European Political System is Broken
Edward Lucas, The Economist | October 1, 2008
This past weekend, three in ten Austrians voted for far-right parties; Bavaria's CSU dipped beneath the 50 percent mark; and Lithuania's populist parties, despite links with the Kremlin, polled strong. ++ This is what happens when mainstream parties build coalitions - voters are driven to the fringes. ++ The lesson for "Europe's mainstream politicians is to compete, not to collaborate." ++ Voters want a diversity of choice. ++ Mainstream coalitions are now forced to consider fringe parties as partners, in some cases legitimizing extremism.
