Tag Archives: france

Spain turns to the right – but are the voters rejecting ‘the left’ or incumbents?

By Stephen Tall | Published 21st November 2011 - 8:00 am

As the polls had predicted, Spain has a new government: Rajoy’s right-wing Partido Popular (PP) defeated Zapatero’s left-of-centre Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE). The only surprise was the large margin of victory, 16%, the worst defeat for Spain’s socialists in their electoral history.

So yet another right-wing government takes power in a European nation. On the face of it, it seems almost perverse that at a time when confidence in the deregulated capitalist system associated with the right is at its lowest ebb that those parties which champion it are winning elections. As I noted here on LibDemVoice back in …

Posted in Europe / International, News | Also tagged denmark, germany, rajoy, spain, venstre, zapatero | 9 Comments

How awful do events have to be in a country before they get attention?

By Mark Pack | Published 27th March 2011 - 4:55 pm

Here’s a simple question: how bad do events have to get in a country before it appears on the mainstream political agenda in this country?

Is having the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimate that up to half a million people have had to flee their homes as a result of violence enough?

Or is having the UN High Commissioner for Refugees double its estimate in the last few days to a million people having fled (out of a population of 22 million)?

Or is having credible reports of sexual violence, summary execution and people being burnt alive?

Or is the UN saying 400 people …

Posted in News | Also tagged ivory coast, nigeria | 22 Comments

Opinion: Burqa ban splits the liberal minded

By Lucy Watt | Published 16th July 2010 - 1:50 pm

As a long time liberal, I was shocked, but perhaps not surprised, when I listened to the Today programme on my iPlayer earlier this week (I’m spending the summer in the US), and heard that the French parliament had voted to support legislation that would outlaw the wearing of the burqa and niqab in public places, including on the street, in France. Yet, many of my liberally-minded friends (well Liberal Democrat and Labour members) on Facebook were celebrating this action.

I know why people would argue that this is a positive action. As a young graduate, I started my first …

Posted in Op-eds | 57 Comments

Daily View 2×2: 14 March – featuring exciting bollards and Mandelson saying “Vote Lib Dem”

By Mark Pack | Published 14th March 2010 - 9:00 am

It’s Sunday. It’s 9am. It’s time for photographs of bollards, but first the news.

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:

The Mood at Lib Dem Conference: Nick Thornsby takes the pulse
The Saturday List: Lib Dem Constituency Songs: Will Howells does politics. Will Howells does music. This time he does politics and music at the same time.

Spotted any other great posts in the last day from blogs that aren’t on the aggregator? Do post up a comment sharing them with us all.

2 Big Stories

Sarkozy faces heavy loss in French regional poll

Posted in Daily View | Also tagged nicolas sarkozy, peter mandelson | 2 Comments

Opinion: Another Greek tragedy? Time for Europhiles to admit the dream is over

By Mike Guillaume | Published 9th March 2010 - 11:50 am

In case you wouldn’t have noticed, another crisis has come on top of the big one.

For those who understand French, read carefully this article in the March 5 edition of French daily “Le Monde” . A former German finance vice-minister buries the euro as it is now and advises all Southern-Europe economies (including France) to get out of the Eurozone if they don’t clean up their act, behave more like Germany and adopt many unacceptable social measures. Some German backbenchers have suggested these might include selling off some islands (who would buy these? You guess).

That doesn’t yet …

Posted in Europe / International, Op-eds | Also tagged euro, european union, eurosceptic, germany, greece, iceland, republic of ireland, single currency | 54 Comments

The Saturday debate: Burkas – to ban or not to ban?

By Mark Pack | Published 20th February 2010 - 8:50 am

Here’s your starter for ten for our Saturday slot posing a view for debate:

Although it is estimated that no more than 2,000 people in France wear a burka, it has become a hot topic of political debate:

A parliamentary commission [has] proposed a ban on the garment in all public services facilities, including transport.

The commission’s report stops short of recommending a complete public ban on the head-to-toe covering, which conceals the face, wanted by many politicians. Instead, it calls for those wearing the garment to be denied access to hospitals, buses, welfare offices and all other public facilities. (FT)

As the

…

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged burka, weekend debate | 51 Comments

Opinion: Once again, the French show a little bit more imagination…

By Martin Land | Published 2nd September 2009 - 6:45 pm

The reduction in VAT from 17.5% to 15% quickly condemned and rightly so, by Vince Cable, as expensive and ineffective is one of this government’s more costly errors. The one year only cut will cost us the incredible sum of £12.5 billion pounds and has done little to stimulate consumer spending, simply because despite the enormous cost it still seems so meaningless at the till.

Indeed, it may will come with a sting in the tail, as when it comes to an end and VAT goes back to 17.5% it will come with a sharp inflationary jolt which may well trim back some of those ‘green shoots’ that Labour will being telling us about this winter.

The French, as usual, have shown a little bit more imagination.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged tax, vat, vince cable | 4 Comments

Scientology goes on trial in France

By Mark Pack | Published 25th May 2009 - 1:19 pm

From France 24:

A high profile trial against the Church of Scientology opens in Paris Monday amid questions about whether the latest legal battle could threaten Scientology’s operations in France.

This time, the organisation faces a fine of up to 5 million euros and even the prospect of dissolution.

The latest case centres on a complaint made by a 43-year-old Parisian woman, who claims the organisation persuaded her to spend at least 20,000 euros for various fraudulent cases including medication for “self-purification”, books and an “electrometer”, a device used to measure galvanic skin response in patients…

The Church of Scientology says money can

…

Posted in News | Also tagged scientology | 21 Comments

PMQs: France rejoining NATO

By Alix Mortimer | Published 11th March 2009 - 5:03 pm

The mood at PMQs today was subdued owing to both the killings in Northern Ireland and the recently bereaved Cameron’s return to the fray. No economic points were touched on by Clegg or Cameron, and even the incendiary subject of Binyam Mohammed’s torture allegations was discussed at speaking volume.

The mood was such that Clegg was able to ask quite a nuanced question about France’s re-entry into NATO and what possibilities for co-operation in Afghanistan it might result in. It was all so grown up that poor Tom Harris was really rather bored.

Now,

…

Posted in Parliament, PMQs | 6 Comments

Tag Archives: france

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