Politics
Right-Wing Nationalist Parties Dominate EU Elections
Early exit polls from the European Parliament elections on Sunday show voters punishing ruling leftist parties and throwing unprecedented support behind right-wing nationalist parties, most notably in France, where disastrous results for French President Emmanuel Macron’s coalition forced him to dissolve the National Assembly and call snap elections.
Voting to elect the European Union’s regional lawmakers for the next five-year term ended with the last remaining polls in Italy, as surging far-right parties dealt a body blow to two of the bloc’s most important leaders: French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Official results were anticipated shortly after Italian polling booths closed at 11 p.m., marking the end of a four-day marathon election in 27 EU member countries. The European Union’s early estimate indicated that right-wing nationalist parties had achieved significant gains in the European Parliament.
Marine Le Pen victorious
In France, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party dominated the polls to the point where Macron dissolved the national parliament and called for new elections, posing a significant political risk because his party could suffer further losses, jeopardizing the remainder of his presidential term, which expires in 2027.
Le Pen was delighted to accept the task. “We’re ready to turn the country around, ready to defend the interests of the French, ready to put an end to mass immigration,” she added, repeating the rallying cry of numerous far-right politicians in other countries celebrating significant victories.
Macron recognized the thud of loss. “I’ve heard your message, your concerns, and I won’t leave them unanswered,” he said, adding that calling a quick election only strengthened his democratic credentials.
In Germany, the most populous country in the 27-member bloc, forecasts showed that the AfD would overcome a string of controversies surrounding its top candidate to grow to 16.5%, up from 11% in 2019. In comparison, the combined result of the three parties in Germany’s ruling coalition barely exceeded 30%.
Rise of Right-Wing Nationalists
Scholz’s dismal fate meant that his long-standing Social Democratic party dropped behind the right-wing Alternative for Germany, which soared to second place. “After all the prophecies of doom, after the barrage of the last few weeks, we are the second strongest force,” a joyful AfD leader Alice Weidel exclaimed.
The four-day polls in the 27 EU countries were the world’s second-largest exercise in democracy, trailing only India’s recent election. Finally, the growth of the right-wing nationalists was even more surprising than many analysts projected.
The French National Rally crystallized it, with over 30%, or roughly twice as much as Macron’s pro-European centrist Renew party, which is expected to reach 15%.
Across the EU, two major and pro-European parties, the Christian Democrats and the Socialists, remained dominant. The extreme right’s gains came at the expense of the Greens, who were anticipated to lose approximately 20 seats and drop to sixth place in the legislature. Macron’s pro-business Renew faction also suffered significant losses.
For decades, the European Union, founded on the defeat of Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, relegated the hard right to the political outskirts. With its impressive performance in these elections, the far right might potentially play a significant role in issues ranging from migration to security and climate.
Leftist Parties Decimated
Former EU leader and current Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk defied the trend, defeating Law and Justice, the national conservative party that controlled Poland from 2015 to 2023, and driving it even more to the right. According to one poll, Tusk’s party received 38% of the vote, while his fiercest rival won 34%.
“Of these large, ambitious countries, of the EU leaders, Poland has shown that democracy, honesty and Europe triumph here,” Tusk stated to his backers. “I am so moved.” He said, “We showed that we are a light of hope for Europe.”
Germany, a traditional stronghold for environmentalists, exemplified the Greens’ defeat, with their vote share expected to decline from 20% to 12%. With further defeats predicted in France and elsewhere, the Greens’ defeat might have an impact on the EU’s overall climate change policies, which remain among the most progressive in the world.
The center-right Christian Democratic group of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which had already reduced its green credentials before the polls, prevailed in Germany with over 30%, handily defeating Scholz’s Social Democrats, who slumped to 14%, trailing just the AfD.
“What you have already set as a trend is all the better – strongest force, stable, in difficult times, and by a long distance,” von der Leyen told her German fans via video link from Brussels.
In addition to France, the far right, which concentrated its campaign on migration and crime, was predicted to make substantial gains in Italy, where Premier Giorgia Meloni was expected to consolidate her position.
Return to Nationalism
Voting in Italy proceeded late into the evening, and many of the 27 member states had yet to release forecasts. Nonetheless, previously available data reinforced earlier predictions: the elections will push the bloc to the right, reshaping its destiny. This might make it more difficult for the EU to adopt legislation, and decision-making in the world’s largest trading bloc could become paralyzed at times.
EU legislators, who serve five-year terms in the 720-seat Parliament, have a vote on matters ranging from financial regulations to climate and agriculture policy. They approve the EU budget, which funds objectives such as infrastructure projects, farm subsidies, and aid to Ukraine. They also have a veto over appointments to the powerful European Commission.
These elections come at a critical time for voter confidence in a group of around 450 million people. The coronavirus epidemic, an economic downturn, and an energy crisis fueled by Europe’s largest land dispute since World War II have all shook the EU during the last five years. However, political campaigns frequently focus on topics of significance in specific countries rather than broader European objectives.
Since the last EU election in 2019, populist or ight-wing parties have led governments in three countries: Hungary, Slovakia, and Italy, and they are part of ruling coalitions in Sweden, Finland, and, soon, the Netherlands. Polls show that populists have an advantage in France, Belgium, Austria, and Italy.
“Right is good,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who heads a staunchly nationalist and anti-migrant administration, told reporters after casting his vote. “To go right is always preferable. “Go right!”
Source: AP
Politics
Millennials in Canada Have Turned their Backs on Justin Trudeau
Justine Trudeau and his Liberal Party are currently engaged in a fierce battle for second place against Jagmeet Singh’s socialist NDP, as both parties find themselves trailing by 20 points behind Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.
A recent poll indicates that 38% of Canadians consider Trudeau to be the most ineffective leader the nation has encountered in over fifty years. An impressive 47% of Canadian Millennials indicated they would support Poilievre if an election were to take place today, while nearly half of all Canadians express a desire for an election to be called this year.
Pierre Poilievre’s strong appeal among young voters can be attributed primarily to economic factors: soaring inflation, a pressing cost-of-living crisis, and the challenge of housing affordability are pushing many away from the Liberals, who have held power for nearly nine years.
According to UnHeard, Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau due to his stringent measures aimed at controlling the internet to combat alleged disinformation, as well as his climate change initiatives, notably the carbon tax.
An increasing number of Canadians are becoming aware of Trudeau’s ineffective policies and his approach to mass immigration. This past summer, there was significant outrage among parents of teenagers and young adults as they observed their children remaining at home without jobs.
The primary concern stemmed from the fact that most low-skilled and entry-level positions were being filled by unskilled, temporary foreign workers, predominantly from India.
There has been a notable rise in criminal activities linked to international students and unvetted temporary residents who are becoming involved with Punjabi gangs in Canada, contributing to a surge in auto thefts nationwide.
Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are actively seeking to alter Trudeau’s approach to mass immigration and prioritize the construction of more housing should they come into power.
Significantly, Pierre Poilievre is perceived as more trustworthy than Trudeau, with over half of Canadians characterizing Poilievre as “open and honest about his actions, decisions, and intentions,” while only 39% share that sentiment regarding Trudeau.
The characteristics in question may shed light on Poilievre’s favorable polling, particularly among younger voters and women, who have historically leaned towards the Liberals or the NDP rather than the Conservatives.
The Liberal Party’s support has dwindled to an estimated 7% of Canadians, revealing a significant number of disillusioned voters eager for transformation. Poilievre is emerging as the type of leader that resonates with the desires of many Canadians.
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Politics
U.N. Special Rapporteur Calls on Thailand’s Banks to Cut-Off Myanmar Junta
The U.N special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar has said the Bank of Thailand, commercial banks, and the anti-money laundering office are working on measures to stop the Myanmar Junta from acquiring weapons through Thailand’s banking system.
Tom Andrews the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, said that some banks commercial in Thailand had aided Myanmar Junta’s by facilitating transactions that supplied military equipment to the Junta through the international banking system.
He called on the Bank of Thailand and financial institutions to do more to stop Myanmar’s junta acquiring weapons which they use on civilians to maintain power.
The special rapporteur was in Bangkok to address a parliamentary committee on security, he called on the Thai government to stop financial transactions that help supply weapons to Myanmar’s junta in line with a plan promoted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that sets out an end to violence as a first step toward peace.
In his 2023 report “The Billion Dollar Death Trade,” Andrews noted that Singapore had implemented a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar.
Thailand’s Banks Lacked Clear Policy
As a result, exports of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost U.S. $120 million in fiscal year 2022 to just over $10 million over the next 12 months.
However, he said Thailand had no explicit policy position opposing weapons transfer to the Myanmar Junta, which saw exports from Thai-registered entities more than double in 2023, from just over $60 million to nearly $130 million.
He called on Thai Government to conduct a thorough investigation into transfers as Singapore had done into its companies’ dealings.
Andrews told the the committee that five Thai commercial banks and Thai-based companies were assisting Myanmar’s junta obtain weapons, dual-technology items and jet fuel, enabling Military Junta to conduct atrocities against the people.
But said he had found no evidence that the Thai government was involved or was aware of the transactions or that Thai commercial banks had knowledge.
Banks Condemn Myanmar Junta Violence
Meanwhile representatives from Thailand’s central bank, anti-money laundering office and the commercial banks named in the report were also present at the parliamentary meeting at government house in Bangkok.
A representative of the Bank of Thailand said officials were working with the commercial banks and the anti-money laundering office to make sure that enhanced oversight was properly practiced.
The Thai Bankers Association that was also at the parliamentary meeting said it did not have the means to investigate and monitor such irregularities beyond Thailand’s borders.
Mr. Pongsit Chaichatpornsuk, a Thai Bankers Association representative told the committee that If government security agencies tell us, we will stop transactions. We don’t support arms procurement by Myanmar Junta or any military government to violate human rights.
Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar and hosts many thousands of refugees fleeing conflict there, has tried to promote dialogue between Myanmar’s military rulers and opposition forces but no progress has been made.
This Article was first published in RFA
Politics
People Rushing Sign Online Petition to Impeach South Korea’s President Crash Site
The Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea said in a statement that an online petition calling for South Korea’s President Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment crashed due to the enormous number of individuals attempting to sign the petition. Saying the National Assembly would resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
Since the petition was launch on the National Assembly’s website on June 20, more than 811,000 people have signed it. The petition urges Parliament to introduce legislation to impeach President Yoon on the grounds that he is unfit for office.
Late on June 30, National Assembly Speaker Mr. Woo Won-shik issued an apology for the disturbance and stated that Parliament would take action to protect the public’s fundamental rights.
People attempting to access the petition on July 1 experienced delays of up to four hours. At one point, an error message indicated that more than 30,000 individuals were waiting to access the site.
South Korea’s Parliament Hesitant
The online petition accuses Yoon of corruption, escalating the risk of conflict with North Korea, and endangering South Koreans’ health by failing to prevent Japan from leaking treated radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant.
By law, Parliament must assign every petition signed by more than 50,000 people to a committee, which will then decide whether to put it to a vote in the assembly.
However, the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in Parliament, is hesitant to turn the petition into an impeachment bill, according to media reports, with a spokesperson stating that the party has yet to address the topic.
The Parliament can impeach a president with a two-thirds majority. The Constitutional Court then deliberates the motion and decides whether to remove or reinstall the president.
Meanwhile, on Monday Reuters reported North Korea criticized a joint military exercise performed this month by South Korea, Japan, and the United States, according to official media, saying such drills demonstrate the three nations’ alliance has evolved into “the Asian version of NATO”.
On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale combined military drills named “Freedom Edge” featuring navy destroyers, fighter fighters, and the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, with the goal of strengthening defenses against missiles, submarines, and air strikes.
The drill was designed at a three-way meeting at Camp David last year to boost military cooperation amid concerns on the Korean peninsula caused by North Korea’s weapons testing.
Pyongyang will not overlook the strengthening of a military bloc led by the United States and its allies, and it would respond aggressively and decisively to defend regional peace, according to North Korea’s foreign ministry, as reported by KCNA.
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