Mitt Romney's capitulation and Trump's impressive poll numbers show his hold over the GOP is secure I’m starting to think the alt-Right nuts have got it more correct than they realised with their cries of "Cuckservative". This grubby portmanteau, mixing cuckold and conservative, may have been purely a term of abuse, designed to belittle and ridicule their more mainstream opponents for selling out. But have you been watching what has happened to the Republican Party? The Trump takeover is complete, according to the latest opinion polls and congressional manoeuvering – almost as if their president’s grand populist project has hatched its usurper eggs in the Grand Old Party’s nest. … [Read more...] about The Republican Party has been completely taken over by Donald Trump. There is no resistance left
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Macron takes a page from Trump to change France’s labour laws
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has signed a controversial set of executive orders making sweeping changes to France’s complex labour laws at a highly stage-managed ceremony in the style of the US president, Donald Trump. The defiant signing ceremony – televised live from Macron’s desk in the Élysée Palace on Friday – appears to be part of the president’s drive to present himself as a reformer prepared to push through changes. Macron said his wide-ranging, pro-business reforms were “without precedent” in France’s postwar Fifth Republic. Two days of protests led by one trade union this month saw demonstrators take to the streets against Macron’s plans, which critics said would benefit business leaders and not workers. Macron’s changes to labour laws, which will affect all private sector workers in France, include a cap on payouts for unfair dismissals and greater freedom for employers to hire and fire. … [Read more...] about Macron takes a page from Trump to change France’s labour laws
The fear of Marine Le Pen – will the next political earthquake happen in France?
On the wall in the new presidential campaign offices of France’s Front National leader Marine Le Pen hangs a portrait of Hollywood tough guy Clint Eastwood. He might seem an odd choice of pinup for Europe’s biggest far-right, nationalist, anti-immigration party, but Le Pen admires Eastwood’s “bravery” in voting for Donald Trump in the US election last month. Dirty Harry, like Trump himself, has become something of a feel-good mascot for the French far-right’s battle for the leadership of the country. Instead of a gun, the ageing but still snarling Eastwood is pointing a blue rose, Le Pen’s new campaign symbol. Trump’s US victory blew apart any notion of foregone electoral conclusions, leading Paris’s mainstream politicians to warn that the world’s next political earthquake could happen in France. Le Pen winning the French presidential election in five months’ time – something that had always been seen as impossible … [Read more...] about The fear of Marine Le Pen – will the next political earthquake happen in France?
Ukraine hands President Zelenskiy’s party a majority: polls
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party has scored some 42% in Ukraine's parliamentary election, according to preliminary results released by Ukraine's electoral body on Monday. This puts the party far ahead of the competition, with pro-Kremlin Opposition Platform-For Life placing second with only 13% of the vote. The results came in with half of the ballots counted. The full result is expected later on Monday. Zelenskiy's party claimed it had an absolute majority on Monday morning, this would allow it to rule without a coalition. It would be the first time a political party achieved an absolute majority in Ukraine since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The 41-year-old comedian-turned-president has convinced voters of his Servant of the People party platform, which includes negotiating a political solution to the eastern Ukrainian conflict, boosting the economy and cracking down on corruption. "Our main … [Read more...] about Ukraine hands President Zelenskiy’s party a majority: polls
Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity
The Front National leader, Marine Le Pen, will attempt to pull her divided far-right party together when it meets this weekend for its first conference since she lost to Emmanuel Macron in the final round of the French presidential election. Hours before the conference opened it was revealed Donald Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon would be speaking on the first day of the event. Beset by political and personal rifts, and with her popularity in the post-election doldrums, Le Pen is facing opposition to her plan to rename the party in an attempt to improve its electoral chances. The move is seen by the traditional wing of the FN, founded by Le Pen’s father in the 1970s, as a betrayal of the party’s heritage. The new name will be voted on after it is unveiled on Sunday. The surprise guest speaker Bannon was announced on Twitter by the FN deputy president Louis Aliot. He wrote: “Welcome to Steve Bannon who will address the FN tomorrow at our congress and will … [Read more...] about Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity