A little thread on the upcoming danish election. You guys might want to see how things are done here. Well, I'm excited anyway. The rules: There are 179 seats, 175 from Denmark, two from Greenland and two from the faroe islands. There is only one election round. If a party does not optain at least 2% of the votes, it is excluded and those votes are lost. The current election must be held no later that 12 november 2011. After the election, the party leaders meet with the queen and agree to appoint a Prime Minister. The party leaders "vote" with as many seats as their party holds. The PM then appoints the other ministers. DISCLAIMER: My personal opinon may sneak in here and there. Now the parties, from left to right: Symbol: Ø Name: Unity list (Enhedslisten). Motto: "The red/green party." Main agenda: Take from the rich, give to the poor. Horray for planet. Core voters: Far left idealists. Poll: 4,6% (8 seats). Comment: This is a group of far left fractions that have banded together in order to stand a realistic chance of getting seats. There is no leader, but instead "collective rule". Symbol: F Name: Socialist people's party (Socialistisk folkeparti). Motto: "It can be done." Main agenda: No cut backs, tax the rich and car owners. Blame the current government for the economic crisis. Core voters: The unemployed. Poll: 13,4% (24 seats). Comment: Claims to have some grand economic recovery plan worked out in unison with the social democrats (A). Leader walks in front of gay pride parade (but is not gay). Symbol: A Name: Social democrats (Socialdemokratiet). Motto: "Together for Denmark." Main agenda: Same as (F). Core voters: Working class. Poll: 27,9% (49 seats). Comment: The traditional workers party. The other half of the grand recovery plan. Leader is a woman. F and A leaders shown together on posters and even on web site. You could almost think they where married! Symbol: B Name: The radical left (Det radikale venstre). Motto: "Take responsibility." Main agenda: Pro-immigration, pro-EU. Core voters: Immigrants. Poll: 7,6% (13 seats). Comment: This party seems to be the most pro-immiration there is. Leader is a woman. Symbol: K Name: Cristian democrats (Kristendemokraterne). Motto: "Creating the future together." Main agenda: Cristian values. Core voters: Cristians (I guess). Poll: 0,5% (0 seats). Comment: It does not look like they will make the 2% cut-off, so voting for these guys might be a waste of your vote. Symbol: I Name: Liberal alliance (Liberal alliance). Motto: "Denmarks only true liberal party." Main agenda: Lower taxes, minimal state. Freedom under responsibility. Core voters: Unclear, as the party is new. Poll: 3,3% (6 seats). Comment: The newest party. Broke away from the radicals. Maybe I should have put this party further down the list. Symbol: V Name: Left (Venstre). Horrible name, they are part of the right wing block. Motto: "Sustainable welfare." Main agenda: Keep the welfare state. A responsible economic policy. Core voters: New money, white collar workers. Poll: 23,5% (41 seats) Comment: Currently the largest party and in government with support from C and O. PM left to become leader of NATO. New PM has big shoes to fill. Claims that the current econimic crisis would be far worse if not for their many years of sound econimic policies. Blames crisis on outside factors. PM recently made an unpopular cut to pensions. Symbol: C Name: Convervatives (Konservative). Motto: "Sense and renewal." Main agenda: Lower taxes, education, law and order. Core voters: Old money. Poll: 6,5% (12 seats). Comment: This party has been in steady decline for many years. Symbol: O Name: Danish people's party (Dansk folkeparti). Motto: "Your country - your choise." Main agenda: Anti-immigration, anti-EU. Core voters: Old folks. Poll: 12,7% (22 seats). Comment: Has been on the rise for the last couple of elections. Leader rules with an iron boot, members frequently excluded. Leader is a woman. To sum up: Red block (Ø+F+A+B): 94 seats. Leader of A set to become PM if possible. Blue Block (I+V+C+O): 81 seats. Leader of V set to become PM if possible. So right now it looks like we get a new, red government. I'm personally not too happy about this. But it is still early days. Both sides are currently sucking up to the homeowners. Many of them are in trouble and can't sell their homes because prices have fallen below the debt they owe. The reds make a strong front and lends credibility to each other through their common economic recovery plan. The blues got more of the same old. The joker here could be the new Liberal Alliance party. Many voters from the blue block feels that their parties have been leaning too far left recently. But the Liberal Alliance is most likely to steal voters from V or C anyway. Questions? Comments? I'll try to keep this updated if or when something happens, maybe once a week.
I will be voting for the Dansk Folkeparti. I do not want my children to grow up in a middle eastern country. Denmark gives more aid (per capita) to poor countries than any other nation. Danes have already done, and continue to do, more than their fair share of good for humanity. Let Saudi Arabia or Brazil take in the arab refugees. Be honest, most danes would far prefer other Europeans to be their girlfriends/boyfriends than middle easterners. Bringing middle easterners into our children's schools will just make it more difficult for our children to find serious marriage partners, since many people meet their future marriage partners in school. If 50% of the students in the classroom are from another ethnicity, that cuts the chances of finding love down by half! Bringing in more people will also make everything more crowded and make housing even less affordable for our young adults.
Do you vote with a list system? Are there individual constituencies? Surely one percent of the vote should allow you to have a seat in parliament? What about independents?
Interesting stuff. I do wonder how indepedantly members of the various parties act (outside elections) or if it effectively works like a two party system? For example, do parliamentary votes tend to go along the red block/blue block lines or do individual parties often vote against their block on significant issues? One all too familiar thing that did catch my eye is the "Blame the current government for the economic crisis." and "Claims that the current econimic crisis would be far worse if not for their many years of sound econimic policies. Blames crisis on outside factors.". For all our differences, we've still all got a lot in common.
Technically, we vote by the Sainte-Laguë method. You can vote for either a party or for an individual. The party votes are distributed among the candidates for that party. A very popular candidate may sometimes drag a lesser one along with him. Some parties have an ordered list, some have equal candidates. There is a 2% cut-off. Votes may be wasted. In France there are two rounds to prevent this, but not in Denmark. It is rare for independants to get elected, but has happend. Once a comedian ran for parlament as a joke, but his promise of less headwind on the bicycle lanes must really have struck a cord, because he got elected. Parties mainly stick to their blocks, but it has happend that a party has jumped ship between elections. That resulted in a minority government and much debate with little action.
Five young far left "activists" attempts to set fire to the police academy, the HQ of a major bank and several fur trading companies. They also planned to set the parlament on fire. They are now arrested and charged with terrorism. The Danish people's party (O) is critizing the Unity Party (Ø) for not condemming these guys, as they are members of a youth movement associated with the far left. In retalliation, The Unity Party attempts to link The Danish People's Party with the norwegian mass murderer Breivik, claiming that they share the same ideology. So no love lost between those two parties. Meanwhile, the two major parties, V and A, continue their bizarre limbo dance. Each tries to underbid the other with tax breaks for home owners. V claims that A stole their idea, A denies. V then does a near-impossible limbo move and makes the taxs breaks retroactive! But the left is not done yet. They propose a toll pay ring around inner Copenhagen, just like London, charging $5 for entering or leaving by car during rush hour. The profits will be used to boost public transportation. As the coffers are empty, they have thought up a clever way to finance this: Use peoples pension funds.
There are two main axii(?) in danish politics: The traditional left-right, which is more about wealth redestribution, and the pro/anti immigration axis. Losing to the reds does not bother me so much in the economic sense. Many of the laws they make can be undone later. It's just money anyway. Minor annoyances, like warning labels on sodas saying "This might make you fat", and other such stupitidy, that I can ignore. But I'm afraid that the left will open the doors wide and let just about anyone into the country. This can not be undone, when they are in, they stay in.
Excellent assessment. So true! Yes, the true forces in danish politics are economic class, and immigration fits into that. Completely agree with your opinion. Economic "redistribution" is always undoable later, but changing the ethnic identity of Denmark is irreversible. I would rather live under a communist dictatorship than have my children grow up in a middle eastern country- with all the violence, brutal rapes, and poverty that come along with it. When housing gets unaffordable and good jobs become hard to find, europeans feel that they cannot afford to have as many children, and delay the start of families. But muslims just keep having many children whether they can afford to or not. Another question we should be asking ourselves is whether there will be enough good jobs and houses to go around for all the muslim children that are being born. This will either mean reduced standards of living for danes, or perpetual poverty and welfare dependance for a large permanent muslim population. Is this really what we want in our country?
I'm glad you liked it. I fail to see how immigration can be good for Denmark in any way. Maybe some highly educated doctor or other specialist, but those are very, very rare. The vast majority have no relevant education and don't even speak danish. How are they a gain in any way? They are just more people competing for the same resourses. Of all the parties to choose from, only the Danish People's Party is outright against immigration. The other parties are either for it or just talk. I'm not crazy about those DPP guys, but it's the only party that gets things done.
This is what muslims think of our country... in pakistan: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_flsfvDeLW...GIgpw/s1600/Protesters-in-Peshawar-bu-001.jpg http://www.joshuadysart.com/journal...80206182600.photo02.photo.default-317x323.jpg http://www.rnw.nl/data/files/images/lead/030110 Pakistan cartoon Westergaard EPA ANP-7106937_1.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_md61S_gCh...ao/eD4gZyMESs4/s400/pakistanmotoonmadness.jpg (apparently they do not like the Norwegians either) in the palestinian territories: in lebanon: http://www.chaaban.info/wp-content/Lebanon_palestinian_refugee_burn_danish_flag.jpg in iran: http://www.britannica.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/danish-cartoon-outrage.jpg muslims overran the swedish embassy in malaysia and burnt their flags: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_U54NM9QE5...6gA/s640/malaysia+burning+of+swedish+flag.jpg I think you get the general idea... muslim groups are bent on the destruction of Scandinavia! Of course, they are all too happy to accept foreign aid, welfare payments, free education, free apartments, and asylum. But all that in no way diminishes their hate against us. The freedom of speech is incompatible with middle easterners, however "integrated" we try to make them.
Economy rules so government policy is pragmatism, it doesn't really make much difference which block actually is in power. I predict no foreigner will be able to discern any difference in policy before and after the election whoever wins.
Bang a gong, it is on! The PM sets the election date at 12 September, just 20 days from now. A lot sooner than I expeced. Boy did the posters go up quick. 15 minutes after the announcement and BAM one in every lamppost. I other news, the Copenhagen city counsel OKs the building of a new grand mosque. 32 meters tall and placed in the inner city. It is financed by the state of Iran, but no one sees a problem in that...
Yet another mosque to radicalize young muslim minds. I do not really have any proplem with Islam, just the intolerant, violent, repressful, and disrespectful culture that seems to be associated with it in the muslim world. When I say "muslims", I am not trying to single out people because of their mere religion; what I actually mean to say is middle easterners.
E-day minus 18: The first live TV debate between the leaders of V and A end in a draw. The political commentators seems to agree on that much. Then today, in a surprise move, The Radicals (B) and the Conservatives (C) make an alliance. My first reaction: What?! That seems to be everybody elses reaction too. But lets us analyse the situation: Red block wins, B pulls C into influence. This is at the expence of the far left Unity Party (Ø). Marginal win for B, huge win for C. Blue block wins, C pulls B into influence at the expence of far right Danish Peoples Party (O). Huge win for B, marginal win for C. The losers are Ø and O who will get no influence regardless of who wins. B and C gains by pulling the next government towards the center. But if we look at the second axis regarding immigration, then Yay-immigration party B just won over Nay-immigration party O. In other news, someone has been puttiing stickers on the official election posters saying "Allah makes the laws" and "Democracy is Hypocracy". If you thought that Islam was just a religion, think again. It is a political movement and an anti-democratic one at that.
I think it is obvious what is happening. The main political parties are teaming up to exclude the Danish Peoples Party. Never mind conservative or liberal; apparently the "O" is pure evil that must be opposed by all means possible. That the Radical Left and Conservatives (C) made an alliance should really not be surprising for anyone that has been paying attention to what has really been going on. The Conservatives want cheap labor and to weaken the power of workers unions, doing this all under the guise of "multiculturalism". The idealistic Radicals will get their "diversity". Basically, the Conservatives have all the money to finance election campaigns, while the Radical Left has the large numbers of naive supporters. It is a marriage made in heaven... or hell, depending on your perspective.
So what's up for today? Kamal Qureshi of the Socialist People's Party gets attacked and puched by members of Hizb 'ut Tahrir. Kamal also got a headbutt. Hizb 'ut Tahrir thinks that Kamal is wrong to acknowledge gays. Unrelated to that, there was a shootout outside a mosque in inner Copenhagen. Two groups of pakistani muslims got into a fight under the Eid-festival and this resulted in a shooting as one group left the mosque. One person is dead and another injured. The shooter is arrested. And a little picture from those election posters that got vandalized. That is Yildiz Akdogan of the Social Democrats. Allah makes the laws, so shut up b**** and cook me a kebab! LOL!
E-Day minus 12 Not much happening. The polls are frozen in place. The economy is not as bad off as first thought, new numbers show. Denmark is NOT in a ressecion. This is seen as a victory for the current PM. The debate is shifting from the economy towards immigration. It is unclear if red block will keep the 24-year rule or not.The Radicals and the Unity List says no, The Social Democrats say yes and the Socialist People's party is kind of "iffy".
well, actually most danes meet their live-in partners in school. marriage comes a little later in life actually... but still...
Gosh, you arent actually joking, are you? I have heard a few anti immigration arguments before - i hold a few myself - but having less of my school friends to marry is very bizarre indeed. Im british via kiwi, i think most westerns cultures it would be very uncommon for your spouse to be someone you went to school with. In fact, so unusual we actually have a special term for it: "marrying one's childhood sweatheart" Min kaereste is danish actually. I told her what you said, and she looked as perplexed as I was, as she doesnt know anyone whom found their partner thru going to school with them. Like everyone else, its usually parties, jobs, pubs, hobbies, etc, etc. She told me to ask if you are from one of those backwater christian places i Vest Jylland...where this sort of thing is quite common, apparently?? Which would be ironic to me, as it sounds like the sort of custom one would hear about in the pakistani tribal areas As a side note, as regards reserving your immigration to us Westerner Europeans as, presumably, we are more alike. Sorry to burst your bubble, but most of us whiteys whom have had the pleasure of living in denmark - such as myself - find your country as xenophobic, alien, and intolerant toward us as the blackies do.
One week to go! The polls still look in favor of the red block. The debate is turning dirty with a personal attack on the leader of the Social Democrats. A tax case that is already resolved, but it can be brought up at the last minute, I suppose. Meanwhile, the Unity List (Ø) admits to being outright communists. The Socialist People's Party (F) is not far behind and wants to nationalize everything. Think about that for a minute. If you thought communism was dead, think again! The Danish People's Party tries to turn the debate toward the immigration issue. Fair enough, it is their whole "thing" after all. They demand that the left comes clear about how they will handle the issue. The Unity List and the Radicals intend to open the doors wide and hang out a "Welcome" banner. The radicals motto: "We trust strangers". I'm not kidding. The Socialist Peoples Party wants the same, but has apparently made a deal with the Social Democrats to shut up about it. The Social Democrats merely wants to ease restrictions. This could play into the hands of the blue block....Maybe. People are also starting to whine about this pay ring around Copenhagen. "But I live on one said and work on the other whine whine whnie". Which is why the pay ring is a bad idea in the first place. It hits a fairly random segment of people pretty hard. Calculations show that the ring will just about pay for itself. So it basically taxes some random people and throws the money away. Warning: Rant ahead: After discussing some thing with a guy at work, I finally begin to understand a little about how the "reds" think. It boils down to something like this: People are too dumb for their own money. If left on their own, people will drink or gambe the money away. Therefore the gov'ment must administer everybodys money and tell people when to spend it and what to spend it on. I find this insulting. While it is true that some people can not administer their money, most people can and why should they be treated like kids? This is the recurring theme in the reds thinking. People don't know what is good for them, so the gov'ment must choose for them. This is the "Big Mother" society. There is also no seperation between your and my money. It's all money to them. The gov'ments money! No, I'm not a big fan of red politics. I would rather have a society of responsible adults. Some should be richer than most if they are talented and hard working. Some people are not responsible and will hurt themselves, but so be it.
Very good analysis of your parties. The interesting thing about Danish politics, if you were to compare it with somewhere like the Uk, is that the general mainstream political culture is on the left, with a left-right axis within that. Whereas the Uk its on the right, with a left-right axis within that. So where the 3 main national parties in the Uk parliament (we dont have PR) all work within a starting basis of neoclassical capitalism, all the danish parties work within within a framework of keynesian social democractic tax and spend/welfare. In that sense, due to the DF following quasi-socialist economics, you could put the DF on your left spectrum, roughly where SD are. *But then again, most 'right wing' anti immigrant/racist parties are pro tax and spend and welfare for the (white/indigenous) working class. (Fascism evolved out of communism anyway).
