Well one can only hope.
All these Eastern EU countries, receiving billions in funds from the EU, having the opportunity to freely move to richer countries to look for a better life, without fail are voting for anti-EU fascists and refusing to welcome their share of refugees.
Let me them re-join Russia and see how they like it.
Sorry for the late replies, been extremely busy in RL:
But yeah, I've also noticed that. Like in Poland at least they are anti Russia and say, albeit very hypocritical as it is mostly for Polish workers abroad, to wish for open borders with the EU member states. But in the Czech republic the conservative right populist actively seem to court Russia, which is strange, do they really wish to go back to Russian rule? I mean thanks to those Germans and their cheating VW, Skoda actually is a good brand now, under Soviet Russia Skoda was total shit. And that is only one example of many.
Eh, please no referendum. That would not be good for us haha. And right now it would probably end up like Brexit.
Long story short Zeman was able to tap into the fears of the population like he did last time. It works rather nicely. Immigration is a moot point here (what are there like 3 illegal immigrants? It's not like they dream of coming to the CZ anyways), but he was able to still make it a key one. "No to immigration and Drahos". Boom there is your marketing. Of course as you may have guessed it's effective. Extremely similar to when his team's tactic was to attack the previous challenger with "he's gonna return land to the Germans". It's a sign of the times, this election. Quite a downer, yet I'm optimistic that things will shift again. And if they don't? Well ho boy it's time to pack it up again like it's the 50s.
But thanks to the Germans their pride and joy, Skoda, actually means something again. So how come Czechs hate Germany still? I mean why join the EU then if you hate your fellow member states? Nobody made them, it was their own decision. Take us Norwegians, it's our own choice not to be a member, and yes that fucks us over from time to time and sometimes it is advantageous as well. Typical scapegoating as usual it seems.
It's not though. If you think tribal tensions are the result of capitalism...
It's not tribal tensions, yes Racism is endemic, but the current wave of it is certainly fanned by people that use it to gain riches, power or both. They are using a dangerous tool and are working with actual NAZIs/Fascists or copying their talking points, and sometimes don't even realize it.
I think that you are mistaken. The left is focused nowadays on anti-racism, pro-LGTB issues, etc. as you want them to. But let me ask you something: of which use is focusing on pro-LGBT rights when your country already lets LGBT people marry and adopt children? I'm telling you this because there are already many right wing leaders that are LGTB already in many European countries. And stats say that in some countries homosexual voters are majority right wingers.
Environmentalist? I don't disagree with you, but if Angela Merkel and other parties already are focused on green energy, again, that's of no use.
Antiracist? Well, racism is a public offence in most countries. It's not legal to be openly racist in most of Europe.
And... anticapitalist? After the fall of the USSR and the rise of China ditching state-capitalism ("communism") that won't get you too far.
Europeans see Europe being self-complacent. Take a look at the UK or France. Most of their anger and the source of Brexit and the rise of the Front National mostly come from this question and similar ones: "how is it possible that a country such as South Korea as almost reached our levels? No offence to South Korea, they work hard and deserve it, but how is it possible for us to be falling behind?". In the case of France with a minimum wage of almost 1900$ monthly (after tax) for 35h workweeks, with a month of paid vacations, great public healthcare, public education and public transportation included, trying to sell them more socialism is not going to work. Is not that they don't want it. They'd love 2500$ monthly paid as minimum wage for 30h workweeks, but they know that that's why they are falling behind.
Most people are patriotic and nationalistic. They don't want to fall behind. They see China growing at 7% yoy, they see the material living standards of Americans, and to them the left is only selling more self-complacency.
A bit bullshit though, I know from friends in the Netherlands that the minimum wage is not $1900 after tax, far from it even. They also have to pay their own health insurance and have 40 hour work weeks. France might be different, but the same doesn't apply to all countries in Europe. You are painting with a gigantic brush, yet cherry picked your examples. I mean your brush is European sized, and your examples member state sized. Better would be to look at what is the average income, the averages costs in healthcare, schooling and transportation, etc. Also: Which person says that "How can South Korea almost reach our levels" around here. Samsung is one of the most popular brands to buy and in General Korea is seen as a modern state like Japan. So I don't know who you talk to, but I know of nobody that is jealous of South Korea. It mostly is aimed at people that have nothing, like African states that are poisoned by the likes of Shell for oil. On top of that they get hatred from these populist voters that "they are lazy! and want to go to Europe to abuse our system.They don't want either, these people just want companies like Shell to stop poisoning their farmlands.
