French far-right fails to win a single region in elections

Definitely more than meets the eye. Protest votes to a certain extent, but major parties withdrawing candidates to not split votes... obviously a real worry to the major parties.
 
Terminal_Boy said:
They threaten the political status quo, so the incumbent parties will join forces to block them.

About as democratic as a NSDAP rally.
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Or, normal voters are so repulsed by them that they'll use their brains and vote tactically to reduce the chances of getting someone into power whose policies they despise, and run the risk of getting someone in power whose polices they merely dislike.

Sounds like a good and intelligent use of the democratic process.
You vote not just for your favourite candidate, but to reduce the risk of getting in someone who you dislike the most.

It possibly says something about exactly how popular the far right movements are (or how intelligent the French voters are), that even in almost perfect circumstances for the likes of the Front National they couldn't get a decent foothold, as the electorate were able to see through them.
Mind you it probably doesn't help the FN that the French remember quite well what it was like to live under a similar party going back a few decades.
 
Werewolf said:
Or, normal voters are so repulsed by them that they'll use their brains and vote tactically to reduce the chances of getting someone into power whose policies they despise, and run the risk of getting someone in power whose polices they merely dislike.

Sounds like a good and intelligent use of the democratic process.
You vote not just for your favourite candidate, but to reduce the risk of getting in someone who you dislike the most.
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That isn't the case though (well partly), removing candidates to spite FN voters is about as cohesive as a wet paper bag.
 
wordy said:
I don't think they have been rejected though. From what I can gather it took both the socialists & republicans forming a coalition to stop the FN getting in.
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They didn't form a coalition. The socialists simply withdrew their candidates, so FN was left to run against the rest of the right wingers. The bottom line is that they lost because they polled very badly against the other right wing parties.

TwsT said:
Was it postal votes that did it?
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Just good old fashioned tactical voting.
 
If it's anything like portugal or Spain or Italy the eu and left government won't permit anyone but pro eu socialist in to power even if they win the election. I think the big mistake is thinking there is a democracy anymore. Plus there is enough immigrants now to actually dictate the deciding vote.
 
Evangelion said:
Marine Le Pen suffers a humiliating defeat in French elections, as voters overwhelmingly reject her extreme fascist party:
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The French have a history of doing this. Le Pen senior seemed to have scored a similar upset a decade or two ago yet was soundly thrashed in the second round.
 
deuse said:
I bet they regret not voting the far-right in.
"France teacher stabbed in class by man shouting 'Islamic State"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35091362

Here we go again.
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So if I were to go out and stab some random person shouting "BNP,. BNP" or "For Christ" does that mean that it would be because:
A: I'm a BNP supporter and the BNP organised or approved it/I'm a Christian and the Church as a whole approves of it.
B: I'm probably a nut who was likely to stab someone anyway and the BNP/bible just gave me some pretext.

What I've found interesting about a lot of these cases is that the people committing the crimes either have a history of mental health issues, previous criminal records, or something similar (and I suspect a few years ago would likely have been doing it in the name of some sporting club, or gang).

Pretty similar really to many of the spree killings in the States, except that most of those killers are very unlikely to claim it's to do with Islam, instead they'll have another reason.
 
Werewolf said:
Pretty similar really to many of the spree killings in the States, except that most of those killers are very unlikely to claim it's to do with Islam, instead they'll have another reason.
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A point I made over the weekend to a friend, when the US has a problem with mass shootings the answer from the right is "more guns", yet when there a 'perceived problem with militant Islam the answer is the complete opposite...ban/shun/avoid Muslims.
 
Tute said:
Also it actually took the top two parties pooling their voters together in order to keep them out. It's hardly the end of the matter at all.
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Indeed, as the years go by they get stronger and stronger, just like UKIP (they've actually gained support since the election)

It'll come to a point where pooling votes won't work either
 
deuse said:
I bet they regret not voting the far-right in.
"France teacher stabbed in class by man shouting 'Islamic State"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35091362

Here we go again.
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You may have forgotten these elections came a few weeks after the Paris attack where 130 innocents died and many more injured and the French people decided to move forward without revenge and hatred in their hearts - a very mature society IMHO.
 
Well done France - intelligent voters once again showing that hope conquers fear!
 
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