Andrew Neil – 'This is not a good time for Western leadership' | SpectatorTV

The second round of France’s election did not prove so successful for Marine Le Pen, whose party fell to third place with the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) emerging as the dominant force. Andrew Neil Chairman of the Spectator speaks to Freddy Gray about who the key characters on the left are, and why, despite losing in this round of elections, this could mean Marine Le Pen goes on to win the Presidential election in 2027.

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[realitykicksin]

Europe has a strong right wing undercurrent. Not just radical but also centered. Europe is sick of the immigration crimes.

[michaelpeacock]

France- NR got 37% of vote...not enough for Government...UK-Labour got 33% of vote...landslide...
Democracy - what is good for?

[theringmaster]

Eastern Europe seems to be the only place standing up for "Western" values and people.

[SuperHeadman]

Young people celebrating by setting fires and clashing with the police, they did the same last week when they lost the first round.

[thisisobviouslynotmyrealname]

the failure of the center parties in Europe to address the immigration problem will fuel both far left and far right political forces

[sn]

"It's time to punish the unvaccinated." - Andrew Neil.

The true fascist

[Madoldcatlady]

I live in France and it’s been astonishing to hear the ridiculous fear-mongering coming from young socialists. They actually believed music concerts would be prohibited. Art too. We’d have pogroms and the like. One of my daughters acquaintances, is the child of a pair of teachers, one for history, the other English, and the things he’s been claiming should LePen win are the most far-fetched, conspiratorial bunkum I’ve ever heard. I can only imagine his parents have helped him come to these conclusions about RN, which also makes me wonder just how much of their own factually incorrect opinions overflow into their classes.
Also, when the voting prospectus was posted, the quantity of candidates in left-wing parties, that were teachers or held positions in teaching faculties, was tremendous. Subtle and not so subtle left-wing brainwashing goes on all the time in schools.

[Magicspark]

I seriously think Europe is gong to hell in a hand basket. Any attempt to backtrack on the Brexit vote despite the smokescreen of `we want to re negotiate` will undoubtedly create chaos in the UK...our major cities are a tinderbox and sparks will fly!

[steecofarn]

Radical left, you mean extreme far left surely?

[simonaveline]

As if making the rich very rich and the rest of the people poor! whilst importing cheap labour so there children can't find a home or raise a family would have a backlash...

[anonnemo]

The likes of Maitlis and Campbell welcoming this result in France reveals them for the intellectual lightweights that they are, and that goes for much of the rest of the "chattering classes" in the UK too.

[ReaLityBlue]

Western leadership is gone. People tired of endless wars triggering migration.

[williammunny]

Stop referring to the RN as ‘far right’

[andrewhotston]

Mélenchon is FAR LEFT. Have the courage to say so, Mr Neill.

[Yahyaliye]

Could someone explain to me how blindly following US foreign policy, which Andrew Neil sees as problematic, has benefited the UK recently? The US pushed for NATO expansion to Ukraine from 2008, Merkel and Sarkozy warned against this as they knew how Russia would react, but US interests reigned supreme. Does Andrew think all the immigrants from Middle East fleeing US wars are beneficial? Hardly any end up in US compared to EU/UK for obvious geographical reasons. Germany committed economic suicide when it stopped purchasing cheap Russian gas, the AFD are as against this war as much as they are immigration. EU put tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles the day after the US. These cars go further than Tesla’s, are great build and are cheaper…And the list goes on.
Post WWII the idea was EU foreign policy would be aligned with US interests in exchange for US military defence, preventing both extra-European actors and intra-European conflict. Has this really been necessary? I don’t recall needing US troops during the Falklands..instead here we are today as US empire vows to stay hegemonic following blindly a nation who is going to be led by a clearly mentally-incapable octogenarian or Trump who I actually think overall is the better candidate. Perhaps we should reopen the books and see how the world wars started and ask if we
Really want to join the US in provoking the Russian bear into Nuclear Armageddon….

[Alert]

It was a stitch up between the far left and macrons party and the result defied democratic principles

[templarmalta]

Sharia and the religious right of islam will sort out the French left. It's only a matter of time.

[nickgood]

Emily Matlis isn't a journalist, she's an activist.

[Stoddardian]

RN literally got 3 million votes more than NFP.

[iaindennis]

1 in 7 people in the UK voted Reform and they got 5 MP’s out of 650 - Democracy?