European Parliament Election: May 23-26, 2019

[Ethelberth]

Biggest issue will be support of Putin's agenda on making Europe small again. I do not think all East European parties will support it.

[DavidB.]

Biggest issue will be support of Putin's agenda on making Europe small again. I do not think all East European parties will support it.

I'm going to ignore the unnecessary rhetoric, but your point is valid: ECR are quite atlanticist, and FVD's skepticism of the sanctions against Russia may be a big stumbling block between ECR and FVD. Then again, in the EP there is quite a bit more tolerance for vast intra-group differences, so we will have to see how much it matters. But this could be an issue, I agree.

[Grand Wizard Lizard of the Klan]

To be honest CU never fitted in my opinion to the ECR.

[TheSaint250]

Well that was fast.

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1026114569993904129

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

Well that was fast.

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1026114569993904129

I guess Fidesz inevitably vetoed

[Diouf]

PS trying to win some votes back from FI with an anti-trade candidate

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https://euobserver.com/tickers/142542

[EPG]

Magnette -> PS would elegantly close the circle begun by Valls -> Ciutadans and Puigdemont -> N-VA.

[TheSaint250]

https://twitter.com/pollofpolls_EU/status/1025643321996324865

Any have anything more about this?

This was destined to happen.  While this new group was essentially guaranteed to have 25 seats, they lacked the necessary number of countries to be created.

[bigic]

If En Marche forms another group, they would certainly need to co-operate with ALDE, which would be harder than En Marche being in ALDE (because the En Marche group would draw members from ALDE), so En Marche's political agenda for the EU (which has a lot in common with the ALDE agenda) would be implemented more if En Marche joins ALDE than if En Marche forms its own group. Also with En Marche ALDE has a small chance of overtaking the Socialists to be the second largest group in the European Parliament.

[parochial boy]

I propose that Macron calls his new group LIDL

(Really hope no-one has already made this joke)

[Tender Branson]

How Austria would vote:

35% ÖVP (+8%)
27% SPÖ (+3%)
22% FPÖ (+2%)
  9% NEOS (+1%)
  5% Greens (-10%)
  2% LiPi (+2%)
  0% Others (-6%, formerly EU-STOP, Anders, REKOS and BZÖ)

[Grand Wizard Lizard of the Klan]

Ugh, there is again that annoying gossip that Robert Biedroń will start his own political initiative and that initiative will be aimed for first European Parliament elections and then the Sejm elections. His initiative will probably called "Kocham Polskę" (eng: I love Poland) and it will be probably next initiative to UNITE THE LEFT by creating next bleak and boring organisation of few ambitious, younger politicians who are still looking for their place between SLD and Razem. I guess there are chances that there will be no S&D MEPs from Poland, even when there will be no changes in the electoral system (which PiS is not trying to pass).

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

PiS MEP Ryszard Czarnecki has given an interview in which he heavily hinted PiS may seek EPP membership after the elections.

[Former President tack50]

Does that mean that both major Polish parties (PiS and PO) will be in the same Euro group? Or will PO have to move to ALDE?

In any case it's probably a good thing for them. Being in a major Euro group does give you more room to negotiate with the EU (Orban is generally treated better because he is in EPP I think)

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

Does that mean that both major Polish parties (PiS and PO) will be in the same Euro group? Or will PO have to move to ALDE?

That remains to be seen, PO's line on the matter has consistently been that they would veto any PiS application. When asked about this possibility, Czarnecki said that he believed the EPP could be persuaded to ignore PO's objections if it allowed them to noticeably swell their ranks in the European Parliament (and PiS will almost certainly have 20-25 MEPs after this election), specifically citing the supposed precedent (I don't know anything about the politicking involved so I can't say if he was telling the full truth or not) of Forza Italia being admitted in 1994 over the objections of the ex-Christian Democracy.

As a side note, I believe that PiS were in fact EPP observers in 2003-4, but quickly switched to UEN and then ECR as part of a broader attempt to win over nationalist voters.

[Diouf]

Merkel pushing Manfred Weber (CSU) as EPP spitzenkandidat. The current leader of the EPP in parliament.

https://www.focus.de/magazin/kurzfassungen/focus-36-2018-manfred-weber-wird-evp-spitzenkandidat-fuer-europawahl_id_9506770.html

[EPG]

Manfred Weber for Commission president?

What?

"Who? Who?"

[Diouf]

Jan Zahradil from the Czech ODS tweets that ECR/ACRE will nominate a spitzenkandidat:".@ACREurope believes that next @EU_Commission President should be nominated by @EUCouncil, precisely as #EU treaties say. But we intend to challenge eurofederalist agenda of @EPP, @PES and others via #spitzenkandidaten contest."

[EPG]

If they seriously nominate an utter non-entity like Weber, M****n S****yr will really be in control of the Commission.

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

M****n S****yr

lol, seriously?

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

Ugh, there is again that annoying gossip that Robert Biedroń will start his own political initiative and that initiative will be aimed for first European Parliament elections and then the Sejm elections. His initiative will probably called "Kocham Polskę" (eng: I love Poland) and it will be probably next initiative to UNITE THE LEFT by creating next bleak and boring organisation of few ambitious, younger politicians who are still looking for their place between SLD and Razem. I guess there are chances that there will be no S&D MEPs from Poland, even when there will be no changes in the electoral system (which PiS is not trying to pass).

This is no longer gossip - Biedroń has announced that he is indeed planning on launching his own centre-left 'social movement', and Razem immediately responded that they are willing to enter negotiations for a coalition with him for the EP elections. Given that Barbara Nowacka's Polish Initiative is now splintering due to the actually principled left-wing members not willing to follow Nowacka's lead and join the PO-.N 'Civic Coalition', the long-prophesied left-wing coalition may finally be within reach.

[Ethelberth]

Ugh, there is again that annoying gossip that Robert Biedroń will start his own political initiative and that initiative will be aimed for first European Parliament elections and then the Sejm elections. His initiative will probably called "Kocham Polskę" (eng: I love Poland) and it will be probably next initiative to UNITE THE LEFT by creating next bleak and boring organisation of few ambitious, younger politicians who are still looking for their place between SLD and Razem. I guess there are chances that there will be no S&D MEPs from Poland, even when there will be no changes in the electoral system (which PiS is not trying to pass).

This is no longer gossip - Biedroń has announced that he is indeed planning on launching his own centre-left 'social movement', and Razem immediately responded that they are willing to enter negotiations for a coalition with him for the EP elections. Given that Barbara Nowacka's Polish Initiative is now splintering due to the actually principled left-wing members not willing to follow Nowacka's lead and join the PO-.N 'Civic Coalition', the long-prophesied left-wing coalition may finally be within reach.

Something about Marie Curie inventing radioactivity.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

If there's no Brexit, would there be a problem with too many seats with the UK back in?

[Aboa]

If there's no Brexit, would there be a problem with too many seats with the UK back in?

If Brexit is cancelled after 2019 elections they would probably just add temporary extra seats for UK and do reapportionment in 2024.

[EPG]

M****n S****yr

lol, seriously?

I don't want him to see it on Google Alerts.