Today we (well, not me as I don’t have a Belgian nationality) shall vote in Belgium. We will be voting on a Federal level, Regional (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) level and European level.
Chances are likely to have at least a far right nationalist government on the Flanders level, though Federal might be just as bad even. The nationalist want Flanders to become independent, so it will be interesting to see what happens. They are extremely anti LGBTQ+ and anti immigration, though ‘coincidentally’ not against my kind of immigration. Many of my friends in both categories are scared and frankly, being a member of the communist party, so am I.
For us it looks like we will at least double the amount of votes compared to last time. Polls have us at 10% but I think it might be higher. 21% of the voters still don’t have a clue. And voting is mandatory here, so they need to have one today.
My own group managed to convince 5000 people in the last weeks by going into the streets and talking to people. Every day for the last few weeks has been spent by reaching out to as much people as possible and we did it. As far as I could see we were the only party to do it this way. Others would arrive in a big ass campaign bus, in suits and whatnot. We would be there, ordinary locals to talk to.
What the future will hold, nobody knows. All we know is that our struggle isn’t over and we continue to give it all.
You get a vote in the European elections though out of residency no?
Every day for the last few weeks has been spent by reaching out to as much people as possible and we did it.
No wonder you were disaffected recently. That sounds exhausting. Your polling success is inspirational, thanks for what you’re doing and good luck.
Exit polls in Ireland suggest that the nationalists, ant immigration/LGBT/etc. people got very little. They just seem to be a very loud minority.
It’s looking like it’s going to be close for Clare Daly. The Trots ran a popular candidate against her.
Wait there is a Trot party in Ireland? We got one too but they are very small and actually urged people to vote for us instead, so that was nice of them.
I can vote for EU here but I apparently had to register in Belgium for that, which I didn’t know. I had to vote for a Dutch candidate instead.
PBP-Solidarity. Paul Murphy, Richard Boyd-Barret etc. They were polling at 10% in Dublin, which is a large electoral region.
They do a lot of good, when they’re not chauvinistically condescending to the global south and parroting western propaganda re AES states. I honestly think they mean well, they’re just the usual would-be Marxist Leninists if they were able to climb out from under their cold war propaganda indoctrination.
I had the same issue in NL, wasn’t aware that I had to register.
Most of my family are voting PVDA, stay strong
🫡
As I am still feeling sick I decided to do the political equivalent of watching paint dry today as I keep watching live blogs about the results.
I always find it strange how defensive people are about who they voted for. Like, they get all nervous and stuff. Apparently someone convinced you enough to vote on them, why not say who it is? And why be ashamed if that’s what you are?
Also, living in a country you don’t have voting rights for is strange. I see people walking bh who get to decide for me as well and I don’t have a say in it.
I haven’t had a real electoral vote in 20 years as a European. Ireland doesn’t allow overseas voting. One of the only states in the world.
Same for Denmark
Wishing you all the best!
Some voting stations apparently issued all three government ballots to under 18s instead of just Europe, so the election results may be declared incorrect lol
