extra off). By foreign standards it's small amounts (but Danes really hate to pay for others luxuries). So the last week before the election the medias attack Venstre, while Venstre fought their own little civil war, LA and the Conservatives fueled the fire, while the centre-left and left just smiled and let LLR and Venstre hang themselves with a little help from their friends.

[ingemann]

Yepp.

Maybe the EAF gets the Sweden Democrats back on board somehow ...

Unlikely, some of the parties in there are a bit too controversial for them, I think.

I'm not really sure why UKIP are so negative towards SD. They're by no means more radical than the Danish People's Party, so if they can be accepted in EFD, and even ECR I'm not sure why Ferage has a problem with SD. Besides, if the Danes and Finns leave for ECR, won't EFD have to find new people to cooperate with in order to reach the 7 countries requirement?

Here the difference between DPP and SD, DPP was not founded by former Nazis like SD, in fact they are extremely hostile to Nazism, there are historical reasons for this. Denmark was occupied under WW2, but at the same the Nazis or Danish fascists didn't gain power. A important reason for this was that these organisations was small to non-existing and to large extent dominated (in case of the former) by the German minority. So the autocratic right extremism or antisemitism have never had any greater popularity in Denmark. In Sweden on the other hand these have historical been much more popular and they have never been delegitimised by occupation or connection to separatist minorities.

Second the many year which DPP have cooperated with the former centre left government have given them a legitimicy which SD lack. Also DPP are quite good at avoiding using racial terms when they object to immigration, something SD are doing better at, but they are still learning.

That's why the Tories are looking at DPP as a potential partner, while UKIP are still looking at SD as somewhat dirty.

[ingemann]

The short version of what Ingemann said is that UKIP cares more about origins of a party than about current official policy (or at least such is my impression).

That's why they dislike parties like SD or FN but are ok with DPP or LN or the crazy Poles.

To some extent, but it's also important for you as Swede to know, that the party Swedish media tell about have not much to do with how DPP are. There are a reason that DPP's MP rarely care to talk with Swedish reporters, while they're willing to talk to most other foreign reporters.

[ingemann]

The short version of what Ingemann said is that UKIP cares more about origins of a party than about current official policy (or at least such is my impression).

That's why they dislike parties like SD or FN but are ok with DPP or LN or the crazy Poles.

To some extent, but it's also important for you as Swede to know, that the party Swedish media tell about have not much to do with how DPP are. There are a reason that DPP's MP rarely care to talk with Swedish reporters, while they're willing to talk to most other foreign reporters.

The Swedish media doesn't talk much about DPP these days. Not sure what Danish media says that Swedish media says or why you assume your own media to be unbiased.

Gustaf I'm in my thirties and I can read Swedish, I have followed the debate in Sweden for years in Swedish articles, yes comments about DPP have become rarer the last few years (after you got SD), even through they're everybit still as weird.

As for Danish media, I could make a thousands page rant about all the things wrong with it.

[ingemann]

The short version of what Ingemann said is that UKIP cares more about origins of a party than about current official policy (or at least such is my impression).

That's why they dislike parties like SD or FN but are ok with DPP or LN or the crazy Poles.

To some extent, but it's also important for you as Swede to know, that the party Swedish media tell about have not much to do with how DPP are. There are a reason that DPP's MP rarely care to talk with Swedish reporters, while they're willing to talk to most other foreign reporters.

The Swedish media doesn't talk much about DPP these days. Not sure what Danish media says that Swedish media says or why you assume your own media to be unbiased.

Gustaf I'm in my thirties and I can read Swedish, I have followed the debate in Sweden for years in Swedish articles, yes comments about DPP have become rarer the last few years (after you got SD), even through they're everybit still as weird.

As for Danish media, I could make a thousands page rant about all the things wrong with it.

Danes and Swedes always bitch about each other's media. What specifically do you feel was wrong with Swedish media reporting on DPP? I'm not saying you're wrong just curious.

Maybe it's the fact that half the articles about DPP seem like weird rants, while the ones using sources and interviews, seem like the journalist started out with a mission, and he's hellbent on pushing it, no matter how much he has to warp the story.

Athena Farrokhzad article about Yahya Hassan while not directly about DPP, are a surprisingly good example, but of course she seem to gone too far even for Swedish media.