Liberal Free Democrats Would Keep Merkel Sharp

Atlantic SentinelSeptember 18, 2017July 31, 2020

Christian Lindner, leader of Germany's Free Democratic Party, gives a news conference in Berlin, January 30, 2018 — Christian Lindner, leader of Germany’s Free Democratic Party, gives a news conference in Berlin, January 30, 2018 (Shutterstock)

There is little doubt Angela Merkel will win reelection in Germany on Sunday. Her Christian Democrats are projected to win up to 40 percent support against 25 percent for the second party, the Social Democrats.

The two could continue to share power in a “grand coalition”, but we’re hoping the liberal Free Democrats will win enough seats to help form a center-right government instead.

Polls suggest that the two parties might just fall short of a majority. Conservative and liberal voters who want to keep the left out of power ought to give the Free Democrats their support. Read more “Liberal Free Democrats Would Keep Merkel Sharp”

May to Stay in Power with Support of Northern Ireland Unionists

Atlantic SentinelJune 9, 2017July 31, 2020

British prime minister Theresa May speaks with the American defense secretary James Mattis at Lancaster House in London, England, May 11 (DoD/Jette Carr)

Britain’s ruling Conservatives have lost their majority in Parliament, going down from 329 to 318 seats.
But they should be able to govern with support from the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, which has ten seats. Read more “May to Stay in Power with Support of Northern Ireland Unionists”

Conservatives Lose Majority in British Election

Atlantic SentinelJune 8, 2017September 27, 2021

Britain’s ruling Conservatives have lost their majority in parliamentary elections, but they remain the largest party with 317 out of 650 seats.
They can probably stay in power with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, which has ten seats.
Labour won 40 percent support nationwide and 261 seats, up 29. Read more “Conservatives Lose Majority in British Election”

Liberal Democrats Are the Least Bad Option in Britain’s Election

Atlantic SentinelJune 5, 2017July 31, 2020

British Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron (Shutterstock/Finbarr Webster)

This British election is an impossible choice for liberals like us.

We can’t possibly support Jeremy Corbyn, whose policies of nationalization and unilateral nuclear disarmament would compound the disaster of Brexit — which he did far too little to prevent — many times over.

But we are not impressed with Theresa May either. She was the best possible candidate to succeed David Cameron last summer, but only because the alternatives were worse. Many British voters could make the same calculation this week. Read more “Liberal Democrats Are the Least Bad Option in Britain’s Election”

Emmanuel Macron Wins Election in France

Atlantic SentinelMay 7, 2017July 31, 2020

Former French economy minister Emmanuel Macron changes his tie on a train, December 31, 2016 (Facebook)

Emmanuel Macron, France’s former economy minister, has defeated far-right leader Marine Le Pen with 66 to 34 percent support.
Macron is slated to be inaugurated as the eighth president of the Fifth Republic next week. He will serve a five-year term.
His next test will come in June, when France holds parliamentary elections. Macron’s centrist party, En Marche!, has no seats in the National Assembly. Read more “Emmanuel Macron Wins Election in France”

France Eyes Macron-Le Pen Runoff After First Voting Round

Atlantic SentinelApril 23, 2017September 27, 2021

The French voted in the first round of their presidential election on Sunday.
The centrist Emmanuel Macron placed first with 24 percent support, followed by nationalist party leader Marine Le Pen at 21.3 percent.
The center-right Republican candidate, François Fillon, the far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon and the ruling Socialist Party’s Benoît Hamon were eliminated from the contest.
A runoff between the two leading contenders is scheduled for Sunday, May 7.
Surveys show Macron beating Le Pen by a 20- to 30-point margin. Read more “France Eyes Macron-Le Pen Runoff After First Voting Round”

Elect Macron to Move France Forward

Atlantic SentinelApril 21, 2017July 31, 2020

Former French economy minister Emmanuel Macron changes his tie on a train, December 31, 2016 (Facebook)

For once, the French are spoilt for choice.

Their presidential elections used to be a battle for the center between the mainstream left and the mainstream right. Now there are five candidates with a reasonable chance of qualifying for the second voting round in May, including a big-government socialist, a small-government conservative, a nationalist of the left and a nationalist of the right.

Our sympathies lie with the fifth man in the middle: Emmanuel Macron. Comfortable with neither the statist inclinations of the Socialist Party nor the social conservatism of the Republicans, he launched his own progressive movement last year for the rejuvenation of France. It represents the best alternative to the anti-globalism of Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen. Read more “Elect Macron to Move France Forward”

Trump Strikes Syrian Base in Wake of Chemical Attack

Atlantic SentinelApril 7, 2017July 31, 2020

The American guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens fires a missile at an airborne drone during a live fire weapons shoot in the Pacific Ocean, September 20, 2012 (USN/Paul Kelly)

American cruise missiles struck a Syrian air base near Homs early on Friday from which the United States said a chemical attack had been launched earlier in the week.
It was the first direct American military action against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in six years. Read more “Trump Strikes Syrian Base in Wake of Chemical Attack”

Dutch Mainstream Defeats Populist Geert Wilders

Atlantic SentinelMarch 15, 2017March 13, 2021

Prime Minister Mark Rutte won the parliamentary elections in the Netherlands on Wednesday. Preliminary results put his liberal VVD in the lead to form the next government.
The Christian Democrats (CDA), left-liberal D66 and nationalist Freedom Party (PVV) would share second place.
The Greens have overtaken Labor as the largest party on the left.
Given that all major parties have ruled out a pact with the Freedom Party, a coalition of four or five parties close to the center is expected to come to power. Read more “Dutch Mainstream Defeats Populist Geert Wilders”