Macron's France.

biko

It's been a year now and the yellow vests are still ongoing, although the news is more sparse these days.
Rising fuel prices initially sparked the demonstrations but it has spread to be about economic justice.

Macron's police lash out at anything and everyone.

The latest is police clashing with firefighters
https://www.thelocal.fr/20191015/in-pictures-french-firefighters-clash-with-riot-police-in-paris

https://twitter.com/ScotJock/status/1184860957887094784

Cheerful Spring2

Spain the same, after they handed down court sentences to separatists leaders.

https://news.sky.com/story/barcelona-dozens-injured-as-catalonia-independence-protests-intensify-11838332

Boggles

The French protesting!

Surely not?

Pa ElGrande

France: Understanding the Gilets Jaunes Uprising

The vast majority haven't been told the truth about life for ordinary citizens, in France. As a result, they don’t understand the significance of the violent ‘gilets jaunes’ protests across the country. Having lived in France for years, REX explains why these are the most important protests in France since 1968 - and likely a beacon for citizens all across Europe.

read on

mad muffin

The French people have always been nationalist. Macron is the most globalist President they have had and they won’t stand for it anymore.

Gringo180

Macron is just another E.U puppet whos strings are been pulled in Brussells. Unfortunately like our very own Varadkar. The E.U is on the brink of collapse, its working class citizens have had enough of economic turmoil and the huge influx of refugees that there infastructure has no room for.

a very cool kid

Gringo180 wrote: »

Macron is just another E.U puppet whos strings are been pulled in Brussells. Unfortunately like our very own Varadkar. The E.U is on the brink of collapse, its working class citizens have had enough of economic turmoil and the huge influx of refugees that there infastructure has no room for.

You sound like you would love the EU to collapse (which would be terrible)

Wanderer78

Gringo180 wrote:

Macron is just another E.U puppet whos strings are been pulled in Brussells. Unfortunately like our very own Varadkar. The E.U is on the brink of collapse, its working class citizens have had enough of economic turmoil and the huge influx of refugees that there infastructure has no room for.

The EU isn't collapsing, but it is in a state of flux, reforming it would be a good start, a collapsed EU would be detrimental for us all, if you think the crash was bad....

Seth Brundle

Gringo180 wrote: »

Macron is just another E.U puppet whos strings are been pulled in Brussells. Unfortunately like our very own Varadkar. The E.U is on the brink of collapse, its working class citizens have had enough of economic turmoil and the huge influx of refugees that there infastructure has no room for.

More of this nonsense! :rolleyes:
1. How is Macron a puppet? Who is pulling his strings and to what end?
2. Same Qs regarding Varadkar
3. In what way is the EU on the brink of collapse?

rossie1977

biko wrote: »

It's been a year now and the yellow vests are still ongoing, although the news is more sparse these days.
Rising fuel prices initially sparked the demonstrations but it has spread to be about economic justice.

That was just straw that broke camels back.

Yellow vest protests was always about economic justice from day one

It's rural French who feel their government over decades has abandoned them with their neo liberal policies.

For years the rural working class French have seen services like schools, post offices, hospitals, police/fire disappear while taxes have increased for them and cut for corporations and the ultra wealthy. It was a powder keg waiting to explode.

Ironically the gap between the top 1% and everyone else in the US is widening at a far far faster rate than in France since 1980. When that powder keg blows you will hear the sound around the world..

Thelonious Monk

The same people who talk about the hallowed "working class" having enough of immigration and cuts to services are also the same people who balk at the idea of rich people having to pay more and more taxes to even out wealth distribution labelling the very idea as socialist as communist.

Gringo180

Seth Brundle wrote: »

More of this nonsense! :rolleyes:
1. How is Macron a puppet? Who is pulling his strings and to what end?
2. Same Qs regarding Varadkar
3. In what way is the EU on the brink of collapse?

If you ask most people in the E.U the majority would think its on the verge of collapse. Our democracy is being slowly eroded away, theres even talk of a European army, were Ireland not just a star on the E.U flag.

Some people go on like it would be the end of the world if the E.U collapsed.

4068ac1elhodqr

They choose their cake, now they can eat it.

The only other two viable choices were LePen(r) and (l) Mr Mélenchon. The former was offering environmental protection and increased labour rights. In the past he has proposed a 100 per cent income tax on French residents who earn over €360,000 a year (to reduce the growing wealth divide). He also was keen on a 100-billion-euro economic stimulus plan, good-time 4day work weeks, handy 35hrs max, and likely those jolly 2hr lunches.

Donnielighto

Gringo180 wrote: »

If you ask most people in the E.U the majority would think its on the verge of collapse. Our democracy is being slowly eroded away, theres even talk of a European army, were Ireland not just a star on the E.U flag.

Some people go on like it would be the end of the world if the E.U collapsed.

Can you provide any evidence of the first sentence. Not saying your wrong but I'd be surprised if it's the majority.

It would be pretty negative for Ireland to leave it anyway considering the benefits we've had.

Gringo180

Donnielighto wrote: »

Can you provide any evidence of the first sentence. Not saying your wrong but I'd be surprised if it's the majority.

It would be pretty negative for Ireland to leave it anyway considering the benefits we've had.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/15/majority-of-europeans-expect-end-of-eu-within-20-years

Gatling

So the EU is collapsing ,NATO should be dispanded ,let's not have an EU army and what bring back the Berlin wall and the occupation of Eastern Europe ?????

Ulysses Gaze

Gatling wrote: »

So the EU is collapsing ,NATO should be dispanded ,let's not have an EU army and what bring back the Berlin wall and the occupation of Eastern Europe ?????

topper75

If it 'collapsed' back into the simple trading block that we actually joined, that might be good for all nations. Why does a trading block need a flag/army/parliament?
Frog-boiling federalism is what sent the Brits away.

Dr. Bre

Bring back the guillotine

4068ac1elhodqr

topper75 wrote: »

If it 'collapsed' back into the simple trading block that we actually joined, that might be good for all nations.

Somewhat agree, as it's a very different group, compared to 1973.

Next to join will be the six Western Balkan countries (Albania had over 90% of IPO claims in Ire rejected last year). The EU is delaying two of these Balkan countries (Alb & Mac) as they request they make progress on improving the rule of law and fighting organized crime. This group also has about 50% the average German GDP(PP), so will need plenty of money.

Essentially the EU as we know it ceased to exist in 2016 (brexit). If it had of remained at around 12-18 states, brexit might never have happened. Perhaps France is suffering from expansion stress more than other states.

_Kaiser_

topper75 wrote: »

If it 'collapsed' back into the simple trading block that we actually joined, that might be good for all nations. Why does a trading block need a flag/army/parliament?
Frog-boiling federalism is what sent the Brits away.

Spot on. It's when the bureaucrats made an industry of the "project" in Brussels and the politicians started getting notions of a US of E that things started to unravel.

Add to it the increasing disconnect and disenfranchisement that many citizens now feel regarding the EU (as backed up by the poll linked above), and things like LePen, Brexit, Yellow Vest protests, and the rise of nationalist parties across the bloc is inevitable.

If Brexit actually happens, and the UK somehow doesn't collapse into the Stone Age (as the remainers and EU types would say is what'll happen) and worse, actually PROSPERS once the dust settles in the medium term, there'll be other countries looking for the door I reckon (not Ireland of course! Our lot are so beholden to the EU that the thing will crumble to dust and take us with it first).

Alternatively other factors like another recession or a proxy conflict may split it first.