Elections In Europe

Lots of elections taking place in Europe in the last few days, and parties that were associated with austerity were punished for their actions.

In local elections in the UK the Conservatives and their junior partners, the Liberal Democrats, were rejected. As Scottish TV notes: Man dressed as penguin receives more votes than the Liberal Democrats. Jams covers that and more.

After the French Presidential run-off, the Nicky and Angie show became a single as the BBC reports: Socialist Francois Hollande wins French presidency

French socialist Francois Hollande has won a clear victory in the country’s presidential election.

Mr Hollande – who got an estimated 52% of votes in Sunday’s run-off – said the French had chosen “change”.

Admitting defeat, centre-right incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy wished “good luck” to Mr Hollande.

In Greek parliamentary elections the two parties that made up the ruling coalition suffered major losses, as the BBC reportsL Greek main parties ‘suffer big losses’ at polls

Partial results in Greece’s parliamentary election suggest the two main parties have seen dramatic losses.

With half the votes counted, centre-right New Democracy is in the lead with 20%, down from 33.5% in 2009.

Centre-left Pasok is in third place with 13.8%, down from 43.9% in the last elections. Left-wing coalition Syriza is in second place with 16.06%.

Pasok and New Democracy, in coalition since last November, were expected to lose support to anti-austerity parties.
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The neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party could enter parliament for the first time if the exit poll prediction of it winning 6.5% -7.5% of the vote comes to fruition.

There is no majority party, so the new government will have to be a coalition of some kind, but it cannot continue the national suicide of austerity in a severe recession. Of course the media will focus on the possibility of the Golden Dawn entering parliament and glide by the refutation of austerity which is common in all of these elections. Austerity is bad economics as well as bad politics.