Talk Elections

In which European nations do the issues, ideological divides of the parties, and coalitions of the parties most resemble the United States?

Poland

I dont live in Europe, so first up, I can only hazard a guess.

But I would say the German's are pretty disappointed with the outcome of the refugee crisis.

Followed closely by Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

United Kingdom

No.

None are similar enough to contemporary American politics to make a useful comparison with.

If I really wanted to troll, I could hash out a comparison with South Africa (where the GOP plays the role of the ANC) but it won't be academically relevant or anything.

This is so wrong hahahahahahaha.

Yes. American politics has become incredibly sui generis in recent years. France used to be a great troll answer to this sort of question, of course.

Croatia and Germany have similar two major political parties.

I wish...

TBH recent French politics seems to have alot of striking comparisons to the US.

By default I'd say the UK though.

Then again any comparison is like apples and oranges.

Italy, though obviously most similar does not mean similar.

No. Just no.

If anybody wants to here my rationale for south Africa.

Both parties are led by a party that used to fight for freedom, had a period led by a paranoid unlikable weirdo and has now devolved to being led by a fat corrupt rapist who was initially cheered on by the idealogical wing, until they immediately came to regret it. Gets its support from rural areas and the dominant ethnic group. Opposed by a Woke party of urban diverse neoliberals that has an uncomfortable alliance of convince with leftists from the dominant ethnic group.

This works even better than I imagined. Wow.

Maybe Italy? Or more trollishly, Ukraine?

lolno

What? Have you met the Labour Party? Have you met tories?

Yeah the U.K. Political divide is more like RINO Toms ideal political divide than the US. (Not to knock Tom I agree with him on a lot)

Most similar? Poland. But not really that similar.

 Norway

Theres two ideological blocs and both sides have parties that would fit in with the different ideological blocs of the two parties. The Center-left bloc consisting of pure centrists, Social Democrats, Socialists vs a Center-right bloc consisting of parties that represent Economic conservatives, Right wing populists, Libertarians and Christian evangelicals.

*dies*

This time next year: North Korea

The only semi coherent answer to this is France actually.

Well, hmm, maybe, since a strong enough Presidential regime screws at least a half of a political divide...

Belgium, in the sense of Walloon vs Flanders, due to geographic sorting and mutually unintelligible rhetoric.

Or Turkey -
In both countries, a majority party that appeals to Social Conservatives, the religious and nationalists. Both led by a demagogue, populist leader who deeply offends liberals and who has a habit of bullying the media (on Twitter, or just by throwing them in jail).

On the flip side, an ineffective opposition party, supported by wealthy urban liberals + minority groups, whose sole selling point seems to be "social liberalism".

Bonus points for the HDP and Sanders taking a broadly similar spoiler role.

Which is fiscally conservative and which is socially conservative?

Turkey.

A populist, religious conservative broad tent that has lined up pretty much completely behind a controversial strongman promising a new kind of politics, facing off against the old establishment natural party of government, which is a violent, militaristic, anti-democratic party which draws its support almost entirely from the old urban secular liberal government elite, an anti-democratic deep state, and a handful of minority groups (despite its miserable history on minority cultures).

The genuine left is in despair.

If Turkey doesn't count as European and it probably doesn't, I'd probably say Italy. Renzi was probably the best example of a neoliberal-left Obama-style politician outside of America. And if you forced the members of the 5SM, Lega Nord, and Italian right into one party through the power of Duverger's Law, someone like Trump could come out of that primary.

Turkey is actually good for a political divide most similar to the US.

The CHP is much less genuinely competitive than the Democrats though. And they do not so well with Kurds.

Being the only country in Europe to use FPTP (unless you count Azerbaijan), it has to be the United Kingdom by default.