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Brexit

How do Remainers feel about Austria voting a Right Wing party in?

43 replies

Sausagenbacon · 30/09/2024 08:02

Not a wind up, I'm genuinely interested.
When Brexit happened I remember people saying that the UK would turn to the Right.
But, here we are, with a Labour government (albeit very central) and EU states going further to the Right with each election.
Do Remainers feel they got that particular prophecy wrong?

OP posts:
hillroad · 30/09/2024 08:03

pretty indifferent truth be told

BishyBarnyBee · 30/09/2024 08:05

I literally don't remember anyone predicting that.

We predicted the economy would suffer, travel to Europe would become harder and we would have labour shortages in lower paid jobs. That pretty much all happened.

Still waiting for the fantastic benefits the leavers predicted.

stayathomegardener · 30/09/2024 08:11

That wasn't something that concerned me as a remainer, this was my personal list.

  1. Above everything I liked the restrictions placed on us via the EU regarding the use of toxic chemicals in farming.
  2. I was grateful for the EU farming subsidies.
  3. I appreciated the ability to travel without restrictions.
  4. I understood the value of EU students to our universities.
  5. I should have fully understood the implications regarding export of goods and import tax, selfishly I didn't think that would affect me, newsflash it does.
ImNunTheWiser · 30/09/2024 08:11

Tbf, despite him being an utter twonk, I don’t think the likes of Farage are right wing in the way that some of the European extreme parties are right wing. I don’t believe him to be an actual Nazi, unlike the FPO.

CaptainCarrotsBigSword · 30/09/2024 08:12

It's an interesting question OP. I think Brexit was often simplified into a left (remain) Vs right (leave) dichotomy when actually we know a huge amount of traditional working class labour voters did vote to leave, and lots of middle class left wing (Mumsnet style!) voters voted for remain.

It could be argued that the push to the right is happening across the western world, but the symptoms are different. If you see it as not a particular interest in right wing politics but more as a backlash against the perceived social and political norms of the last 15-20 years, then you could argue that Brexit was our pushback, and having done that we've got it out of our system, whereas for countries within the EU the election of a right wing government is fulfilling the same function.

Sausagenbacon · 30/09/2024 08:16

s, then you could argue that Brexit was our pushback, and having done that we've got it out of our system, whereas for countries within the EU the election of a right wing government is fulfilling the same function.
Larry Elliott argued the same in the Guardian a few years ago, and I believe that's the nub of the issue.

OP posts:
MerrittMonaco · 30/09/2024 08:16

We predicted the economy would suffer, travel to Europe would become harder and we would have labour shortages in lower paid jobs. That pretty much all happened.

Exactly.

I'm concerned about the move to the Right in Europe, the US and the UK.

Every country needs to look at their immigration policies because, regardless of what I or other Remainers think, the people are not happy.

EasternStandard · 30/09/2024 08:20

I think Brexit was a push back in the same way other countries are experiencing but slightly different as a referendum

I don’t think that’s it though for pressure, although the electoral system here is different which might mean very shallow majority if Reform keeps gaining

twomanyfrogsinabox · 30/09/2024 08:28

I don't know why the left is thought of as soft on immigration if you look at Eastern Europe immigrants are very much unwanted and badly discriminated against if they do manage to get in.

I find the rise of the right wing in Europe disturbing as with the polarisation due to religion as well. Divides seem to be getting bigger in all areas of society world wide. Look at the US elections, that is likely to end in tears one way or another.

I never thought Brexit was a left or right agenda more a personal statement. Do you want to be a small part of an ever increasing EU and be more subject to EU rather than UK law or do you want the UK to be more independent of the EU with all the problems that brings. If the extreme right wing take over the government of the EU perhaps we did make the right decision.

IItisymoi · 01/10/2024 10:56

The rise of Right leaning politics is a reflection on many things but it remains down to the right wing leaders to put forward POLICIES that could actually WORK some of which will fall foul of their own constitutions and the more centrist parties of the EU. NONE are really proposing to go 'full Nazi' and past misdemeanours of some of the rar right parties will catch them out when fully investigated. Certainly 'interesting times' but then the war in Ukraine, Parts of Africa and other places will also add to the complicated mix of changes in the coming months and years but certaimnly as Brexit has isolated the UK from the EU countries it swill feel the chill of not having support from Europe and certainly no other country or trade block will welcome the UK until the UK complies with the conditions of world trade. The UK is in for a rough ride ahead.

GlobeTrotter2000 · 02/10/2024 08:48

Countries around the World are realizing the danger of open borders. EU members who are moving to the right include:

Austria
France
Germany
Italy
Finland
Slovakia
Hungary
Croatia
Czech Republic

Link is:

Mapped: Europe’s rapidly rising right – POLITICO

Countries such as; Iceland, Norway and Switzerland have stated they will never join the EU. All three have lower unemployment, higher wealth and higher incomes that any of the EU members.

Switzerland

Why Switzerland doesn’t want to join the European Union - SWI swissinfo.ch

From an economic perspective too, membership is no longer that appealing. Since the EU expanded eastwards, joining is less attractive for a country like Switzerland, Wasserfallen says. That is also true for countries like Denmark or Sweden, he adds. “It’s possible that one or two other EU countries wouldn’t join today.”

Norway

The story behind why Norway is not in the EU - Planet Norway

  • Membership would threaten Norwegian self-supremacy
  • Membership would result in more bureaucracy.
  • Membership would increase economic interests that would weaken Norwegian cultural distinctiveness.
  • Membership would strengthen economic interests that would weaken labour rights and result in predatory/non-sustainable use of natural resources.
  • The EU largely favours larger, rich countries and fails to even out economic differences between member states.
  • Norway should not join a union that has an out-of-area clause that enables it to make military actions outside its member states (A clause that has later been adopted by NATO but wasn’t at the time).
  • EU was a less democratic organisation than the individual member states.

Iceland

Mapped: Europe’s rapidly rising right

Hard-right forces are gaining ground ahead of next month’s European Parliament election.

https://www.politico.eu/article/mapped-europe-far-right-government-power-politics-eu-italy-finalnd-hungary-parties-elections-polling/

IItisymoi · 02/10/2024 10:32

Yet more false equivalence and general drivel from Globe.
My toaster does not have 'artificial intelligence' and as such is infinitely more user friendly than Globe.

EarthlyNightshade · 02/10/2024 10:42

The FPO got 29% of the vote, not exactly a landslide.
Reform got 14% here and presumably some of the Tory support is far right. I feel the UK is a more right wing place than it was ten years ago but I am heartened that the centre and left still have support as well.

I didn't vote remain to stop the country going to the right, that did not even make my top ten reasons why I wanted to remain.

EasternStandard · 02/10/2024 10:44

EarthlyNightshade · 02/10/2024 10:42

The FPO got 29% of the vote, not exactly a landslide.
Reform got 14% here and presumably some of the Tory support is far right. I feel the UK is a more right wing place than it was ten years ago but I am heartened that the centre and left still have support as well.

I didn't vote remain to stop the country going to the right, that did not even make my top ten reasons why I wanted to remain.

The FPO got 29% of the vote, not exactly a landslide.

What was Labour’s percentage of the vote for a landslide?

EarthlyNightshade · 02/10/2024 10:51

EasternStandard · 02/10/2024 10:44

The FPO got 29% of the vote, not exactly a landslide.

What was Labour’s percentage of the vote for a landslide?

Our electoral system is different, it's judged by the number of seats won rather than raw percentage. Labour had enough seats to form a government whereas Austria is now trying (unsuccessfully so far) to form a coalition.

The point you make though shows how this country has not really taken a lurch to the left and the right is very much rising here as it is in parts of Europe.

LaerealSilverhand · 02/10/2024 10:57

EasternStandard · 02/10/2024 10:44

The FPO got 29% of the vote, not exactly a landslide.

What was Labour’s percentage of the vote for a landslide?

33% but the UK has FPTP so it's irrelevant as Austria uses proportional representation. Even though the FPO are the largest party, it's unlikely they will be able to form a government, and if they do manage to do so they will be severely hamstrung by whichever coalition partner they work with (likely the OVP).

All the Brexiteers were rubbing their hands with glee when Geert Wilders' PVV "won" the Dutch national elections, because they don't understand proportional representation.

EasternStandard · 02/10/2024 10:58

It’s interesting to see ‘hardly a landslide’ for that percentage but not the current gov

Regardless of electoral systems

It shows the angle people come at numbers

EasternStandard · 02/10/2024 11:01

On your other point @EarthlyNightshade we might see a rise here but increasingly shallow majority due to split

Although I can’t see larger chunks of the electorate disenfranchised due to either system working out that well

LaerealSilverhand · 02/10/2024 11:02

EasternStandard · 02/10/2024 10:58

It’s interesting to see ‘hardly a landslide’ for that percentage but not the current gov

Regardless of electoral systems

It shows the angle people come at numbers

The Labour government "won by a landslide" because they won a large majority of seats. If we had PR, as Austria does, they would have been the largest party but would not have won by a landslide and would be looking to form a coalition with the Libdems and SNP. It's really not difficult to understand. In a multiparty PR system, absolute majorities and "landslides" are vanishingly rare.

AnneLovesGilbert · 02/10/2024 11:03

Nearly all governments who were in power during covid have been kicked out at the first opportunity.

nearlylovemyusername · 02/10/2024 11:04

BishyBarnyBee · 30/09/2024 08:05

I literally don't remember anyone predicting that.

We predicted the economy would suffer, travel to Europe would become harder and we would have labour shortages in lower paid jobs. That pretty much all happened.

Still waiting for the fantastic benefits the leavers predicted.

This

EasternStandard · 02/10/2024 11:05

LaerealSilverhand · 02/10/2024 11:02

The Labour government "won by a landslide" because they won a large majority of seats. If we had PR, as Austria does, they would have been the largest party but would not have won by a landslide and would be looking to form a coalition with the Libdems and SNP. It's really not difficult to understand. In a multiparty PR system, absolute majorities and "landslides" are vanishingly rare.

I haven’t indicated it’s ‘difficult to understand’

I am commenting on how people relate to percentages based on feeling

nearlylovemyusername · 02/10/2024 11:06

LaerealSilverhand · 02/10/2024 11:02

The Labour government "won by a landslide" because they won a large majority of seats. If we had PR, as Austria does, they would have been the largest party but would not have won by a landslide and would be looking to form a coalition with the Libdems and SNP. It's really not difficult to understand. In a multiparty PR system, absolute majorities and "landslides" are vanishingly rare.

And this as well.

If not FPTP we'd have significant Reform representation as well.

CassieMaddox · 02/10/2024 11:06

CaptainCarrotsBigSword · 30/09/2024 08:12

It's an interesting question OP. I think Brexit was often simplified into a left (remain) Vs right (leave) dichotomy when actually we know a huge amount of traditional working class labour voters did vote to leave, and lots of middle class left wing (Mumsnet style!) voters voted for remain.

It could be argued that the push to the right is happening across the western world, but the symptoms are different. If you see it as not a particular interest in right wing politics but more as a backlash against the perceived social and political norms of the last 15-20 years, then you could argue that Brexit was our pushback, and having done that we've got it out of our system, whereas for countries within the EU the election of a right wing government is fulfilling the same function.

This is what I think. The other interesting thing is when push comes to shove most of these democracies don't want a far right government, even though a far right politician has been elected. The more moderate voters react by holding their nose and voting tactically to keep the far right out.
We saw it with France (le Pen) and the Netherlands (Wilders). I think that was a factor in the Labour landslide here too and I strongly suspect the US will go the same way.

Most people aren't extremist and don't want divisive populist politics.

EasternStandard · 02/10/2024 11:08

AnneLovesGilbert · 02/10/2024 11:03

Nearly all governments who were in power during covid have been kicked out at the first opportunity.

This may be true I haven’t checked but I think this rise to the right is due to more than that

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