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[GreatJustice]

Spoiler: UK Parties (click to show/hide)

British National Party
   80%
United Kingdom Independence Party
   73%
Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland)
   73%
Conservative Party
   67%
Ulster Conservatives and Unionists-New Force
   60%
Labour Party
   33%
Liberal Democrats Party
   33%
Plaid Cymru - Party of Wales
   27%
Scottish National Party
   27%
Sinn Féin
   23%
Green Party
   20%

and just for fun

Spoiler: Greek Parties (click to show/hide)

Communist Party of Greece
   67%
Democratic Alliance
   36%
Nea Demokratia
   27%
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
   13%
Ecologist Greens
   13%
Popular Orthodox Rally - G. Karatzaferis
   13%

[Max White]

European voting thingy

Hero mode: Vote like a real political and not even look at the pros and cons section. Honestly I don't really understand the full and far reaching implications of the bonds and taxes, but hey, taxes are fun!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament: 93%
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance: 80%
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe: 73%
Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats): 67%
Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left: 53%
European Conservatives and Reformists Group: 27%
Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group: 27%

[Owlbread]

GreatJustice, what was your manifesto like? To cause that bizarre set of results I mean.

[MonkeyHead]

Thats exactly what I was thinking, when the BNP's policies are flat out racist/bigoted...

[Sheb]

No question had any relation with racism, except maybe for the issue of the Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants.

[Max White]

You could argue that the one about tolerance towards homosexuality involved bigotry, but not so much racism.

[Descan]

I got mostly 70-90s with the Socialists (with one man out, the Unión, Progreso y Democracia, a non-aligned member), and the SNP I got 47. Mostly an issue with EU-wide things (like FTT, and the flags thing) and nuclear power is what dropped me down. Who cares about the other UK parties, though?

[Helgoland]

...we should allow the single most important area of europe's economy to be replaced by imported goods?

helgo, explain to me how this is good in any sort of manner

How is agriculture the single most important area of Europe's economy? We're an industrialized country nation region, agriculture isn't all that important economically. And abolishing the EU's agricultural subsidies would have tons of benefits: Saving money that could be better spent elsewhere,reducing the ridiculous side-effects that policy has had in the past (overproduction, people getting paid to do nothing with their land, etc) and perhaps most importantly reducing the economic pressure on African farmers, allowing the rural African economy to recover.

@Owlbread: I know the Libdems are a UK party - what I meant to ask was: Where on the political spectrum are they? What do they do? What sort of party are the Libdems?

[Owlbread]

@Owlbread: I know the Libdems are a UK party - what I meant to ask was: Where on the political spectrum are they? What do they do? What sort of party are the Libdems?

We've all been asking ourselves that question since 2010. It's very unclear, and on paper they are quite nebulous. I would recommend reading the summary here from Wikipedia:

Spoiler: "On paper" - What they stand for, i.e. Centrist/Left Leaning (click to show/hide)

The opening line to the preamble of the Liberal Democrats constitution is "The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity."

Most commentators describe the party as centrist. In 2011 party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said "But we are not on the left and we are not on the right. We have our own label: Liberal."

There are two main strands of distinct ideology within the party, social liberals and the economic liberals, more commonly known as Orange Bookers. The social liberals are seen as being the more traditionally centre-left end of the party with Orange Bookers being more towards the centre. The principal difference between the two is that the Orange Bookers tend to support greater choice and competition and as such aiming to increase social mobility through increasing economic freedom and opportunity for those with more disadvantaged backgrounds. Whereas the social liberals are more commonly associated with directly aiming to increase equality of outcome through state means. Correspondingly, Orange Bookers tend to favour cutting taxes for the poorest in order to increase opportunity contrasting with social liberals who would rather see higher spending on the disadvantaged to reduce income inequality.

Being an Orange Booker and a social liberal within the party are not mutually exclusives. David Laws, one of the most economically liberal MPs in the party said in Parliament "I am grateful to my Hon. friend for his kind comments about Gladstonian Liberalism. I hope that this is not only Gladstonian Liberalism, but liberalism tinged with the social liberalism about which my party is so passionate."
Indeed the Orange Book, to which the term refers, discusses the need for a more complete liberalism for the party, more fully supporting the liberalism as a whole including social liberalism.

The social liberalism in the party stems from the start of the 20th-century when the Liberal party were bringing about many reforms, known as Liberal reforms which are often viewed as the creation of the modern public welfare system in the UK. A major part of creating the liberal welfare reforms was done by David Lloyd George, who later went on to become Prime Minister. They may also often look to William Beveridge who is credited with drafting further advancements of the welfare state and especially the National Health Service (NHS) and also social liberal economist John Maynard Keynes. In February 2009, many social liberals founded an internal party pressure group, the Social Liberal Forum to pursue social liberal policies within the party.

In a poll of Liberal Democrat members on 30 April 2011 64% classed themselves as social liberal with 35% counting themselves as economic liberals. Others high on the list were progressive with 65%, social democrat 34%, 45% centre left, 60% internationalist, 44% radical, 41% green.

In December 2011, in a speech to the Demos think tank and the Open Society Foundation Clegg put forward his definition of the three main political traditions in Britain, saying:

"Socialists support the idea of the good society, typically judged in terms of equality of income. In order to bring about this end they use the state quite aggressively in terms of labour market regulation, centralised public services and through tax and benefits.

Conservatives support the idea of a big society, with responsibility shared throughout society - people are responsible both for themselves and each other. The emphasis is naturally on non-state institutions such as marriage, the family, churches and voluntary organisations.

The liberal ideal is of the open society, where power is vested in people, not in the state or other institutions. This means that individuals need the capabilities and opportunities to chart their own course through life, and to hold institutions to account. So while the good society needs a strong state, and the big society needs strong social institutions, the open society needs strong citizens."

[Guardian G.I.]

How is agriculture the single most important area of Europe's economy? We're an industrialized country nation region, agriculture isn't all that important economically.

Industrialized?
I've thought you are all a super-duper high-tech post-industrial society that gave up all those polluting industries that are unprofitable in the short run in order to indulge in making money off definitely more important and profitable sectors of economy, like services.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Oh boy, now I can become a real European!

Spoiler: European Parliament Groups (click to show/hide)

Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament: 87%

Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe: 80%

Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance: 73%

Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats): 67%

Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left: 47%

Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group: 40%

European Conservatives and Reformists Group: 33%

Spoiler: UK, for Owlbread (click to show/hide)

Labour Party: 73%

Liberal Democrats Party: 73%

Green Party: 67%

Plaid Cymru - Party of Wales: 67%

Sinn Féin: 54%

Scottish National Party: 40%

Conservative Party: 20%

British National Party: 20%

United Kingdom Independence Party: 13%

Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland): 13%

Ulster Conservatives and Unionists-New Force: 13%

Sorry Owlbread, looks like I'm Labour scum. I also somehow agree slightly more with BNP than UKIP, which is...disturbing.

Spoiler: Sweden, because muh ancestry. (click to show/hide)

Arbetarepartiet- Socialdemokraterna: 80%

Centerpartiet: 69%

Folkpartiet liberalerna: 67%

Piratpartiet: 67%

Kristdemokraterna: 47%

Moderata Samlingspartiet: 47%

Miljöpartiet de gröna: 47%

Vänsterpartiet: 40%

Spoiler: France, RevolutionBuddies4Lyfe (click to show/hide)

Parti Socialiste: 87%

Mouvement Démocrate: 80%

Partitu di a Nazione Corsa: 73%

Europe Écologie: 73%

Citoyenneté Action Participation pour le 21ème siècle: 73%

Parti Radical: 73%

Nouveau Centre: 67%

Gauche moderne: 60%

Union pour un Mouvement Populaire - Parti Radical: 60%

Union pour un Mouvement Populaire: 53%

Liste "Alliance des Outre-Mers": 36%

Front national: 27%

Front de gauche pour changer d’Europe: 27%

Spoiler:  The 93% (click to show/hide)

Luís Paulo ALVES
   93%
[Corina CREŢU]
[Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament]
[Romania]
Corina CREŢU
   93%
[George Sabin CUTAŞ]
[Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament]
[Romania]
George Sabin CUTAŞ
   93%
[Vasilica Viorica DĂNCILĂ]
[Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament]
[Romania]
Vasilica Viorica DĂNCILĂ
   93%
[Monika FLAŠÍKOVÁ BEŇOVÁ]
[Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament]
[Slovakia]
Monika FLAŠÍKOVÁ BEŇOVÁ
   93%
[Pier Antonio PANZERI]
[Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament]
[Italy]
Pier Antonio PANZERI
   93%
[Monika SMOLKOVÁ]
[Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament]
[Slovakia]
Monika SMOLKOVÁ
   93%

I have to go down to 80% before I start getting people who aren't S&D.

[Jelle]

So many names so many groups, reminds me why I don't really care for politics. Regardless here's my results:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe   67%
Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)   60%
European Conservatives and Reformists Group   53%
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament   53%
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance 47%
Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left   47%
Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group   40%

And top 3 national parties

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Mouvement Réformateur 73%
Centre Démocrate Humaniste 67%
Christlich Soziale Partei   67%

Finally top 3 UK parties

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Liberal Democrats Party 60%
Green Party   53%
Conservative Party 53%

[LordSlowpoke]

...we should allow the single most important area of europe's economy to be replaced by imported goods?

helgo, explain to me how this is good in any sort of manner

How is agriculture the single most important area of Europe's economy? We're an industrialized country nation region, agriculture isn't all that important economically. And abolishing the EU's agricultural subsidies would have tons of benefits: Saving money that could be better spent elsewhere,reducing the ridiculous side-effects that policy has had in the past (overproduction, people getting paid to do nothing with their land, etc) and perhaps most importantly reducing the economic pressure on African farmers, allowing the rural African economy to recover.

Allow me to be blunt in saying, why would the EU as a whole care about a farmer in Africa who is more concerned about cash crops than the more domestically needed food supply? Scandinavian countries haven't had colonies, Eastern Europe did not take part in colonialism, either... The guilt of that time does not apply to the whole organization, and it is the only plainly visible reason why the EU might be interested. As the world power I expect a centralized Europe to become, we are to put our interests first and foremost, as do the other significant powers - the US and China; and as such we wish to not rely on other countries for food. Neither do we want the supply of it to be overly centralized, which the subsidy is accomplishing quite well in areas such as western Poland - farmers are quite reluctant to let go of their land in favor of Western conglomerates (which is supposedly illegal, by the way. It's done using a rather fancy loophole last time I've read about it) who leave us prone to rather marvelous collapses. Remember the Norwegian butter shortages of 2011? That's what I have in mind.

You're saying the money could be better spent elsewhere. Quite frankly no, the opposite is true - for every person who buys up land in order to live off of the subsidies the EU offers, another small farm is able to buy themselves a tractor, modernize their chicken coop to 21st century standards, or whatever else that they could be doing to increase their competitiveness with the aforementioned conglomerates, which for me is a legitimate and proper use of the money.
All in all, every single kind of welfare there is is going to end up being abused. It's what I plan to do for a living at some point of my existence! So I suppose I'd know.

So, yeah! Quite frankly I'd expect all the little farms to collapse the split second the protectionist policies ceased to be, with only the conglomerates left standing, and maybe the occasional independent giant. Might be a tad bit extreme, though.

[Sheb]

First of all, most of the subsidies are wasted, because they mostly goes to bi agribusiness. Putting a cap on the total amount of subsidies a company can get would be a great step forward.

Second, it doesn't matter if the African farmer focus on food supply, the thing is his market will be flooded with cheap European import. Although it should be up to African countries to raise their tariffs on foodstuff (And we should fight in the WTO and in trade deals to let them do that).

[Helgoland]

Pretty much what Sheb said - subsidies like these warp market incentives, leading to worse results for everyone. (Except farmers, but there's really few of them...) And why do you hold autarky to be so necessary? Even if all our food was produced in Africa and South America, we could still beat them into submission militarily and economically if it became necessary - "kriegswichtig" is a German word* that seems to describe pretty well what you mean, but Kriegswichtigkeit just no longer is a very important issue in a globalized world.

One question I've been thinking about for a long time, and one that may lead to an interesting new topic: Why does everybody so prefer small farms to agrobusiness?



*It translates roughly as "vital to the war effort", as in "a capability that needs to be preserved even in the event of war and the complete breakdown of international trade".