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THE NEW POPULAR FRONT left alliance has come out on top in the second round of voting in the French parliamentary elections, winning a predicted 172-192 seats in the National Assembly, according to projections.
President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble group is set to win 150-170 seats. The far-right alliance dominated by the National Rally came in third place with a projected 132-152 seats, while the conservative Republicans are predicted to win between 57 and 67 seats.
No group has won an outright majority, which requires at least 289 of the Assembly’s 577 seats.
The victory for the French left over the National Rally (RN) means France has decided against being governed by the far-right, something polls and the first round vote had indicated was a distinct possibility.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the largest party in the NFP, called on Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to resign in his victory speech.
“Our people have clearly rejected the worst-case scenario,” said the three-time presidential candidate of the France Unbowed party. “The prime minister has to go… The New Popular Front is ready to govern.”
Prime Minister Attal has since said that he will offer Macron his resignation tomorrow.
But he added that, if his resignation is refused, he was ready to remain in office “as long as duty demands”, with the Paris Olympics due to begin in three weeks.
It is unclear who might be the left alliance’s top candidate to be prime minister, with Melenchon a divisive figure even among some supporters of his own party.
The leader of the Socialist Party (PS) Olivier Faure urged “democracy” within the left-wing alliance so they could work together.
“To move forward together we need democracy within our ranks,” he said.
“No outside remarks will come and impose themselves on us,” he said in a thinly veiled criticism of Melenchon.
Raphael Glucksmann, co-president of the smaller pro-European Place Publique party in the alliance, said everyone was going to have to “behave like adults”.
In the projections, “we’re ahead, but in a divided parliament… so people are going to have to behave like adults,” he said.
“People are going to have to talk to each other.”
Nous avons arraché un résultat qu'on nous disait impossible.
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) July 7, 2024
Notre peuple a clairement refusé la solution du pire pour lui. Le RN est loin de la majorité absolue que certains lui prédisaient.
C'est un immense soulagement pour la Nouvelle France.#ElectionsLegislatives2024 pic.twitter.com/atALba1kR3
Today’s second round of voting saw another large turnout, with almost 60% of the electorate having cast their votes by 5pm local time today, putting it on track to be the highest in four decades.
The mood in France has been tense, with 30,000 police deployed to head off trouble and many voters worrying over the outcome of the election.
There were scenes of jubilation on the streets of Paris when the projections, which are based on samples of ballots, were announced.
The snap National Assembly elections were called by President Emmanuel Macron following a decisive defeat to the RN in European Parliamentary elections last month, to the shock of many of his supporters and colleagues.
The NFP was quickly formed following Macron’s shock dissolution of the National Assembly and is composed of parties from the Communists and France Unbowed on the left and the Socialists, who are the traditional centre-left party. The grouping also includes the Green Party.
Following the RN’s success in the first round, political parties on the far left and in the centre had formed what is known as a Republican Front, withdrawing candidates from three-way races in today’s second round, with the aim of keeping far-right candidates out.
RN party leader Jordan Bardella slammed “an alliance of dishonour” between President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists and the left.
While hailing the “most important breakthrough of all its (the RN’s) history”, he told supporters that “these electoral pacts have thrown France into the arms of the extreme left.”
The party’s three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said the RN’s rise to power had only been “delayed.”
“The tide is rising. It did not rise high enough this time, but it continues to rise and, consequently, our victory has only been delayed,” Le Pen said.
The NFP has promised to increase taxes on the wealthy and introduce taxes on windfall profits for businesses, with the aim of reversing Macron’s increase to the retirement age and funding social services.
The centre-left influence can be seen in the area of foreign policy, where the group says it will maintain support for Ukraine.
The NFP has said it wants a “total break” from Macron’s economic policies.
The alliance of parties on the left has pledged to raise €30 billion a year from taxing businesses and the rich, promising to use the money to reverse Macron’s deeply unpopular pension reform that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.
The group wants to increase benefits and civil service wages, impose price controls on some essential goods, lower the retirement age to 60 and index pensions to wages. They also want to increase the minimum wage by 15%.
The alliance aims to bring in the €30 billion from its new tax policies.
With reporting from AFP
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Good news for France, but still concerning the number of people who want to repeat what happened in 1930s Germany.
@Pat Hazzard: They weren’t far right.
@Eric Gaffney: I think you need to use that amazing thing called Google a little bit more before you speak
@Pat Hazzard: let’s let islamists take over then. Great idea
@Pat Hazzard: Absolutely NOT
@Eric Gaffney: having trouble accepting you’re Far Right?
@Eric Gaffney: Extreme rightwing are characterised by several key features: “nativism” with superiority on native-born, “ultra-nationalism” in giving superiority to a specific ethnicity, xenophobia and racism, anti-minority, monoculturalism only, conspiracist in nature.
@9QRixo8H: What is far right these days? The term has become so watered down in the last few years that anyone with a different opinion to you, you label far right. Let’s start easy. I opposes
open borders and illegal immigration. Am I far right?
@Eric Gaffney: Here is an in-dept explanation of what is Far Right. I encourage you to read page 50 “What are the psychological characteristics of people holding far-right beliefs?”. https://www.sv.uio.no/c-rex/english/groups/compendium/c-rex-compendium-print-version.pdf
@Ger Whelan: If you hold different opinions you are not Far Right. If you hold Far Right opinions you are Far Right. Here is what Far Right is. https://www.sv.uio.no/c-rex/english/groups/compendium/c-rex-compendium-print-version.pdf
@9QRixo8H: Eeepppp…people not towing the line & daring to question or Challange the status quo…Quickly label them so you don’t have to think and can just skip down to vote for anyone that offers you a bit of a tax cut!
@Marc Power: Well thats inane nonsense…. and you know it
@Ger Whelan: we all win together or we lose. If you could restart society-we’d favour open borders. As the climate keeps getting warmer, mainly due to the activities of 1st world countries, those in the 3rd world will want / need to emigrate. Welcome all with open arms. I’m all for strict laws, but welcome everyone.
@9QRixo8H: I’m not pressing any link that requires me to download to see it. I value not being hacked. So please what side do I fall on your political chart for opposing open borders and illegal immigration?. No link please just a simple left/ central/ right/ far right?
@Eoghan: Welcome all with open arms eh? Wonder if you’ll say the same if thousands of illegal Russian men start arriving in our country and are allowed to enter and travel freely.
@Ger Whelan: it’s not a download, it directs you to a website with in-dept research on what is Far Right extremism. Also there is no “illegal” immigration or “open” borders. https://www.sv.uio.no/c-rex/english/groups/compendium/c-rex-compendium-print-version.pdf
@Ger Whelan: This comment thread started with a reference to the 1930′s and that was the context for Far Right. LePen (the father) would be Far Right. The daughter has done some cosmetic work on the family thinking, but she is still Far Right (as proven by her promise to introduce a specific referendum if elected). You introduced two points related to immigration which are not in themselves Far Right, but which can be the more nicely worded version of the actual Far Right agenda (the entry d-r-u-g rhetoric they often use). So, the only person who can answer your question is you yourself. And your specific wording of your comments strikes me as problematic.
@9QRixo8H: It is a download link. It ends in .PDF. it requires me to download a PDF document. So not happening. Yes there is illegal immigration. Any Non EU citizens who entered Ireland via another EU member state with the purpose of claiming asylum entered Ireland illegally. They have no legal rights via EU law to cross a border into another EU member state. As a non EU citizen you need to apply for visas etc to enter EU members states and travel freely. If they are an Asylum seeker it’s clear they didn’t have these visas when they entered the first EU membership state which means they have no legal rights to leave that country to come here. Once they crossed the border from that country to come to ours they broke EU law and should be denied entry and sent back as they entered illegally.
@Numinous20111: nicely put
@Numinous20111: Scroll down the comments see how many times D.Peader has labelled people far right. Go back over any articles regarding politics that has comments open and see how many times he refers to people as far right.
@Eoghan: You realise that by welcoming everyone, you further increase the number of people in the 1st world, hence increasing the activities affecting climate change
@Pat Hazzard: it’s not a good news. More power to Islamo leftists and terrorists.
@Ger Whelan: Claiming asylum is ENTIRELY legal. There is no “illegal” immigration. To read the in-dept research on what is Far Right, google “Knowing what’s far right” by UIO/C-REX. But it is up to you to research if you are Far Right or not.
@Ger Whelan: You can very easily answer anyone you feel is misrepresenting you by stating the following. 1) What you reject as extremism (on either end of the political spectrum). Repeat step 1 as needed. You are making indirect arguments. You have the opportunity to disprove anyone who directly labels you. Instead you are phrasing comments in a similar way to what actual Far Right supporters do (AND I acknowledge that I do not know if that is just a coincidence and not an actual reflection of your views). It’s up to you to make that clear. The point is that you are avoiding making it clear.
@Marc Power: what a ridiculous comment.
@9QRixo8H: If a non EU citizen enters say France without having the correct visa then they cannot legally cross Frances border to travel to another EU country as they don’t have the correct legal paperwork. So in doing so they are breaking EU law. So any asylum seeker who traveled to Ireland by crossing another EU members states border entered Ireland illegally. So they should be sent back to whichever country they departed to reach Ireland and abide by EU law
@9QRixo8H: correction – here is a suggestion for a definition of far right as provided from a left-wing institution in a left-wing country.
…..The last 100 years of Norwegian history has been heavily influenced by the workers movement and it’s left-wing policies. This has led to a lot of social policies and economic policies that has been left-wing….
But we are blessed to be swamped with illegal immigrants from wholy tolerant, broadminded and peacefully countries, albeit with uncontrolled population explosions. I have spoken to people in Malmo, Amsterdam and other European cities and I am naieve enough to believe that nothing can go wrong.
We are blessed to have people like you constantly pushing open borders and left-wing ideology.
@Numinous20111: Here’s where I stand. I am all for the EU and free travel within the EU for EU citizens. I’m opposed to allowing Non EU citizens from anywhere in the world the right to travel freely in Europe without applying for the appropriate visa. EU law doesn’t actually legally allow an asylum seeker enter the EU via say Italy and then travel here to claim asylum. EU law doesn’t allow them to legally leave it and enter another EU country. I’m opposed to ignoring EU law and allowing illegal immigration
@Ger Whelan: Could you post that law please?
@Ger Whelan: Exactly how do EU governments respond to people who deliberately circumvent their immigration and internal travel laws? Who is “allowing” illegal immigration? I don’t know of anyone who considers that illegal immigrants should just be ignored and I’m not aware of any government that just turns a blind eye to this.
@Ger Whelan: sounds reasonable to me, and most decent people that I know
@Numinous20111: how does the EU respond? Honestly I don’t know. But for Ireland is quite easy. We are an island. So if a non EU citizen enters the Dublin airport on a flight from France for example, and they don’t have the appropriate paperwork to allow them to leave France , we send them back to France which is well within our legal rights by EU law. They left France illegally so we send them back to France and it’s up to the French to decide what to do with them.
@francis devenney: I can’t post links unfortunately. Go look it up. Non EU citizens need to apply for entry to the EU and apply for visas to allow free travel within the EU. Without the Visa they have no legal right to say leave Spain and enter Portugal for example. So any Non EU citizens who travel to Ireland without said Visa travelled here illegally and shouldn’t be allowed to enter and be deported back to the country they left to get here.
@Eoghan: “All for strict laws, but welcome everyone.”
Problem there is everyone you are welcoming may not like your strict laws.
@Pat Hazzard I’m daily shocked by the likes of you who are so vocal but haven’t a clue about history.
@Ger Whelan: You truly are ignorant, and are a racist, you cannot take time to read ……like Hitler and burning the books that didn’t suit his narrative.
You aren’t representing us truly Irish people….
@Paul O’Mahoney: Lmao so now I’m “Hitler” for wanting the EU to obey its own laws? That’s a first I have to say. You really are a sad case if you think I’m racist for pointing out any Non EU citizens who traveled across EU borders without the proper paper work are traveling illegally. No point getting angry at me for EU laws. All I want is for them to enforce their own law.
Thank god
@Todd Hebert: Why?
Great news. The biggest threat to democracy in Ireland is these “Ireland is full” fascists. They have been allowed to get a foothold in working class areas because Drew Harris has treated them with kid gloves and FFG put their heads in the sand. Now they’re threatening the Taoiseach with bomb scares and threatening to lynch others.
@Anthony Curran: headcase ye
@Anthony Curran: Glad that FFG’s Hate Speech laws are being finalised as these inciters of hatred and violence need to have the full force of the law laid down on them, which they will now.
@Anthony Curran: Total nutter!
@tara tevlin: No. It’s those who threaten democracy who are the headcases. Those who live in a goldfish bowl and think that because their immediate circle are all racists then the rest of the country must be too. Right wingers must always be faced down. Because you give them an inch and before you know it, we’re back to 1930′s Germany.
@Brian Hunt: Your counter argument is so convincing Brian!
@tara tevlin: yes the fascists are
@Anthony Curran: your wrong. It’s the same people who were anti water meter and damaged Joan Burtons car led by lefty Murphy. Left or right if the people don’t want it they don’t want it, call them what you want, but they need to be listened to or they’ll find someone who will
@9QRixo8H: won’t work
@Anthony Curran: The same as the Provos being a threat to democracy, threatening & murdering politicians on both sides of the divide then Anthony, but your alright with that, hypocrisy. You will sit in well with the Far Left, Melenchon & the Commies, no better than those your criticizing.
@Anthony Curran: As opposed to Left wing tyrants like Stalin, Mao, Pol pot – of hold on these guys killed vadtly mote than Hitler but at least everyone was equally poor & dead.
@9QRixo8H: that hate speech law will never pass into legislation.
Far left, far right. I am reminded of the quote from The Spy Who Came in from the Cold: “How big does a cause have to be before you kill your friends? What about your Party? There’s a few million bodies on that path!”
The left is as guilty of murder as the right. Which is why Centralism, a middle path, tends to be a little more palatable.
@AnthonyK: The Labour Party that has just won in the UK is a party of the left. What murdersvhas it been guilty of?
@Seamus Martin: Labour are no more left than FF or FG. Those days are gone. But you’re right in questioning what crimes have been committed by left leaning parties. I’d like to know myself.
@Jen McC: Labour just announced to nationalise British railway, a leftist policy. And to create a publicly-owned British Energy firm, again entirely socialist policy. Why do you think they’re not left or socialist?
@9QRixo8H: because Corbyn was left and they pushed him out. They have also pushed other left-leaning people out the last couple of years. At most they’re centre-left. But most parties would look left compared to the Tories to be fair.
I was NOT expecting the Left socialists to win the most seats! Is nationalising services and public ownership making a return?
Labour in the UK just announced they will renationalise their railway services after years of privatisation increased costs under the Cons.
@9QRixo8H: they need to renationalise rail in the UK. The cost of tickets is scandalous.
@plavin: we need to renationalise a few sectors in Ireland, bringing them back into a Non-Profit Model, to reduce the cost of living due to the profiteering of privatisation.
You don’t understand. France voted NOT to change anything. The parents want to live like they did for the past 40 years, their kids want the same, basically they just voted for no restrictions against wild immigration, against pension reform, against any major change. That means again big, big trouble.
@Chris: Quit CRYING :) https://www.sv.uio.no/c-rex/english/groups/compendium/c-rex-compendium-print-version.pdf
If being concerned about who’s coming into your country without being vetted, I’m proud to say I’m right wing
@James Moylan: Hop on a plane and go to Italy. Get off the plane. Any vetting? No. I lived in other EU countries for 4 years. Just go. No vetting. It was, and is, brilliant.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: The European union grants him that right as an EU Citizen. It doesn’t grant it to none EU citizens does it? As for your, hop on a plane tomorrow travel to Australia see will they let you in without any vetting. Let’s know how you get on.
@Ger Whelan: That’s Australia for you.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Ok try the US? Can you hop on a plane there in the morning unvetted? No you can’t. So if other nations can stop people entering so can we.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: No vetting as such but you do have to show a valid passport when passing Schengen borders to prove EU citizenship or other permission to enter.
Not only is the Left Alliance set to defeat the far-right but Macron’s Ensemble Party will do so too.
The far right will finish 3rd.
VIVE LA FRANCE!!
The push back against the far right and Fascists across Europe is gaining momentum…
@O’Reilly: Far left far right. What I worry about is the turn to Putin in Moscow. Thank the dogs for this result as it means continued support for Ukraine.
The Journal, false reporting again. Do not spread propaganda.
@Áine G: It’s ok. Áine’s here to tell us the “real” truth!
@Anthony Curran: The truth is no-one has won. Neither have a majority to form a government. It could quite possibly be a hung parliament.
@Áine G: can you stop CRYING
@Anthony Curran: you mean alternative facts.
@Mark Fox: I still smile remembering Kellyanne Conway internal grimace when she spouted that “alternative facts” line to Chuck Todd on MSNBC’s ‘Meet The Press’. Her body language immediately after saying it was very clear. Sent out to make a show of herself because Trump couldn’t bear to be seen to have a far less well attended inauguration than Obama’s.
I am centre – right but this is great news !
I doubt the NFP can solve anything, or if even they want to. We’ll see …
But at least the RN were beaten !
Vive la France !!!
@offside again:
Why have two rounds of voting,
It just gives opportunities to change,and manipulate the first round results.
One round of votes.is all that’s needed.
the power of the people vote…young irish take note..
@Brendan McCaffrey: they already are. That’s why SF are plummeting in the polls. They should head back to the north which is their stomping ground.
Big relief. The far right wasn’t expected to win, but they were supposed to get way more seats than that. That alone is a victory. A victory for women, ethnic and LGBTQ minorities and freedom in general. There has been a huge turnaround to counter this fascist ideology. It was an ugly election with a lot of hate speeches, fear-mongering propaganda , but also well-needed conversations about racism, discrimination, and our colonialist history. Hopefully, France will be able to rebuild itself now on better ground and as a better, less arrogant country.
No official numbers in yet,.
Vive la France!
Well, at least it will be a peaceful night in France. Far left will have no excuse to burn shops and cars or loot shops like last Sunday.
Poor Eric Gaffney is feeling salty, so much so that he is making the outrageous claim that the Nazi movement in Germany was not Far Right. You lot will spew anything to justify your need to hate. Grow some, stand by your convictions and admit to what you really are. Do you have the courage to do that or does the shame you feel prevent you from being honest?
@Sun Rise: not as sour as Putin
Should see his Twitter, full of far-right. Shares content only from various far-right parties. But he’s not far right or racist. Nice guy in fact, heart is full of love.
@Sun Rise: buggers
@Get Whelan: Opposing ‘open borders’ and illegal immigration does not necessarily make you Far Right. Do you oppose the movement of everybody through our borders? Do you oppose the freedom of access that Irish people, including you, enjoy through the may borders we can do so through? Who exactly do you not want passing through our borders? If it is a particular type of person you want to prevent from entering our country then you may well be a little further right than you care to acknowledge and are playing the clever role.
However, as I said, if you are opposed to opens borders for all and everybody including Irish people then I guess you are not Far Right in your beliefs.
As for your comical remark about ‘illegal immigration’….give your head a wobble…..it is already illegal and is already opposed. Do you want to make is mega-super-illegal or again have you just mentioned this in an attempt to veil your dislike of a particular type of person from entering Ireland?
@Sun Rise: Any non EU citizen that entered Ireland via another EU member state with the sole purpose of claiming Asylum entered Ireland illegally. They being non EU citizens and not having the correct paper work have no legal right to cross a border from one EU country to another. Doing so breaks EU law. Legally they shouldn’t be allowed entry to Ireland as they have broken EU law. So yes illegal immigration, by illegally crossing EU borders without the proper documentation.
@Ger Whelan: Novel Idea: Take them in and give them legal documents and ID. They can then be productive and useful members of society.
@Ger Whelan: claiming asylum is legal. Entirely legal. There is no “illegal” immigration.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: novel Idea let them first show they are willing to do such things by following the EU to get here legally first.
@9QRixo8H: Non EU citizens crossing between EU borders without proper paperwork is illegal D.peader. so yes illegal immigration. By EU laws they had no legal right to travel to Ireland.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Isn’t that what France did, give migrants from their former African colonies French passports?
@Sun Rise: Excellent post.
@Ger Whelan: Wrong again. You are now lying
@Paul O’Mahoney: Where am I lying Paul. Can Non EU citizens travel freely through EU borders without having the correct documents and visas? Yes or no?.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Also Paul who am I being racist again? Please tell us all?
Stalemate, taxes is expected to rise.
Yes, taxes on the Extreme Rich he has pledged, not on the ordinary workers. A standard left policy. And public ownership will bring down costs of living from the profiteers. #WealthTax
@9QRixo8H: Who’s taxing the Extreme Rich? No party has a majority or even anywhere near a majority. Can they govern and implement their policies without a majority?
@9QRixo8H: Lol, extreme rich, the Commies see anyone working as rich. Ordinary workers will pay for this & the pyjama brigade will benefit. Won’t take too long before ordinary working people are on the streets in their yellow vest protests, when they are paying for those who don’t work & those arriving in the boats. The numbers about to flood France after this result will make for interesting years ahead. The cost of living will increase not decrease & that will be borne out in the years to come.
@Ger Whelan: Yes, as ” majority ” isn’t part of the original idea of democracy.
It’s a pretty simple concept , hearing the voice of many…..Socrates gave his life for this, and you, as a racist want to use it as a weapon to silence voices , you truly are the evil that lurks behind the happiness of everyone…..
Some achievement.
The results today leave France on the precipice, the extreme Far Left & the Communists are as extreme as the Far Right. Roughly one third of France on the Far Left, one third on the Far Right & one third in the centre. France’s economy is in trouble, they are a deeply divided Nation whose President said last week that Civil war is a possibility. He is not wrong as the Nation has become so divided & polarized, with no leadership & no hope or trust in politics. Things have become so bitter, there will be no consensus or agreement & one side will be excluded, which in turn will lead to violence, which has already started.
Macron must take responsibility for the mess, along with the failure of mainstream politics & the failures of the EU.
@SV3tN8M4: You’re talking sh**e !
I live in France. Calmer heads won today and hysterics like you lost.
There are problems and we’ll see how this new situation deals with them.
Calmer heads like the Far Left & Communists who can’t even agree who will lead them, your the one deflecting & talking sh###.
Far-right are so out of touch with issues the matter most to the general public, it’s laughable. One issue that caused people to recoil from them after the first round was the many pro-russian sound bites that appeared, including the suspension of aid for Ukraine.
to give a perspective on what is actually happening because many people here seem to not understand what is going on during these French election: 1) during the first round any number of candidates may participate, the top three candidates with the most votes move on to the second round. 2) In order to not split the vote for the left wing parties created an alliance ‘Le Nouveau Front Populaire’ (NFP) and the centre, Macron and his allies, created ‘Ensemble’ (En). 3) In order to prevent the populist
‘Rassemblement National’ (RN) from acheiving a majority during the second round of voting, whenever a NFP or En cantidate finished in third after the first round of voting, they withdrew their candidacy for the second round and instructed their voters to vote against the RN candidate. The first round was not a protest vote as some are suggesting, the second round has just been manipulated with tactical voting tactics in order to prevent the RN from gaining power by, rather ironically, chipping away at the democratic process.
@Be Lucky: That’s how it works in France !
They (RN) are clearly not trusted when push comes to shove.
@Be Lucky:
Thanks for the information,but it looks like manipulation of the results,from the first round..
What other country does that ? It seems unfair regardless of who the parties are.
Left in power. Should be good for Ireland so seeing as we’re always told if that happened here businesses would flee in droves for other countries so we can now expect loads of french companies now bringing their billions to come here for safety!
On for the hattrick.
Come on Biden!
@Argus Romsworth:
Unfortunately I can’t see that happening
Brilliant for France. Shame something like this couldn’t happen in Ireland.
@plavin: Let’s speak in 30 years’ time. Europe as a whole has a short window of probably a decade or less to turn things around. The left in power in France will only speed up to the decline. Ireland is actually in one of the best positions, viz a viz demography and economy.
Not more lefties
Some people are celebrating here.
Left-wing and right-wing are false choices in the long run; after all, I mentioned that prejudice (right-wing) is formalised as a misadventure of academics ( left-wing) called natural selection, and nobody sees it as an opportunity to remove prejudice as Victorian natural selection.
There is no racism nor racists, for that means assenting to the belief that humanity is made up of ‘races’. It is a testament to commenters here that those who believe themselves to be on opposite sides of the political spectrum share the same reverence for formalised prejudice as the Nazis once did.
There is no courage in accusing others of falsehoods when commenters lack the bravery to identify shortcomings in their own views
@Gerald Kelleher: sure doesn’t the earth revolve once every 24h as well no ?
Language is often approximative and no one should get hung up on semantics :)
@Gerald Kelleher: A lot of people have been killed because of racist beliefs.
So there are certainly racists.
And you don’t seem to understand the very simple concept of Natural Selection either.
If a gene gives a member of a species an advantage, then that member is more likely to survive longer and pass on that gene.
If a gene puts a member of a species at a disadvantage then that member is less likely to survive longer and less like to pass on that gene.
That is the concept of Natural Selection.
It is simple common sense.
This is an absolute disaster.
Smart Macron. In a way I would have liked to see what the FR would have delivered. I fear them too but surely they won’t have started a WW like the Nazis did? Because they actually like Putin? Or would they have invited Putin to take over EU?
@smatrix mantra: They are working to ensure the victory of russia.
That is a sure and certain way to bring more war to Europe.
Far left is as bad as far right ……. or us that hate speech
@Ger Whelan: My account is as real as yours is. I just prefer not to splash my name all over the Internet. You post complete and utter tripe and never address any of the difficult questions you are asked. You dodge them like the far right coward that you are.
It’s a move to the edges which is not good.
The differences between the left and right get smaller the farther away from the centre you get as they tend to focus more on control than ideology.
have your say