Well, the European parliament elections are in May 2014. If Front National wins that, it would be a pretty big deal. However, as you point out, the actual presidential elections aren't until May 2017.
She wants to pull France out of the EMU. I'm not sure she can do that in Euro parliamentary elections. What damage could she do?
Britain had it's brain drain years in the '60's when their socialism was burdening their economy and graduates were going to the US. Socialism is an illusion that we can all share what we don't have with everybody and we will all be better off. That's a big part of the European scene for sure. European people have been graduating from university and waiting years to get a real job for decades already, now they can barely get a crappy job.. The crazy stuff from Wall Street wherein they packaged ghetto loans that were never going to be paid back with triple A ratings was a punch in the gut to economies staggering under a huge burden of Socialism. I love what just happened in the US. The fact that the US can never pay back what it owes was obfuscated by Obama lies like "The US always pays it's debt" The truth is the US never pays it debt and never will. If it did there would be no debt ceiling debate and no borrowing of money just to make the payments. The Public Sector sued a ratings agency recently for downgrading them slightly so it's certain that the Public Sector will keep it's AAA rating right up to the time it defaults! LOL
No different than when some European countries were publicly questioning the need for the rating agencies right after they downgraded some of their countries.
Got some bad news for them: http://qz.com/134661/briggo-coffee-...ould-mean-the-end-of-starbucks-as-we-know-it/
I kind of wonder... I like Starbucks because the people behind the counter are well motivated and happy, have a sense of humor, usually... I can get better coffee in Santa Barbara at the French Press [locally roasted] but I can't pass up Starbucks if I'm walking near one...
This is what I came up with for "in the '60s when their socialism was burdening their economy": 1960 U.K. total public spending per capita, in £2005, = 2,918.6 2010 U.K. total public spending per capita, in £2005, = 10, 329.8
Depends on whether she's still a very small minority in the EU parliament. She probably won't be able to do anything drastic. Domestically, her win could be significant, though, and add to her momentum, as well as that of all the other anti-EUR parties.
Thanks, your judgement on these matters I respect. Perhaps you missed it, but Soros gave a talk in Frankfurt not long ago, and he said that Germany should either agree to a Euro Bond or leave the EU. In fact, I think those were his exact words.
I am not sure I would go for something as dramatic as what Soros (as well as a few others) is suggesting. IMHO, if the Eurozone does go, it will be through attrition and Japan-style obsolescence. This article is pretty decent: http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...es-mount-as-stalwarts-regret-losing-relevance