Is the West Experiencing a Right-Wing Drift?

I guess Macron’s likeable if you don’t care about Muslims or black people or the poor.

You won't convince me that pandering to racists and the far right really is a positive electorally.

It was fun how he tried to move the press room at the Elysee so journalists couldn’t see who came and went, surely not something that would ever backfire with fascists in power

But what's unfathomable to me is not seeing a difference between Trump and Macron

That's not what was said though.

I'm not French nor a close follower though.

The recently released video clips from 2022 of Macron talking to both Zelenskyy and Putin on the phone have such a weird uncanny valley feeling about them (Putins 'sorry bro I'm at the gym about to play hockey' line?). I feel like I'm being duped by a skit

You won't convince me that pandering to racists and the far right really is a positive electorally.

― man in suit and red tie raising his fist (Tom D.), Thursday, March 14, 2024 10:12 AM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Not "pandering", but hard disagree. If there is one thing that European far-right nationalism has taught us in the last 20 years, it's that you cannot let them occupy the security and immigration terrain alone, because that's exactly where you can (and need) to contain their growth. We can discuss how to best manage it and nobody is saying the French immigration bill was the only option.

If there is one thing that European far-right nationalism has taught us in the last 20 years

If there is one thing that European far-right nationalism has taught us in the last 20 years

If there is one thing that European far-right nationalism has taught us in the last 20 years

If there is one thing that European far-right nationalism has taught us in the last 20 years

Here’s an idea: all the fascists’ ideas are bad, and you do not, in fact, need to hand it to them.

The far right have nothing to say on the subject of security that isn’t “persecute Muslims” and “restrict civil liberties”. Most of them take Russian money and hang out with people who are huge security risks.

The thing about is it strategic vs is it ideological is that it doesn't matter - playing with anti immigration sentiment still moves the overton window and the idea that you could then somehow keep things to acceptable levels (whatever those would be) is delusional.

The only acceptable level to the fascists is none and repatriation of people who’ve been there generations. Let’s just be honest about that.

Yes. Also pandering, and that is exactly the right word, hasn't worked and will never work.

hey if there's one thing the history of fascists in power has taught us it's that they definitely moderate their demands if you accommodate them a little

With the proviso of course that if you actually believe in these policies, it isn't pandering.

the "Is" in this thread title needs moving two places to the right, funnily enough

that's not very funny

Security and foreign policy have always been the go-to for easy gains in electoral points

Citation needed, this strategy appears to be a failure when it's tried. Even the glorious centrist revolutions in the west of the past decades (Blair, Clinton, 2017 Macron) were riding on an economic message first and foremost.

If you're a reactionary/racist voter and have the choice of a gleefully reactionary/racist candidate and a candidate that's open to a little bit of reaction/racism for a treat - what, exactly, is supposed to be the draw of the latter?

you won't convince me it's ideological.

Being open to a little strategic racism is itself ideological.

otm

I don’t think Nah, bozo will be responding, somehow.

Seriously doesn’t matter whether those enacting racist policy do so out of conviction or cynicism, but also the whole “I know they don’t believe it in their secret heart of hearts” bit is — at best — naive credulity masquerading as realpolitik. At worst, well.

Reading this thread with Gustavo Petro's quote from last year on the back of my mind: "Many in Europe have already welcomed Hitler into their homes", something like that

The West has been experiencing a right wing drift since about 1979.

Weird string of physical attacks on various politicians the last few months

(in Germany)

Fico/SMER wins as expected (though exit polls got it wrong, polls in the run in were correct)

Fico shot, "life threatening injuries".

That definitely constitutes a physical attack.

he's taken 4 bullets in the stomach apparently, that's some serious shit.

Finally some good news

Finally something happened

Is there any indication as to what the motivation was or who (if anyone) was behind it? Fico is such a murky guy there could be any number of reasons

unconfirmed reports are that the perpetrator is a 71-year old activist who opposes the government's attempts to impose political control over the public broadcaster?

I saw it was a 71 year old but not what the reason was.

Occam's razor seems applicable here, even though there could be a range of possibilities, it looks very lone wolf

Slovak PM has 'very difficult hours and shits' ahead of him

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/09/eu-elections-far-right-gains-germany-austria-netherlands-exit-polls

The far right is on the rise all over the dang place, sheesh

Left wing and green parties were strong in Scandinavia.

right wing party Vlaams Belang not the biggest in local Flanders elections after all, after leading in the polls for years

I think France is what matters, in terms of impact on the EU. The extreme right did incredibly well. Macron calling legislative elections is an incredible roll of the dice. I think there's an argument that, unlike Sunak who has played a bad hand badly, Macron may have played a bad hand reasonably well. His government was likely to collapse anyway with a vote of no confidence almost inevitable, so he's taken the initiative. The result of this election will be messy, with Reassemblement National almost certainly the largest party but probably not an absolute majority, so will have problems forming govt. Bardella is charismatic but has zero experience in govt, I guess Macron is assuming he'll fuck it up and spoil the pitch for Le Pen in the next presidential election.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/10/belgium-general-election-2024-pm-prime-minister-alexander-de-croo-set-to-resign

A French farce indeed.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/12/les-republicains-party-revolt-leader-eric-ciotti-le-pen-alliance

Yup. Interesting how a lot of the right are imploding, whereas left wing parties have put up a temporary alliance together

These have undoubtedly been the wildest 72 hours in French politics in my lifetime. Pretty incredible stuff.

A 🧵

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 13, 2024

It's quite a gamble, to see if the "centre"-right/right parties in France won't be able to stomach getting in bed with the far-right. Esp given how the right in the US are simply down with winning and have shown willing to bed down with blatant fascism (and were perhaps/probs willing all along)

And phew that is an incredible thread!

my ignorance is showing here but what i dont understand from that thread is where macrons faction sits?

and relative numbers as far as they can be projected

I think they're polling like 15%. They sit wherever Macron tells them to sit.

Yeah, Macron's party is basically just a monument to his ego, zero work done to shore up support beyond that, nothing on offer that makes it stand out.

15% is the EU elections. The last legislative election, at the start of Macron's mandate, his party was at 25% in the first round, beating the left coalition by a hair, far right at 18%. Their margins improved in the second round: 38%, 31% for the left, the far-right dropped to 17%.
The question is how much has really changed and can they reiterate that. I think they can. Sending deputies to the EU is one thing, electing them in your own government is another. The left has not really progressed. The right was and is still nowhere, though maybe their stance against their own president will help them. Bardella is now arguably more popular than MLP, but he's just a face / story. I don't expect more than a minor drift for the right/far right... it can be a stepping stone for 2027 and that's where the bigger uncertainty lies.

nothing on offer that makes it stand out.

― Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 13 June 2024 bookmarkflaglink

They are neither 'hard left' or 'hard right'. Has always sounded like Guardian politics in action.