Conservatives raced toward victory in some of Europe\u2019s largest economies Sunday as initial results and exit polls showed voters punishing left-leaning parties in European parliament elections in France, Germany and elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Some right-leaning parties said the results vindicated their reluctance to spend more on company bailouts and fiscal stimulus amid the global economic crisis.<\/p>\n
First projections by the European Union showed center-right parties would have the most seats \u2014 between 263 and 273 \u2014 in the 736-member parliament. Center-left parties were expected to get between 155 to 165 seats.<\/p>\n
\nRight-leaning governments were ahead of the opposition in Germany, France, Italy and Belgium, while conservative opposition parties were leading in Britain and Spain.
\nGreece was a notable exception, where the governing conservatives were headed for defeat in the wake of corruption scandals and economic woes.\n
Germany\u2019s Social Democrats headed to their worst showing in a nationwide election since World War II. Four months before Germany holds its own national election, the outcome boosted conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel\u2019s hopes of ending the tense left-right \u201cgrand coalition\u201d that has led the European Union\u2019s most populous nation since 2005.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are the force that is acting level-headedly and correctly in this financial and economic crisis,\u201d said Volker Kauder, the leader of Merkel\u2019s party in the German parliament.<\/p>\n
France\u2019s Interior Ministry said partial results showed the governing conservatives in the lead, with the Socialists in a distant second and the Europe Ecologie environmentalist party a close third. French Socialists said their defeat signaled a need to rethink left-wing policies if they are to have any hope of unseating President Nicolas Sarkozy.<\/p>\n
But conservatism is supposed to be dead! Aren\u2019t these people listening to President Obama who has just graced them with his presence? In times of economic woes, people are supposed to turn to the left! What does this mean?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As America embraces European-style social democracy\u2013that is, semi-socialism\u2013Europeans are embracing conservative politics and economic policies. At least that\u2019s what the results of this weekend\u2019s European Union parliament are suggesting: Conservatives raced toward victory in some of Europe\u2019s largest economies Sunday as initial results and exit polls showed voters punishing left-leaning parties in European parliament elections […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,23,36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-economics","category-international","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\n
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