Nightwing

Italy’s 5Stars complete shift to traditional party Once proudly anti-establishment, Italy’s 5Star Movement completed its transformation into a conventional political party after members approved a revamp pushed by former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Since coming to power in 2018, the 5Stars have struggled with a loose organizational structure, which left decision-making responsibilities unclear. Since 2019 they have also been rudderless, after Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio resigned as leader, leading to a period of turbulence and internal schisms. The populist movement won more than 33 percent of the vote in the last general election in 2018, more than any other party. But during its time in power — first in coalition with Matteo Salvini’s far-right League party, then with the center-left Democratic Party and now in a broad coalition under Draghi — the party has seen its support dwindle. It is currently fourth in opinion pollswith around 15 percent of the vote. https://www.politico.eu/article/italy-5star-movement-conte-anti-establishment-crimi/amp/

Not the uni vs work experience debate spilling into this thread

France puts EDF reform on hold French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday backed away from a proposal to split up and further privatize majority state-owned utility Électricité de France (EDF) — something that could have hampered his bid to win a second term in office next year. Thursday’s decision is a sign of the political heft of EDF, created in 1946 to consolidate hundreds of operators and entirely rebuild the country’s transmission grid by war hero and then-leader of France’s provisional government General Charles de Gaulle. “Beyond the energy stakes, the question of EDF is also one of emotional attachment for many French citizens,” said Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, the director of the Jacques Delors Institute’s energy center. “Making such a reform nine months before the presidential elections would have been political suicide for Emmanuel Macron, who would then have offered his opponents, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen in particular, a golden subject.” Since 2010, the EU has also required EDF to make a portion of the nuclear electricity it produces available for its competitors to purchase at a fixed price of €42 per megawatt-hour — a measure meant to help alternative power providers flourish. The requirement has been decried domestically for contributing to the group’s €41 billion debt load. Macron’s plan to reform EDF — initially dubbed Project Hercules in 2019, then rebaptized Grand EDF this May in the face of intense union opposition — would split up the group to allay competition concerns in Brussels, and throw the company a financial lifeline with a higher negotiated price for the nuclear power it’s required to sell. https://www.politico.eu/article/france-edf-reform-on-hold/amp/

Spain is worse than even Greece? Wow that’s shocking

Saint Lucia general election results The tiny island nation of Saint Lucia held a general election where Saint Lucia Labour Party received a majority with 49.89% of the vote. They gain +7 seats and and now have 13 while the United Worker’s Party now have 2 seats, after losing 9. Two independent candidates were elected as well. Far-right Vox and the centre-right People’s Party have broken relations The statement as a persona 'non grata' of Santiago Abascal in Ceuta last Friday, which went ahead with the abstention of the PP, is being used by Vox to load the inks against the leader of the opposition, Pablo Casado, at a time of growth of the PP. The [PP] interpret the operation precisely in that key: the right is in a position to forge an alternative, but this is produced by the strong rise of the PP while Vox retreats. But it is also true that within the PP there have been internal doubts about how to respond to what happened on Friday, with an unequivocal attempt to lower the profile. That's just the opposite of Vox. Yesterday, during [the] usual press conference on Mondays, Vox made [their] deep discomfort with the [PP] very clear after what some already consider a point of no return. "We consider that the PP, with its abstention and Vivas' statements, has broken relations with Vox, we take note and we consider relations broken," said the vice president of Vox's Political Action Committee, Jorge Buxadé. Abascal's formation already speaks openly of a break with the PP and threatens not to support some parliamentary initiatives at all territorial levels. https://www.abc.es/espana/abci-y-pp-enfrentan-mejor-momento-derecha-encuestas-202107262045_noticia_amp.html

Tunisia’s president has suspended parliament and dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi in a move condemned as an attack on democracy by his rivals but which others greeted with celebrations on the streets Tunisian Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi accused President Saied of launching “a coup against the revolution and constitution” after the move. Tunis-based journalist Rabeb Aloui told Al Jazeera that Saied’s move did not come as a surprise, as he had threatened to dissolve parliament and sack the prime minister. She said many young Tunisians, particularly those who were protesting on Sunday, have expressed joy at the announcement.

Ile-de-France region's president Valérie Pécresse announces presidential bid Pécresse’s announcement was not a surprise, as she had long mulled a presidential run. However, her candidacy will further crowd the center-right space, where French President Emmanuel Macron and Xavier Bertrand — like Pécresse a former member of conservative party Les Républicains — are also positioning themselves. The veteran politician, who was twice a Cabinet minister and spokesperson for the government under former President Nicolas Sarkozy, is no longer a formal member of Les Républicains. She remains close to the political organization, and has created her own movement called Libres! Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.eu/article/head-of-paris-region-valerie-pecresse-announces-presidential-run/amp/

❤️

Fujimori finally concedes after a weeks long campaign to dispute the results of the presidential election citing voter fraud, despite the election being declared free and fair by international standards. Leftist candidate Pedro Castillo will be confirmed the winner. Here’s a good article on this: https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Peru-to-Officially-Declare-Pedro-Castillo-as-the-New-President-20210718-0002.html

Nearly 114,000 demonstrators across France against health pass and vaccination From Paris to Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales) via Lyon (Rhône) or Quimper (Finistère), nearly 114,000 people demonstrated, according to the Ministry of the Interior, Saturday, July 17, against vaccination and the health pass, which will be required in many places from August. At the head of the procession, where the French flags flourished, were former number two of the National Front, Florian Philippot, as well as singer Francis Lalanne, or Jacline Mouraux, muse of the "yellow vests". Before the demonstration, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, President of Stand Up France, held a press conference before the Constitutional Council. There was, following Emmanuel Macron's announcements, a "unprecedented abuse of power" and a "health coup". With the health pass in everyday life, it is, according to him, the "beginning of a gear towards a dictatorship". Several people wore yellow stars on their T-shirts and carried signs drawing a parallel between the hunt for Jews and, according to them, against opponents of vaccines. https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2021/07/17/passe-sanitaire-des-milliers-de-manifestants-en-france-contre-son-extension-et-contre-la-vaccination_6088599_3244.html

This was interesting…

It’s gotten very dire in South Africa

After a slow couple weeks in the world of politics, I finally have another election to cover As of Monday morning, PAS (Party of Action and Solidarity) was on course to receive 63 of the 101 available parliament seats, according to preliminary results. It’s an outcome that gives the party significant clout. The PAS’s main opposition will be the Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists, led by ex-Presidents Igor Dodon and Vladimir Voronin. The bloc is set to receive 32 seats. Filling out the parliament is the Șor Party, which is expected to receive six seats. Șor is headed by controversial businessman Ilan Shor, who lives in Israel and is being tried in absentia over a nearly $1 billion bank fraud in 2014. The results will create “by far the most pro-EU government Moldova ever had,” said Valeriu Paşa, a pollster and head of WatchDog.md, an NGO. Resounding victory for the EU, Moldova and the centre-right.

No surprise here but hoping the NDP can actually increase their number of seats in the next election. Polling generally has them performing well. Then again the next federal election is in 2023 and a lot can change from now to then

Yes it all seems performative

Sánchez said it represented “a generational renewal” because the mean age of the ministers was now 50 instead of 55. Women now make up 63 percent over 54 percent in the previous government Foreign Affairs Minister Arancha González Laya was replaced by Jose Manuel Albares, who was Spain’s ambassador to France. Socialist Carmen Calvo, who was number two in the government, has also left the cabinet.

True but even then it’s still a poor result

Labour barely holds on to Batley & Spen

Here’s a good map to check out the results of the French regional elections: https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2021/06/27/departementales-2021-la-carte-des-resultats-canton-par-canton_6085938_4355770.html Here’s a good summary of the election and what the results mean: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.france24.com/en/europe/20210627-france-goes-to-the-polls-for-second-round-of-regional-elections

Will be sad to see her go as she’s been a good leader. Hopefully her successor will carry her legacy.

Sad innit

They did end up dropping the investigation. Don’t know why they had one in first place. It’s just a pride armband like it’s not that serious I get why they’d be upset over the stadium colors though. Still dumb though.