Could the political success of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the aftermath of the 2014 European elections undermine Tory success in the 2015 British elections?
Cas Mudde

Alternative for Germany hold election rally at Brandenburg gate in Berlin, May 2014. Demotix/Theo Schneider. All rights reserved

Elections always have their many winners, and the 2014 European elections are no exception. The European People’s Party (EPP) and Spitzenkandidat Jean-Claude Juncker claimed victory because, despite significant losses, it is still the largest political group in the European Parliament (EP). The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and their candidate for European Commission president Martin Schulz consider themselves winners, as they narrowed the gap with the EPP. Even the Alliance for Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE) and its candidate Guy Verhofstadt, famous for living in an alternate universe, tried to reframe their historic electoral defeat as a political victory, claiming that they are still kingmakers in the European Parliament. (more…)

70 år etter den allierte invasjonen av Normandie i Frankrike kan du fremdeles se rørende møter mellom sivile og krigs­veteraner.
Arild Berg Karlsen

Et amerikansk flagg vaier over over et monument over den allierte invasjonen i Normandie for 70 år siden i Colleville-sur-mer.
FOTO: Theo Schneider, Demotix

En fransk kvinne i 40-årene krysser den smale gaten og ser den gamle, britiske krigsveteranen rett inn i øynene. Hun griper hans høyre hånd med begge sine og sier: «Thank you. Thank you!» Så går hun videre.

Dette lille, men sterke møtet fant sted i travle Bayeux, Normandie i Frankrike denne uken.

Kvinnen, som åpenbart er født mange år etter krigen, ville takke den rundt 90 år gamle britiske mannen for den innsatsen han hadde gjort for at hun kunne få vokse opp i et fritt Frankrike. (more…)