An assault on democracy ?

elantan

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11949701/AEP-Eurozone-crosses-Rubicon-as-Portugals-anti-euro-Left-banned-from-power.html

Just reading about what's happening in Portugal and wondering what implications it could have on the EU and the UK

We are living in interesting times

Anyone got any opinions ?

Graham_Devon

elantan wrote: »

Anyone got any opinions ?

Yes - get out.

If all of this stuff keeps happening in the name of protecting the EU it's going to lead to exactly what it was setup to avoid.

From the article:

Democracy must take second place to the higher imperative of euro rules and membership.

This needs to be stopped before it gets out of control. It's dangerous, it's wrong, and it's yet another appalling step in the same direction from the might of the EU.

Thrugelmir

Interestingly the right wing Government has managed to successfully impose austerity that has improved the state of Portugal's finances. A left wing anti-austerity Government isn't the answer. Would England be happy to be ruled by a coalition of Labour\SNP\Green|Plaid Cymru.

Sapphire

Yes – leave the EU before it destroys our country as well as countries in mainland Europe.

michaels

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Interestingly the right wing Government has managed to successfully impose austerity that has improved the state of Portugal's finances. A left wing anti-austerity Government isn't the answer. Would England be happy to be ruled by a coalition of Labour\SNP\Green|Plaid Cymru.

If that is what had happened at the GE then I don't see the queen refusing to let them govern. Would you have taken to the streets and pursued civil disobedience if that grouping had a parliamentary majority?

Thrugelmir

michaels wrote: »

If that is what had happened at the GE then I don't see the queen refusing to let them govern. Would you have taken to the streets and pursued civil disobedience if that grouping had a parliamentary majority?

Seems as if Portugal operates differently to the UK. Though the support for the other parties suggests that the EU isn't totally in favour.

I suspect that we'll see more unrest on the streets. As Corbyn and co unfortunately attract more people that are let's say extremists.

antrobus

elantan wrote: »

...Anyone got any opinions ?

Perhaps having an elected head of state isn't necessarily such a good idea?

antrobus

elantan wrote: »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11949701/AEP-Eurozone-crosses-Rubicon-as-Portugals-anti-euro-Left-banned-from-power.html

Just reading about what's happening in Portugal and wondering what implications it could have on the EU and the UK

We are living in interesting times

Anyone got any opinions ?

Of course, it would help if we knew what was happening in Portugal.:)

The Daily Telegraph reported on the recent Portugese election results as follows;

Ruling centre-right coalition wins general election seen as a referendum on its austerity policies, but near-complete results indicate it has lost its absolute majority in parliament

Portugal's austerity government wins re-election
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/portugal/11911562/Portugals-austerity-government-wins-re-election.html

Now we have some journalist from the very same Daily Telegraph telling us that somebody else actually won.

Generali

It sounds like Il Presidente followed the constitution.

Lest we forget, Mr Brown tried to form a minority Government in 2010 despite coming second in the popular vote. Under the British Constitution, such as it is, the sitting PM gets first shot at forming a Government.

Here is another way of looking at the matter:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34611274

I don't think AEP is a commentator on the EU that is unbiased.

antrobus

Generali wrote: »

....Here is another way of looking at the matter:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34611274

Yes, it seems that the PaF (the centre-right coalition) 'won' the election, in the sense that they won more seats than anyone else, but do not have a majority.

The Socialist Party (centre-left) are trying to see if they can do a deal with the Left Bloc (Trotskyists etc) and the Democratic Unity Coalition (a joint venture between the Communist Party and the Greens) as together they would have a majority.

Generali wrote: »

.
I don't think AEP is a commentator on the EU that is unbiased.

It seems that the head of the Socialist Party has said that he will "press ahead with his plans to form a triple-Left coalition"; the Portugese president seems to have decided that until said plans come to fruition, the status quo prevails.

On reflection, I see no Rubicon being crossed.

Generali

antrobus wrote: »

On reflection, I see no Rubicon being crossed.

You are not AEP and I errrrrm, do not claim my five pounds.