I have a problem with politicians misleading the electorate (yes, I know that’s sadly common).
While I think UvdL is incompetent, corrupt and should be in prison, I am also a democrat and therefor accept that politicians I don’t agree with can and will be elected. What I can’t accept is telling the voter “if you vote for party A, we will put B in office and do C” and then after the election doing a 180, putting X in office and/or doing Y. Because at that point voting becomes roulette instead of an informed decision.
I would have less of a problem if they hadn’t promoted the whole front runner thing in the first place, because then they wouldn’t have falsely advertised their intentions. EU institutions beside the parliament have a legitimacy issue already, stunts like this only emphasize that.
I don’t have any strong opinions on UvdL myself. Some things she seems to have done well, some things very badly, like the phone text messages not being made public.
Like you I’m very much a democrat and I agree fully, except that I also think that the nature of politics is that compromises will have to be made. So if you don’t do what you say you will, then you will have to have something to show for it, and the voters will tell you if it was enough.
The post-truth and identity politics infuriate me to no end though.
It doesn’t sound like you have a problem with the way elections are done but more about who was elected?
What you suggested doesn’t change the way the president is chosen.
I don’t know why UvdL was chosen. Do you?
I have a problem with politicians misleading the electorate (yes, I know that’s sadly common).
While I think UvdL is incompetent, corrupt and should be in prison, I am also a democrat and therefor accept that politicians I don’t agree with can and will be elected. What I can’t accept is telling the voter “if you vote for party A, we will put B in office and do C” and then after the election doing a 180, putting X in office and/or doing Y. Because at that point voting becomes roulette instead of an informed decision.
I would have less of a problem if they hadn’t promoted the whole front runner thing in the first place, because then they wouldn’t have falsely advertised their intentions. EU institutions beside the parliament have a legitimacy issue already, stunts like this only emphasize that.
I don’t have any strong opinions on UvdL myself. Some things she seems to have done well, some things very badly, like the phone text messages not being made public.
Like you I’m very much a democrat and I agree fully, except that I also think that the nature of politics is that compromises will have to be made. So if you don’t do what you say you will, then you will have to have something to show for it, and the voters will tell you if it was enough.
The post-truth and identity politics infuriate me to no end though.