A victory for the far right in the French elections could deal a serious blow to climate policy in France, experts have warned, with consequences that could ripple through the European Union and beyond.
The second round of snap polls, whichEmmanuel Macron called after the National Rally (RN) scored big gains in European elections last month, could result in Marine Le Pen’s party securing a majority in the French parliament on Sunday, although nationwide efforts to form a “republican front” may prevent that.
It has has indicated it wants to overturn a 2035 ban on combustion engine cars, block new wind turbines, scrap low-emissions zones and rip up rules on energy efficiency.
But even as RN politicians have relegated the topic of climate action to the sidelines, observers say they will have to reconcile conflicting desires, such as attacking renewables while trying to keep industries competitive, or promoting sovereignty while cutting taxes on fossil fuels, for which France relies on imports.
France has been a vocal champion of EU-wide industrial policies to support clean technologies and Macron has pushed for Europe to build up a green manufacturing base that can hold its own against subsidised competition in the US and China.
If the far right wins, scientists fear it could hurt global climate diplomacy and usher in attacks on science similar to what happened in the US under the former president Donald Trump.
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Its not up to the UK. Its unlikely the EU would let them back in so soon, and if they did the UK would be in a weak bargaining position so they wouldnt get all the opt outs and exemptions they had before. Also EU progressives seek greater integration and the UK was the loudest voice against it. Its a lose lose.
As its been 8 years from the vote and the paperwork still hasnt been figure out, its probably going to be another 20-30 years until things have simmered down enough that people can objectively look back and say it was the worst decision in modern history without people getting all pissy and defensive (most of them will have died of old age). Then they can apply to join again.
Yeah Northern Ireland could basically just vote to join Ireland.
Scottland would have a harder time. As much as i support the idea they would have to leave the UK, develop an economy good enough to meet the joining criteria (might need to create their own currency), then get permission to join from all member states, including the ones with seperatist movements which dont want to be seen as lenient towards seperatist causes.
It is possible as they could likely use the Euro in the mid term (but this would cause their borrowing rates to be higher than if they had their own currency, as they have no control over monetary policy) and maybe the countries with seperatist movements wouldnt care as they're leaving the UK. But its a bit of a gamble..
Yes thats one of the opt outs they would have had before. That being said there is no timeline on it, there are still 6 EU states which dont use the Euro and are supposed to change to it in the future. Only denmark has a permanent opt out.
Be careful what you vote for, that Labour party of yours looks like a bunch of conservatives in disguise. You might end up voting the Tories out of office only to get them back hidden under thin red veneer.
As a European, it seems reasonable to me. I think the UK should let one or two generations pass to assess its true power, influence, and wealth in the world before making any major decisions. Similarly, the EU needs to find its own way, see how far it can go without the UK (and possibly without the tutelage of the USA), and thus determine what concessions it might need to make to the UK in a negotiation and what aspects would be non-negotiable.
I so hope the Tories loose so badly, that the Lib Dems become the largest opposition party. They at least are for rejoing the EU and would argue for it.
I think the main issue I have, and likely many others too, is how strongly it is phrased. If he thinks he'll die in the next 5 or 10 years... fine, I guess? But that's unlikely, and with how things have shifted just in the past 25 years, making a statement like this seems arrogant.
Is that overanalysing a one line answer to a question? Probably, but that's what a politician gets and the effect of modern media.
Not to mention how the population and especially Labour supporters have turned pro-EU so he'll likely alienate that part of his base. Strong stances are seen as better, but I really feel sometimes he should take a softer approach.
Utterly insane take from him. Based on the strength of a single referendum that was likely influenced by a foreign power and carried out by some of the most determinedly incompetent leaders we've seen in a generation, we are to lose free trade, influence abroad, freedom to roam, consumer protections, and countless other benefits, to continue for the lifetime of an as yet unelected PM who has purged his party of anyone to the left of Barack Obama.
It should be enough to know that Russia prefers the current situation. I'd happily ditch the pound on that basis - it's not exactly as if sir Isaac has been running the mint lately.
Eh, why feed Reform or Conservatives any on-the-edge voters at this late an hour by making them fear a vote for Labour is a vote for more Brexit madness.
His statements are full of weasel words too, as have other party member’s statements. It’s not an insane take, just a “I don’t think we will” to avoid arming opponents with something to fearmonger with.
They need a term, and if they can change the perspective on EU membership and see polling supports rejoining (and they’ve the funds to pump into the obscene political advertising it’ll require to not get drowned out by Conservatives like before the referendum), they just might go for it in a second term.
Analysts say the far-right party has benefited from public anger at Macron, whose pro-business reforms have spurred the economy but…
French growth was only 0.9% in 2023, inflation is finally starting to slow down but was violent until recently and therefore purchasing power has collapsed, and unemployment has fallen mainly thanks to write-offs.
The far-right National Rally (RN) has strengthened in final polls, including one suggesting it could be on course for a historic parliamentary majority, as candidates fought for votes on the last day of campaigning before the first-round ballot in France’s most momentous election for decades.
One poll, for Les Echos newspaper, showed RN could win 37% of the national vote, two points more than a week ago, while another, for BFM TV, estimated the far-right party was on course for 260-295 seats – potentially giving it an outright majority.
A hung parliament, with Macron’s forces squeezed between two hostile bigger blocs, would lead to near-certain deadlock, while an RN majority would deliver a fraught cohabitation with a party radically opposed to the president on almost everything.
In a televised debate on Thursday evening, Bardella sought to reassure voters about RN’s foreign policy, saying he would “not let Russian imperialism absorb an allied state like Ukraine”, although he was opposed to sending long-range missiles to Kyiv.
Separately on Thursday, France’s media watchdog, Arcom, warned one of the country’s leading radio stations, Europe 1, over a two-hour elections talkshow presented every morning during the campaign by the controversial host Cyril Hanouna.
Hanouna, whose evening TV show has been fined a total of €7.5m (£6.36m) by Arcom for breaching rules on political balance, recently told listeners the leftist NFP alliance sought “the destruction of the republic, of the country and of our civilisation”.
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Valbuena, 37, is from Cali, which he describes as “the capital of salsa”; he now finds himself in the more sedate surroundings of Campdevànol, a village of 3,200 people in the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenees, as a pioneer in the programme Comunitats Rurals Queer.
With funding from the equality ministry of the Catalan regional government, Valbuena now shares a house in the village with two other Colombian refugees: Edwin Cardenas, 54, a trans man, and his partner Nazareth Moreno, 51, who is a lesbian.
One beneficiary of the Oportunitat500 scheme is Sabiha Kammoush, 50, a refugee from Aleppo, Syria, who for the past two years has been living in Bellaguarda, a tiny village – population 289 – surrounded by olive and almond groves in the Catalan interior, along with three of her six children.
Eunice Romero Rivera, responsible for migration, refugees and antiracism in the Catalan government, agrees: “If you dump 300 people in a village with a small population, and furthermore in a country which is quite racist, it’s hardly surprising that there’s a populist reaction,” she says.
Inspired by Riace, the social cooperative JungiMundu (“unite the world” in the local dialect) set about repopulating Camini, another Calabrian village, which now hosts 118 migrants in a total population of 810.
And in last month’s regional election, Campdevànol voted for Catalonia’s own xenophobic party, Aliança Catalana, whose leader Sílvia Orriols, says, among other things, that “it is impossible for a Muslim to be a Catalan”.
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But a last-minute change of heart by Austria’s Green climate minister, whose vote is credited with saving the proposal, led to fury in Vienna, with the party of the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, announcing it would seek criminal charges against her for alleged abuse of power.
Seeking criminal charges for a democratically elected representative voting in favor of their alleged agenda sounds more fascist than conservative to me. Must be the evolution of language.
All of this is coming to the whole of Europe, with an ageing population and not reformed pension systems, you better start investing now and hope the stock market doesn't go the drain.
Here's a really good analysis of how it's not true the Boomers have all the money - there are lots of very comfortable Millennials too. It's more complicated than people like to think
Anywya, I do my own analysis based on data released by the federal reserve along with bls reports for income distributions. Not some shiti twatter shit post.
there are lots of very comfortable Millennials
Nobody said there werent affluent millenials, who mostly who come from rich families lol
Ah, yes, I had forgotten I should have invested when my rent was 100€ higher than my income.
Like, I mean, it is good advice for some people at the individual level. Specifically, those who can afford it. But an issue of this magnitude requires political, collective solutions.
theguardian.com
Heiß