Spain has an election tomorrow with the result very much in the balance. The Socialists are slight favourites but if the Popular Party does win the election we could well be heading in the near future to a situation where all the world's major industrialised democracies are governed by the right. At the moment the major developed countries are split, with the right governing the USA, Canada, Japan Germany (albeit in a coalition with the left) and France whereas the left is in charge in Spain, Italy and of course the UK. Italy has an election coming up too and Burlusconi is the clear favourite to be the next Prime Minister, in the UK the Tories have consistently been polling better than Labour for months, although there isn't an election until 2009 at the earliest. Even so it's possible that after the next UK general election the world may well move in the direction of a broad centre right consensus.
Update: Boo hiss, the Socialists have won in Spain thus ruining my plot for global right wing domination.
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6 comments:
Say, isn't there some sort of election in the USA coming up soon? That could skewer your idea. It would be typical of the the US out of step with world opinion! (Sarcasm there)
"Say, isn't there some sort of election in the USA coming up soon?"
So I've heard.
And don't forget plucky little Malta, which is not only voting today ( with a miserable turnout of 93%, the lowest for almost forty years ) but is about to return the island to a socialist hell.
Blognor Regis, with either Obama or Clinton in power, America would still have a centre-right government by European standards.
Marvin, I think the extent to which US politics is to the right of British and European politics is exaggerated to some extent. There are some issues where the Democrats have positions well to the right of European centre right parties, such as healthcare, gun control, defence and the death penalty but having said that the Republicans are to the left of most European centre left parties on issues like immigration and affirmative action. This article on the subject is very good imho.
Peter, all may not be lost yet.
By historical American standards, Bush is a lefty. Grotesquely spendthrift, warmongering, immigration-friendly, and happy to override the Constitution.
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