Tag Archives: Socialist Party

The New York Times reports: Spain’s Socialist Party strengthened its hold on the government on Sunday in the country’s third national election since 2015, with nearly complete results showing growing political polarization and party fragmentation. The elections came after an abrupt change of government in June, when Pedro Sánchez and his Socialist Party used a corruption scandal to oust Prime …

Reuters reports: With his left-wing coalition government fractured over Catalonia’s drive for independence, Spain’s Socialist prime minister was forced Friday to call for a new general election in April. A new election likely will result in a far-right political party taking seats in Spain’s parliament for the first time since the nation’s transition to democracy after the Franco dictatorship ended …

The Associated Press reports: Thousands of Spaniards joined a right-wing rally in Madrid on Sunday to demand that Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez step down. Many in the crowd gathered in the capital’s Plaza de Colon, waving Spanish flags. They chanted slogans in favor of the nation’s security forces and for Sanchez to resign. The conservative opposition Popular Party and …

Courthouse News reports: Spain’s left-wing government is seeking to remove the body of dictator Francisco Franco from a fascist-era monument near Madrid and set up a commission to investigate crimes committed during Spain’s civil war and military dictatorship, a move strongly opposed by retired military officers and others. The moves by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Spanish Socialist Workers’ …

The vote was very close. The Guardian reports: Mariano Rajoy, once viewed as the great survivor of Spanish politics, has been ousted as prime minister in a vote of no confidence after several former members of his party were convicted of corruption in a case that proved a scandal too far. He will be replaced by Pedro Sánchez, the leader …

Politico reports: Mariano Rajoy’s time as Spain’s prime minister appears to be over after the opposition Socialists secured parliamentary backing for ousting the conservative leader. Lawmakers from the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) announced Thursday that they would back Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez’s motion of no confidence in Rajoy in a vote to be held Friday. With the PNV’s support, and …

The Miami Herald reports: In a move that Venezuela’s opposition decried as a “coup,” Venezuela’s Supreme Court effectively shut down congress, saying it would assume all legislative functions amid its contention that legislators are operating outside of the law. The decision will undoubtedly increase tensions in the South American nation where the opposition-controlled congress was seen as a last bastion …

The Guardian reports: François Hollande, the least popular French president since the second world war, has announced he will not run for a second term in office. With a satisfaction rating so low it recently dropped to just 4%, the Socialist president appeared emotional as he said in a live televised address from the Élysée palace that he would not …

Following Dominque Venner’s suicide at the altar of Notre Dame Cathedral, the French government announced yesterday that it is seeking to ban French Spring, the extreme right anti-gay group to which Denner reportedly belonged. The nebulous movement, which loosely links a number of ultra-nationalist and Nazi-sympathising groups, is accused of making recent threats to public figures – including Frigide Barjot, …

Yesterday a well-known anti-gay marriage activist shot himself in the head at the altar of Notre Dame Cathedral hours after writing a blog post denouncing France’s legalization of same-sex marriage.  The French press, quite naturally, wants to know if the man was affiliated with Manif Pour Tous. Their leader Frigide Barjot says he was not: “This was a personal, isolated …

As the marriage equality debate rages on in the French Senate today, the ruling Socialist Party (the bill’s main backer), has changed their social media accounts to display the LGBT equality avatar made globally famous last month during the US Supreme Court hearings on Prop 8 and DOMA.  (Tipped by JMG reader Andres)

Just days ahead of a joint Catholic-Muslim protest that is forecast to draw as many as 200,000 participants, France’s Socialist Party today compromised on its same-sex marriage bill by dropping the provision for the government to provide procreation services to gay couples. The compromise, according the Radio France, is designed to soften opposition to the marriage equality bill due for …

France’s First Lady says she is looking forward to being part of the wedding party of gay friends once marriage is legalized. Valerie Trierweiler, the girlfriend of French President Francois Hollande, has given plans to legalise gay marriage with her personal seal of approval by announcing she will be a witness at one of the first ceremonies. While her partner’s …

The French government has named October 31st as the day when the first draft of its marriage equality law will be approved. Despite widespread political and religious opposition, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault insisted there would be no backtracking on a manifesto promise by President Francois Hollande in an interview with AFP. More than 1,200 French mayors and deputy mayors have …

“France will continue to engage in all these struggles: for the abolition of the death penalty, for women’s rights to equality and dignity, for the universal decriminalization of homosexuality, which should not be recognised as a crime but, on the contrary, recognized as a [sexual] orientation. All members countries have the obligation to guarantee the security of their citizens, and …

As I mentioned two weeks ago, upon the election of President Francois Hollande and the following landslide of Socialists into the national legislature, same-sex marriage was all but guaranteed for France. Today the French government officially set the timetable. “Within a year, people of the same sex will be able to marry and adopt children together,” Dominique Bertinotti, junior minister …

On Sunday France’s Socialist Party won a commanding number of seats in the national legislature, virtually assuring that President Francois Hollande’s promise of marriage equality will be fulfilled. Hollande’s Socialist Party won 314 of Parliament’s 577 seats, giving the nascent president a free hand with which to enact his liberal reforms. The president can also rely on the support of …

Fascist National Front leader and third place finisher Marine Le Pen refused to endorse Sarkozy, leading many to believe that Socialist Francois Hollande, who supports same-sex marriage, will win by five or six points. We’ll know how today’s runoff election turned out very shortly. Meanwhile here’s some raw video of the two finalists making their votes this morning.

Pro-gay Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande (left) has edged incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in the first round of France’s presidential election. Hollande has expressed support for same-sex marriage in France, Sarkozy is strongly opposed. The winner of yesterday’s first round was the Socialist candidate François Hollande, with 28-29 per cent, who will contest the run-off against President Nicolas Sarkozy, who, with …