Sorting the European Far Left from the Far Right: 10 Comments - Can You Tell Left From Right?

In recent speeches in European parliament, press articles, or tweets can you tell whether the listed statements below were from the far left or the far right?

Here are the candidates.



Quiz statements below are as presented in Spanish newspaper Libre Mercado. I made slight translation changes for ease in reading, some from Google translate, some from translate.com. I also removed an identifying political party reference from one statement.

A key phrase in each statement has an identifying link. Without looking, who said what?

1. "We are participating in a spiral of endless austerity to save the euro and the German model of low wages"
2. "The people reject EU finance ministers which dictate how solidarity and living conditions have to be understood"
3. "Under pressure from Germany, the will of the Greek people has been trampled."
4. "The interest in our country is not to abdicate to Mr. Schauble to set the continent's economic policy. The interest of our country is not subject to a firm policy in Berlin, Brussels and Washington."
5. "The real sword hanging over our heads is austerity, and under austerity we fail to defend our values."
6. "Thank you, Mrs. Merkel come with your vice-chancellor, administer of the province of France, Francois Hollande."
7. "To the grand coalition that governs us: Merkel and Hollande, we deserve an alternative in Europe."
8. "Austerity is synonymous with massive unemployment, insecurity and the collapse of our welfare system. "
9. "The Eurogroup has brutally blackmailed Greece but despite that, the Greek people have not lost confidence in Syriza"
10. "The defense of German interests do not justify the subjugation of other European peoples. Your model [Merkel and Hollande] is subjugation to the US, austerity and unfair competition."

Far Right - Marine Le Pen: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10
Far Left - Gabi Zimmer - 2, 5, 9
Far Left - Pablo Iglesias - 7 

Statement 7 originally said "To the grand coalition that governs us: Merkel and Hollande, and to PP and PSOE, we deserve an alternative in Europe."

This was not an easy quiz. In fact, unless one heard the speeches or followed the tweets, it was damn near impossible. And that's precisely the point.

The far left and far right are both fed up with the EU. Some positions are indistinguishable.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock