EDITORIAL: Nothing stable and predictable
French and the British elections demonstrate how quickly changes in direction and sentiment are taking place in political systems
British Prime Minister Theresa May asked voters to be sensible and provide her with a solid mandate to negotiate a fair-minded Brexit. Despite handing her the largest proportion of the vote, they decided against that eminently sensible proposition. New French President Emmanuel Macron asked French voters to be sensible and vote for a centrist party in the face of popular nationalism. They decided in favour of that proposition, and massively reconfirmed it by granting his newly formed party a huge parliamentary majority. Yet, despite the enormous differences in style and outcome, both elections demonstrate how quickly changes in direction and sentiment are now taking place in political systems once thought to be profoundly stable and predictable. Before the Brexit vote, British voters worried that they were being harnessed to a losing concept. Troubles in Greece, the continued economic underperformance of southern European nations and, particularly, the way eastern European countries...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.