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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 9, 2022 16:14:18 GMT
I was in Hénin-Beaumont in November. If you ever want to see the opposite of postcard, soft-focus, Amélie-France, go there and the next-door shopping centre of Noyelles. Were you driving through? I can't see it having much to attract a visitor. I've been to the area and I wasn't seized with the urge to return. We were staying nearby to go to the Louvre in Lens. Although I've been there before as I used to go to the local area on occasion for work. The whole area is a little unpromising on first view but a much-overlooked part of France. Lille in particular has great restaurants and nightlife. The coast is beautifully bleak.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 9, 2022 14:32:02 GMT
As I've posted before, my dad and stepmother live in France. My stepmum is a councillor. Their village was divided almost equally last time: the previous mayor became an LREM alternate (or whatever they're called) and there were some prominent local Le Pen fans. The other candidates barely scraped any votes. It is apparently the same this time. Obviously the plural of anecdote isn't data but it will be interesting to see how the rural vote splits: Macron's position on pensions has gone down poorly with a large number of their neighbours. Of course Macron is absolutely right about French pension age (doesn't go far enough IMO, I think the UK has it about right) but his timing was moronic. I'm inclined to agree with all of this post. But I don't like the raising of the age where you can draw from your own private pension.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 9, 2022 11:57:47 GMT
So, what % of the Hungarian people can we now denounce as fascist scum from our ivory towers? Or instead, can some #FBPE Remoaner indicate to me why Brexit was a rejection of tolerant progressive values? There was quite an interesting shift in narrative. How is that Jobbik, who were very obviously fashy, suddenly became an acceptable part of the opposition? Why did British newspapers that decried them a couple of years ago not question their presence on this coalition ticket?
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 8, 2022 18:54:54 GMT
I was in Hénin-Beaumont in November. If you ever want to see the opposite of postcard, soft-focus, Amélie-France, go there and the next-door shopping centre of Noyelles.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 8, 2022 16:33:57 GMT
How the FPTP were distributed by Fidesz and KDNP in - nota bene - 2018: I wondered what that long, obviously gerrymandered constituency was. Then to my embarrassment I realised it is Lake Balaton.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 8, 2022 15:04:57 GMT
In related news, Warsaw has summoned the French ambassador after Macron's comments about the Polish prime minister.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 8, 2022 15:02:58 GMT
The problem is, he thinks there's 100 per cent crossover between his ideas and smart ideas. isn't that true for most people Even more true for Manu.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 8, 2022 14:47:08 GMT
Macron making raising the pension age an issue during the campaign maybe wasn't such a smart idea, who would ever have thought. The problem is, he thinks there's 100 per cent crossover between his ideas and smart ideas.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 8, 2022 11:58:00 GMT
Taubira has endorsed Mélenchon.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 7, 2022 17:59:47 GMT
More comedy news. Members of EELV and Générations (the Hamon lack-of-personality cult) have reported being suspended after calling for fellow party members to vote for Melenchon.
Even when unifying, the French Left manages to splinter!
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 6, 2022 10:23:17 GMT
It could certainly get interesting if he somehow manages to come behind Le Pen in the first round. I know it's highly unlikely and the chatterati are getting a bit overexcited, but it's not impossible if enough of those Zemmour backers switch for the first round on the basis of her success in the polls. Le Point think that MLP will overtake Macron in ten days at this rate. Could it be that the usual LR voters are mulling over breaking for her and not Pécresse?
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 6, 2022 10:22:07 GMT
It doesn't change my opinion. His followers are really what is most closely to cultists in adoration to their Guru. Quite frightening seems like an overreaction to me I think relique is bang on in his description. Interviews with Mélenchonistas are often embarrassing mixes of adulation and parroting his prejudices.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 4, 2022 20:26:40 GMT
We use(d) Lol as well. That's the magic of anglo-saxon cultural imperialism through IT. We have the same references. And we become more and more imbeciles willing to watch royal weddings, talking more about two Hollywood actors exchanging a muscly argument rather than the presidential election. Thank's Whilst the Anglosphere exports a lot of idiocy, France is sadly more than capable of churning out idiots and Z-List dross!
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 4, 2022 18:41:37 GMT
Looked up the entirely Roma village in the south whose population pyramid is cited in the demographics of Hungary page... 94% FIDESZ, 5% opposition alliance. Talk about turkeys voting for Christmas... Orban has an interesting relationship with Roma. There have been past reports alleging Fidesz turning up in Roma villages with food and drink at election time.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Mar 31, 2022 21:40:26 GMT
I'm watching the debate. Roussel seems alright for a commie. Lassalle looks disturbingly like the French rocker Eddy Mitchell. The whole thing is being presented by the wonderful Léa Salamé, occasional foil of Zemmour on telly.
Lassalle is f***ing appalling. I wonder who the hell would think he's the answer.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Mar 31, 2022 14:06:56 GMT
There's a debate tonight between some of the candidates (MLP, JLM, Lassalle, Arthaud, Roussel).
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Mar 29, 2022 22:36:56 GMT
Canton Zürich is rather overshadowed by the city proper but it is a wonderful place. Great scenery, friendly people. Same with neighbouring St Gallen.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Mar 27, 2022 19:31:25 GMT
I think calling your country The Democratic People's Republic of Korea counts as claiming to be a democracy, and the last time I checked China didn't hold any kind of elections (unless you count internal Communist Party elections).
They hold weird quasi-local elections on a village level. They also call their system the "People's Democratic Dictatorship". Which is in direct opposition to liberal democracy, which they call the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, as opposed to the concept of the dictatorship of the proletariat which they claim to officially strive for. Sounds like Knowsley.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Mar 27, 2022 19:12:00 GMT
That looks like an absolute majority to me, even if the FDP is in? If the FDP are in, it could be close. If they are out, it's a majority. Whilst we are all noting that Onkel Erich's home has dumped Die Linke (although watch for the final score for Saar.bunt and at that to Linke), the Union are down 13% here, Tankstelle Toby has really screwed the pooch here. There don't seem to be many English-language articles on this so far, but the Beeb article seems to think this is due to voters not wanting to "rock the boat during a war". Which frankly strikes me as bullshit. Scholz is doing a confident and professional job, and Merkel-AKK-Laschet's legacy is falling to pieces.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Mar 27, 2022 19:08:43 GMT
Perl had a below average swing... and an SPD win by 1.0. I think that's that, 52 town sweep incoming. (edit: ninja'd) However, with 45 towns including Saarbrücken and Saarlouis reporting, the Greens are just barely over 5.0%. May well end up falling below. AfD on 5.6 and surely in, FDP on 4.8, out barring a miracle. SPD majority. How many absolute majorities have there been at Land level, outside the Weißwurst botherers?
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