Emmanuel Macron elected president of France (with 65.1% of the vote) [Update Post #30]

[Gabbar Singh]

The French go to the polls soon. Hopefully Le Pen gets a beating from the electorate.

The French will go to the polls in April and May this year to pick their new president, and the world will be watching to see just how far the "populist wave" has travelled.

After the surprise of Britain's Brexit referendum and the election of Donald Trump as US president, just what kind of politician - and politics - France chooses will be of huge interest to many, not just those inside Europe.

Here's everything you need to know about the battle for the Élysée Palace.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.te...ntial-election-2017-does-work-candidates/amp/

 

[Gabbar Singh]

The latest polling:

https://ig.ft.com/sites/france-election/polls/

 

[Junaids]

The French go to the polls soon. Hopefully Le Pen gets a beating from the electorate.



https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.te...ntial-election-2017-does-work-candidates/amp/

Why do you want Le Pen to lose? This isn't the odious Jean-Marie Le Pen, but his daughter, who is a mainstream politician.

The problem is this. France has the same population as the UK, but 7 million unemployed between the two types of unemployment benefit.

The country finds itself in a situation in which its heavy and light industry is relocating eastwards to the likes of Slovakia, with increasing unemployment as a result.

You could argue that the country should therefore reduce the burden on employers in terms of the social cost of employing people. But that is a complete non-starter as a principle in France: the idea of becoming like the USA or the UK with large numbers of working poor is completely unacceptable to French voters of every persuasion.

We are all familiar with the massive problems in the USA of single mothers working two minimum wage jobs while their kids do no homework and end up with the boys in gangs by the age of 18 and the girls pregnant. In America that is generally simplified to mean there is a flexible and low-coast workforce. In France that is considered to be utterly unacceptable, and to be avoided at all costs.

So France is in a situation in which it has mass unemployment, but 90% of the population would rather pay higher-than-US/UK taxes for those single mothers to be at home on benefits than working two jobs.

So if it's not acceptable to cut social benefits or undergo austerity, what are the options?

EMMANUEL MACRON and FRANCOIS FILLON both effectively mean more of the same.

Permanent 7 million unemployment.

Ongoing movement of jobs out of France and to the likes of Slovakia.

This is considered to be the least radical option, and they are heavily favoured by the markets. But to be honest, Macron or Fillon would just prolong the current malaise.

JEAN-LUC MELENCHON is a hard-left figure. And MARINE LE PEN is a hard-right figure. But to be honest, their policies on the economy and the EU actually converge.

But more than that, their policies are probably the only economically sane and rational ones. And no, that is not a misprint.

You have to accept the following as non-negotiable conditions with the French public:

1. No working poor: the existing minimum wage of US$11 per hour is 50% higher than the US one, and is not on the table for reduction under ANY circumstances.

2. No working of excessive hours: the maximum 35 hour week is generally accepted and the only politically palatable change would be to the Swedish maximum 32 hour week.

3. No further increase in retirement age: currently the minimum retirement age for a full pension is 62, which is gradually being increased, but there is also a non-negotiable MAXIMUM age of 67 before retirement.

These three non-negotiable pillars of French society effectively mean that Macron and Fillon cannot resort to pulling the conventional levers of economic management. It's a no-go zone.

In effect, Le Pen and Melenchon offer different levers to be pulled. They would both end up taking France out of the Euro and out of the EU, and would introduce punitive import taxes.

And to be honest, that's probably the only way that France can live in the style to which it's accustomed.

 

[Junaids]

I should have added that there are other non-negotiable items for the French public.

It's completely unacceptable to the entire electorate - genuinely 100% - to move away from a universal free health service. Or to reduce the standards of care to the levels of the English speaking world.

My father in England and my father-in-law in France both had blocked coronary arteries at the same time, and were lucky to escape having heart attacks.

Both needed coronary bypass surgery. In France it happened the next day. In England it took 6 weeks even in the private sector, for a patient who was himself a practising doctor!

When my father was discharged from hospital in England he was sent home and had outpatient follow-up. When my father-in-law in France was discharged at more or less the same time post-op, he remained on 100% income until he returned to work. And he had a 28 day rehabilitation admission to what was essentially a health farm, and far closer follow-up and supervision of his return to physical activity than a patient with even the top private insurance can access in the English-speaking world.

These social benefits are not negotiable in France.

And neither are "final salary" old age pensions: the idea of a person's retirement income (from an age which rises to 67 in 2023) under ANY circumstances being less than 60% of final income is unthinkable, and for state employees it is set at 75%.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Interesting stuff [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION]

I know Le Pen shouldn't be blamed for her fathers sins however is today's Front National really that different from the one of a decade or two ago or is it all just a clever pr and rebranding exercise? I have my doubts.

 

[USofA]

[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION], excellent posts #3 and #4. Good insight into the French setup and people's basic beliefs. It is a 180 on what we believe in the US.

What is surprising is that all this free stuff and pensions are accomplished with a lower top tax bracket. At least that is what my quick googling says. Perhaps the population being 1/5th of the US is the reason.

 

[Junaids]

Interesting stuff [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION]

I know Le Pen shouldn't be blamed for her fathers sins however is today's Front National really that different from the one of a decade or two ago or is it all just a clever pr and rebranding exercise? I have my doubts.

Very good question.

I accept that Marine Le Pen is not a racist in the way her father was and still is. She is a trained lawyer and by all accounts quite a nice lady.

But if she is eliminated in Sunday's first round she will lose the party leadership to her niece Marion Marechal-Le-Pen. And she worships her grandpa, and is an absolute bigot of the first order. She started law at university too, and was incapable of finishing it.

The National Front has a hardcore 10% of the population who are true deplorables, as Hillary Clinton put it. But under Marine Le Pen they have targeted what in England would be seen as Labour voters from the working class, and "Essex Man" - the right-wing, small businessman types who don't like the EU.

And they have got up to 23% support because:

1. The streets of each city are full of Romanian beggars who steal from the public.

2. Industry has moved to the new EU countries of the east.

3. There are 6 million Arabs, and in places like Paris and Marseille that is probably such a large minority as to make other residents feel as if their country has been taken over.

It doesn't help that Macron is just a handsome and insubstantial lightweight who has no party behind him.

Or that Fillon is so obviously corrupt.

It's the most fascinating election in the world for decades.

Unfortunately, if Fillon or Macron win, and the status quo persists, the National Front will smash the Republicans and Socialists to smithereens in the parliamentary elections which follow shortly afterwards.

So it's a real Lose-Lose election.

Of course as a Briton, I hope that Melenchon or Le Pen wins, so that the EU collapses and Brexit causes less damage to us.

 

[Junaids]

[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION], excellent posts #3 and #4. Good insight into the French setup and people's basic beliefs. It is a 180 on what we believe in the US.

What is surprising is that all this free stuff and pensions are accomplished with a lower top tax bracket. At least that is what my quick googling says. Perhaps the population being 1/5th of the US is the reason.

Don't forget that France also has a VAT (sales tax) which is included in all prices on display, but is set at 20%.

That's a huge tax! And it's a tax on the wealthy - the more you spend, the more you pay!

 

[Slog]

who cares about france?
they'll have the white flags out whenever they are under the pump regardless of who is leader

 

[USofA]

Don't forget that France also has a VAT (sales tax) which is included in all prices on display, but is set at 20%.

That's a huge tax! And it's a tax on the wealthy - the more you spend, the more you pay!

20%!! I can never digest that. That is just ridiculous. I have issues with the 8% I pay here.

 

[SandyB]

Fascinating how France as a society is ready to pay higher taxes to enable universal healthcare and such benefits. Shows how mature the social thinking is of that nation. !

Compare that to countries like India where almost 98% pay NO TAXES and still complain about the government not doing enough (actually for the taxes we pay, the govt actually gives a truckload of subsidies and benefits)

 

[Junaids]

In France, 57% of GDP is government spending, of which 1.5% is defence.

In the USA, only 42% of GDP is government expenditure, of which 3.3% is defence.

The two countries have diametrically opposed ideas of what the duties of government are.

 

[USofA]

In France, 57% of GDP is government spending, of which 1.5% is defence.

In the USA, only 42% of GDP is government expenditure, of which 3.3% is defence.

The two countries have diametrically opposed ideas of what the duties of government are.

Even that is too much for most people. One thing that most agree on is that they want govt. out of people's lives. Minimal govt. interference.

 

[Junaids]

Even that is too much for most people. One thing that most agree on is that they want govt. out of people's lives. Minimal govt. interference.

I'm actually closer to the French on this issue - even though my politics are centre-right.

Here in Australia we dodged a recession bullet by state and federal governments increasing borrowing and spending.

And we have no rust belt because cities like Newcastle enjoy massive government spending and employment.

I think in western countries the ideal is for government spending to be around 45-50% of GDP. I'm British, and centre-right politicians across Europe adhere to this.

Norway's government spends $41,000 per citizen each year. Sweden's spends $27,000. The USA spends $11,000!

I resent paying for private health insurance in Australia - and I pay US$600 per month for my family - when what I receive is vastly inferior to what Swedes or Norwegians get from their government.

It's interesting that Americans demand less government spending, but end up spending almost twice as much of their GDP on privately buying much, much worse healthcare.

 

[JaDed]

Fascinating how France as a society is ready to pay higher taxes to enable universal healthcare and such benefits. Shows how mature the social thinking is of that nation. !

Compare that to countries like India where almost 98% pay NO TAXES and still complain about the government not doing enough (actually for the taxes we pay, the govt actually gives a truckload of subsidies and benefits)

You are right but one needs to see the efficiency of most Govn employees that our taxes actually go to waste,I'm a salaried employee so tax cuts for me at the source but the GOVN and politicians still bank on businessmen,farmers and other such people for vote,no one asks or gives anything to a salaried employee from no proper-transport to terrible roads,the ones paying tax India are usually the worst hit and frustrated.

Not to forget the number of scams and freebies that the state Govns give with the tax payers money is heartbreaking to say the least.

 

[JaDed]

The Americans seem to portray Le Pen as some far right bigots who wants closer ties with Russia and even a moderate version of her is dangerous for EU.

The propaganda pieces are working overtime but the terror attack would probably be in her favor although too close to the election.

 

[Varun]

who cares about france?
they'll have the white flags out whenever they are under the pump regardless of who is leader

I wonder when this France = White Flag cliche came about. World War II I presume?

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Looks like it's Macron and Le Pen into round 2. Supporters of all the other losing candidates will more than likely now pledge their support to Macron.

 

[Donal Cozzie]

I wonder when this France = White Flag cliche came about. World War II I presume?

Basically. After Germany began attacking in WW2 France's military strategy was basically completely awful and they were absolutely steamrolled with the result being the German's strolled into an undefended Paris. (If you want specifics the French strategy revolved around defending the Maginot Line, which was a huge fortified wall between the French and German border where fighting took place in WW1. Germany simply invaded through Belgium and avoided the whole thing completely lol. Basically skipped the entire French army) France surrendured to Germany a mere month after the conflict between the two began. Since then the Americans built up this whole narrative of the cowardly French being saved by our US heroes and its stuck.

 

[Junaids]

Basically. After Germany began attacking in WW2 France's military strategy was basically completely awful and they were absolutely steamrolled with the result being the German's strolled into an undefended Paris. (If you want specifics the French strategy revolved around defending the Maginot Line, which was a huge fortified wall between the French and German border where fighting took place in WW1. Germany simply invaded through Belgium and avoided the whole thing completely lol. Basically skipped the entire French army) France surrendured to Germany a mere month after the conflict between the two began. Since then the Americans built up this whole narrative of the cowardly French being saved by our US heroes and its stuck.

Cricket's equivalent of the Maginot Line is basically

4 Younis Khan
5 Misbah-ul-Haq

In the last five years in Tests outside Asia, they have batted in 21 innings.

And they have not put together even 1 100 or even 50 partnership.

That's the Maginot Line. Looks strong on paper, completely useless in the real world!

 

[Syed1]

I wonder when this France = White Flag cliche came about. World War II I presume?

Took Germany less than two weeks to take over all of France

 

[Junaids]

Took Germany less than two weeks to take over all of France

Sure, but what about the context?

America was busy, washing its hair.

The USSR was busy, invading Eastern Poland (which under the terms of the treaty between the UK and Poland should have automatically put the UK and the British Empire at war with the USSR.)

The UK arguably did even worse than France: The British Expeditionary Force had to be evacuated TWICE, at Dunkirk and in Operation Ariel.

We British like to make fun of the French. But we suffered a total rout too in the Battle of France. We only survived because we are an island and Hitler turned his attention to the USSR, because their weather conditions meant that he could only attack in Spring (to avoid getting bogged down in winter).

So Hitler was already too late to invade the USSR by the end of the Battle of France in late June 1940.

Which meant that next year he had to attack the USSR early in the year, not the UK. And he stupidly left his attack two months too late, and lost the war.

We British didn't actually do that much against him. He sacrificed his best troops in the USSR, and then the USA entered the war and smashed his remaining forces to pieces.

 

[GBK_Fan]

Sure, but what about the context?

America was busy, washing its hair.

The USSR was busy, invading Eastern Poland (which under the terms of the treaty between the UK and Poland should have automatically put the UK and the British Empire at war with the USSR.)

The UK arguably did even worse than France: The British Expeditionary Force had to be evacuated TWICE, at Dunkirk and in Operation Ariel.

We British like to make fun of the French. But we suffered a total rout too in the Battle of France. We only survived because we are an island and Hitler turned his attention to the USSR, because their weather conditions meant that he could only attack in Spring (to avoid getting bogged down in winter).

So Hitler was already too late to invade the USSR by the end of the Battle of France in late June 1940.

Which meant that next year he had to attack the USSR early in the year, not the UK. And he stupidly left his attack two months too late, and lost the war.

We British didn't actually do that much against him. He sacrificed his best troops in the USSR, and then the USA entered the war and smashed his remaining forces to pieces.

True. There was no ground invasion of England. It meant the British forces never had to face the German armoured brigade (on UK soil). Much of the credit for the victory should go to the USSR, they faced the brunt of Barborosa, survived and managed to hit back.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Not sure how someone set up thheir own party and managed to become president elect within a year or two

What were seeing across the world is the rise of dictator one party countries who are right on business and 'youth' but left wing in the sense of being libertarians
They all pretty much advocate free trade and have monopolised most of their countries economics
This pretty much means most the policies are down to the vision of one 'strong' leader who manipulate public opinion through the presence of terrorist bombs and their ruthless ambition to see the recession subside and begin to pick up again and stop the economics of the next gen receding


Previously we had a tourist boom nationally in a lot of countries and the Burkini beach melodrama added to the commotion as did the Tunisian shootings
The next move seems to more dictator like presidents who through strong will and weak opposition and night of the long knives type purges prop up their countries without any 'internal conflicts'
Basically 2017 is the year the European spring died

Long rant over
The son of two doctors seems to have a strong will to succeed , he is very young and married to someone 25 years older which should help Macron
I'm sure Macron will unite his country

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

Very good question.

I accept that Marine Le Pen is not a racist in the way her father was and still is. She is a trained lawyer and by all accounts quite a nice lady.

But if she is eliminated in Sunday's first round she will lose the party leadership to her niece Marion Marechal-Le-Pen. And she worships her grandpa, and is an absolute bigot of the first order. She started law at university too, and was incapable of finishing it.

The National Front has a hardcore 10% of the population who are true deplorables, as Hillary Clinton put it. But under Marine Le Pen they have targeted what in England would be seen as Labour voters from the working class, and "Essex Man" - the right-wing, small businessman types who don't like the EU.

And they have got up to 23% support because:

1. The streets of each city are full of Romanian beggars who steal from the public.

2. Industry has moved to the new EU countries of the east.

3. There are 6 million Arabs, and in places like Paris and Marseille that is probably such a large minority as to make other residents feel as if their country has been taken over.

It doesn't help that Macron is just a handsome and insubstantial lightweight who has no party behind him.

Or that Fillon is so obviously corrupt.

It's the most fascinating election in the world for decades.

Unfortunately, if Fillon or Macron win, and the status quo persists, the National Front will smash the Republicans and Socialists to smithereens in the parliamentary elections which follow shortly afterwards.

So it's a real Lose-Lose election.

Of course as a Briton, I hope that Melenchon or Le Pen wins, so that the EU collapses and Brexit causes less damage to us.

Very informative post for people like me who don know much about french politics.Thanks for taking the time out and posting .

 

[SandyB]

You are right but one needs to see the efficiency of most Govn employees that our taxes actually go to waste,I'm a salaried employee so tax cuts for me at the source but the GOVN and politicians still bank on businessmen,farmers and other such people for vote,no one asks or gives anything to a salaried employee from no proper-transport to terrible roads,the ones paying tax India are usually the worst hit and frustrated.

Not to forget the number of scams and freebies that the state Govns give with the tax payers money is heartbreaking to say the least.

That's what I meant too. The 2% or so who pay taxes get NOTHING while the ones that don't keep demanding more and more, and the government keeps pandering to them with unnecessary/unsustainable freebies, without actually creating any progress.

 

[santos11]

French Election Results to be declared in a few hours

Macron v/s LePen

Macron takes this one according to most experts.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

"Emmanuel Macron has beaten Marine Le Pen in Sunday's French election and taken more than 60 per cent of the vote, according to several early exit polls. "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...ive-marine-le-pen-emmanuel-macron-presidency/

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&#55357;&#56628; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash">#BREAKING</a> - Emmanuel <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Macron?src=hash">#Macron</a> elected president of France (with 65.1% of the vote) <a href="https://t.co/4Vod8NNBm4">pic.twitter.com/4Vod8NNBm4</a></p>— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/France24_en/status/861279279996391426">May 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Robert]

Vive Macron! Liberalism is not dead.

 

[Cracket]

He's a right wing Modi fanatic, what did you expect?

Nice to see the French rejected fascism.

Minor question. Do Muslims who hate "right wing" politics in western countries also support the same liberal agendas in their own countries (i.e. Pakistan) as well as Saudi Arabia/Gulf States? I mean if people are going to be angry with Le Pen being a right wing fascist then their blood must boil with Monarchs running nations in 2017.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Minor question. Do Muslims who hate "right wing" politics in western countries also support the same liberal agendas in their own countries (i.e. Pakistan) as well as Saudi Arabia/Gulf States? I mean if people are going to be angry with Le Pen being a right wing fascist then their blood must boil with Monarchs running nations in 2017.

I can't speak for all Muslims of course but I have the same feelings towards Al-Saud. As you know it's the only country named after a family, installed by a foreign power and to this day supported by foreign powers. It's a dictatorship in essence. In larger terms other Gulf royal families may not be as regimental as the Saudi's and some as in the UAE have transformed their land into a modern and in some terms liberal place. But they are the lower branches of the Gulf family tree which is led by the Saudi's.

 

[James]

Congratulations to Macron. Things can only get better after the dismal Hollande, and what's more Macron has the youth and therefore potentially the time to stimulate some really positive changes. I visited Paris last year, and the place itself was beautiful, but there were not many people I saw who looked genuinely happy.

As for Le Pen. Good for almost everyone that she did not get elected. So I don't want to take away the celebratory atmosphere here... not too much anyway - but 35% of the vote in a supremely developed, global-leading country like France for a GENUINE far-right candidate is quite worrying; remember this is not The Donald and his phoney outrage / alt-rightism & fake news; this is not Essex bricklayers and South Yorkshire factory staff voting for Brexit - Marine has serious, radical right-wing views and leads a party that was originally based on Nazi ideas. And, even in defeat, they are not disappearing anywhere fast.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Congratulations to Macron. Things can only get better after the dismal Hollande, and what's more Macron has the youth and therefore potentially the time to stimulate some really positive changes. I visited Paris last year, and the place itself was beautiful, but there were not many people I saw who looked genuinely happy.

As for Le Pen. Good for almost everyone that she did not get elected. So I don't want to take away the celebratory atmosphere here... not too much anyway - but 35% of the vote in a supremely developed, global-leading country like France for a GENUINE far-right candidate is quite worrying; remember this is not The Donald and his phoney outrage / alt-rightism & fake news; this is not Essex bricklayers and South Yorkshire factory staff voting for Brexit - Marine has serious, radical right-wing views and leads a party that was originally based on Nazi ideas. And, even in defeat, they are not disappearing anywhere fast.

Let's put it into context though James. Tsb 35% of a vote in rather unique circumstances. France has seen some of the worst terror attacks that have been committed in the western world, has a large deprived immigrant community that don't feel part of the mix and appear as are threat to the indigenous community and there is a surge of anti EU feeling across the continent post Brexit inspiring a frustrated working class that have been left behind.

Despite this all these potentially dangerous ingredients being thrown in the mix France has overall demonstrated that it rejects far right politics. Hopefully ( fingers crossed) the situation with regards to terrorism never reaches the level it has over the past few years and hopefully the Syrian crisis is controlled so that there is a reduction in the refugees seeking entry to Europe. If these things (again hopefuly) happen I think this was the best chance the Front National have had in a long time and they have blown it.

 

[Robert]

Congratulations to Macron. Things can only get better after the dismal Hollande, and what's more Macron has the youth and therefore potentially the time to stimulate some really positive changes. I visited Paris last year, and the place itself was beautiful, but there were not many people I saw who looked genuinely happy.

As for Le Pen. Good for almost everyone that she did not get elected. So I don't want to take away the celebratory atmosphere here... not too much anyway - but 35% of the vote in a supremely developed, global-leading country like France for a GENUINE far-right candidate is quite worrying; remember this is not The Donald and his phoney outrage / alt-rightism & fake news; this is not Essex bricklayers and South Yorkshire factory staff voting for Brexit - Marine has serious, radical right-wing views and leads a party that was originally based on Nazi ideas. And, even in defeat, they are not disappearing anywhere fast.

It's the 2008 effect. People are angry because of financial hardship, so the badness in them comes out.

 

[Junaids]

Congratulations to Macron. Things can only get better after the dismal Hollande, and what's more Macron has the youth and therefore potentially the time to stimulate some really positive changes. I visited Paris last year, and the place itself was beautiful, but there were not many people I saw who looked genuinely happy.

As for Le Pen. Good for almost everyone that she did not get elected. So I don't want to take away the celebratory atmosphere here... not too much anyway - but 35% of the vote in a supremely developed, global-leading country like France for a GENUINE far-right candidate is quite worrying; remember this is not The Donald and his phoney outrage / alt-rightism & fake news; this is not Essex bricklayers and South Yorkshire factory staff voting for Brexit - Marine has serious, radical right-wing views and leads a party that was originally based on Nazi ideas. And, even in defeat, they are not disappearing anywhere fast.

You do understand that Macron was Hollande's Finance Minister?

The whole election has effectively been a coup d'etat by the ruling establishment.

Every French president in modern times has been a graduate of the Ecole National d'Administration, a kind of super-university. So was Dominique Strauss-Kahn, whose private life delivered his presidency to Hollande.

We have seen the Socialist Party become a toxic brand because unemployment is so high, and so they just rebadged Macron as an imaginary independent candidate.

In effect, the socialist presidency now continues, but the party will suffer a Corbin-esque wipeout at the forthcoming parliamentary election which will make Macron a lame duck.

What is terrifying is that while Le Pen is economically illiterate, Macron is actually worse. He's responsible for the current state of the economy and his solution to everything is "More Europe".

He is a handsome, sober version of Jean Claude Juncker.

France is in deep trouble now.

And so are we British. We will now get a terrible deal offered for Brexit, a deal that will force Mrs May to choose No Deal.

We really need to take advantage of Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau's current trade dispute. They are renegotiating NAFTA, and we need to join a renamed North Atlantic Free Trade Association.

We'll get nowt from Juncker, Merkel and Macron. Nowt.

 

[kabbirann]

As someone who loathes the rightwing(their myopic lack of intelligence as evident in this thread is what makes them so contemptible) and loves most things French, this makes me happy.
Love how unapologetic Macron is about being a globalist.

 

[Major]

And these are the supposed 'secular' loving Indians, its easier to see through their facade of the secular bakwaas with posts like these.

You personally know I am not religious, but I hate bigotry and anyone who supports racist, white-superamacists with views of Hitler, is an absolutely disgusting individual.

To be honest, now adays liberals in pakistan are called desi liberals and made fun of all the time

 

[QazzarFan]

French voters despite so many terrorist attacks chose to not vote far right...a lesson to American white evangelical Christian voters.

 

[Robert]

I wonder when this France = White Flag cliche came about. World War II I presume?

1. Petain's premature surrender to Germany in 1940. The French army was huge, could have regrouped in Vichy with aggressive leadership and taken Paris back. Petain is considered a traitor by many French.

2. Surrender at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.

3. Mitterrand's refusal to allow USAF bombers to overfly French soil on route to bombing Tripoli in 1986.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

As someone who loathes the rightwing(their myopic lack of intelligence as evident in this thread is what makes them so contemptible) and loves most things French, this makes me happy.
Love how unapologetic Macron is about being a globalist.

It just makes it seem even more small minded on our part that we voted out of the EU, especially now that the scaremongers like the UKIP have more or less been wiped out. But at least the tabloids will have had good sales for the last few years.

 

[Robert]

It just makes it seem even more small minded on our part that we voted out of the EU, especially now that the scaremongers like the UKIP have more or less been wiped out. But at least the tabloids will have had good sales for the last few years.

The domino effect predicted by the Brextremists has failed. Netherlands, Austria, France all vote for pro-EU representatives.

So that will make it worse for us.....

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Macron's approval rating hits all time low; it has fallen faster than any other French president except Hollande. The honeymoon didn't last long.

 

[Napa]

1. Petain's premature surrender to Germany in 1940. The French army was huge, could have regrouped in Vichy with aggressive leadership and taken Paris back. Petain is considered a traitor by many French.

It was actually a devious trick by Petain to defeat Hitler without French casualties. He knew that the illusion of an easy victory over France would lead to overreach by Hitler, and he did by attacking the Soviet Union without first finishing the war in the West.

 

[James]

Macron's approval rating hits all time low; it has fallen faster than any other French president except Hollande. The honeymoon didn't last long.

Interesting graphic. Every one of them has lost popularity rapidly and significantly. The French seem to really hate the idea of a person being in charge of them. Still recovering from their French Revolution hangover.

 

[Firebat]

French President Emmanuel Macron slapped during crowd walkabout

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 125.000%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/ivzcr5" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[Zaz]

French President Emmanuel Macron slapped during crowd walkabout

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 125.000%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/ivzcr5" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

That was a solid slap Him and his security were obviously aslp This couldve been much much more serious