Episode 115: What if everyone who hated you started a party?

Previously in Europe

• Episode: Episode 115: What if everyone who hated you started a party?
• Website: Previously in Europe
• Feed URL: http://simplecast.com/podcasts/2120/rss
• Duration: 00:51:40
• Published: 2019-01-28 04:58

Previously in Europe Pirates. On today's episode, we talk about the current state of France mostly, that one ghost from the Matrix is coming third in the polls and how Italy said that thing European countries aren't meant to say.

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Nonsense Section

Hot damn, we have a name change

Greek parliament ratifies the agreement which included changing the name of Macedonia (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/25/greek-mps-ratify-macedonia-name-change-historic-vote)... It was tight but they got 153 votes - curiously more than they had for the vote of confidence...

Salvini is a Kidnapper

His not letting people in policy is apparently kidnapping in cases where the people were rescued by coast guard ships... since you're effectively saying they can't leave your own ships. I'm guess the Sicilian court is trolling a bit but it would be great if this went somewhere (https://www.dw.com/en/italy-court-rules-far-right-leader-salvini-can-be-charged-with-kidnapping/a-47224819)

Italian government split over Venezuela crisis

5Star Movement and far-right La Lega at loggerheads about Nicolás Maduro. M5S concerned that this is what happened to Libya while La Lega don't want to further alienate themselves from Europe.

Alessandro Di Battista, a former MP and top campaigner who is preparing to lead the 5Stars’ efforts against the League in the upcoming European election, replied to Salvini’s statement on his Facebook page: “Signing an ultimatum to Venezuela is bullshit. It’s the same identical scheme that was put in practice years ago with Libya and Gheddafi [sic].”

https://www.politico.eu/article/5star-league-italian-government-split-over-venezuela-crisis-alessandro-di-battista/

Pirate Politics is still a thing in Czechia

They survived mostly because they have social concerns about income and junk.

https://www.politico.eu/article/czech-pirate-party-anti-establishment-ivan-bartos-ahoy/

Topic 1

France Fun

Gilets Jaunes Party?

They've announced a party list for the EU elections called RIC - of Citizens Initiative Rally (https://www.euronews.com/2019/01/24/raw-politics-gilets-jaunes-protesters-announce-candidates-for-european-elections, French article with more detail - http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/le-scan/2019/01/23/25001-20190123ARTFIG00274-europeennes-une-premiere-liste-gilets-jaunes-conduite-par-ingrid-levavasseur-presentee.php)

There was polling from the day before which had this hypothetical party list polling at 13%, with votes coming from across the board (https://elabe.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/20192301elabebfmtv_les-francais-et-lelection-europeenne.pdf). FN (NR?) would lose 3%, a lot of parties would lose 1% or so.

This is just one poll but this would mean they'd come in third, ahead of what we used to call the "major" parties...

The protests themselves are still happening

French people: Macron is a bit of a shit

Another poll this time talking about what Macron needs to change. 66% say he's not changed since the protests began and 80% want him to change how he expresses himself (i.e. not be so smug?). 73% of his own party's voters agree with the latter.

Also 78% say he should change his economic policy. This all when his approval ratings hover in the 30s

(https://www.lejdd.fr/Politique/sondage-voici-5-choses-quemmanuel-macron-doit-changer-selon-les-francais-3845999)

Salvini says Macron is terrible and don't vote for him

“In France they have a bad government and a bad president of the Republic,” (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/23/italian-deputy-pm-matteo-salvini-calls-on-french-voters-not-to-back-macron)

Di Maio thinks they've been creating poverty in Africa (https://www.euronews.com/2019/01/27/france-s-macron-dismisses-attacks-by-italy-s-matteo-salvini-and-luigi-di-maio).

“France has never stopped colonising tens of African states,” said Di Maio, leader of the populist Five Star Movement. “The EU should sanction France, and all countries like France, that impoverish Africa and make these people leave, because Africans should be in Africa, not at the bottom of the Mediterranean.”

(https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/27/italy-france-refugee-dispute-awakens-dark-colonial-legacy-migration)

Also France and Germany are Officially Friends Again

Phew... without this new treaty I don't know where we'd stand (https://www.eurotopics.net/en/213282/treaty-of-aachen-unifying-or-divisive#)

Vaguely stating that populism is bad is all the rage these days, so I guess they thought they'd get in on the action (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/22/france-and-germany-renew-postwar-vows-of-friendship)

Let's have a town hall

Pictures of Macron and people in sashes is a way to make the public feel heard. I'm not saying it's bad to have a national "listening" tour - but he's pretty clear that this isn't going to affect broad change in policy. Which is the thing the protesters and apparently a lot of the country want (https://www.euronews.com/2019/01/22/macron-s-great-national-debate-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work-euronews-answers)