Departmental elections in France show that its electoral system, being very like Australia's, is stacked against third parties in much the same way. This time it was the National Front that missed out.
Author: Charles Richardson
Why not the Greens?
Malcolm Fraser's plan for a new political party runs into a fairly obvious objection: don't we already have a party representing the same positions?
Two Cold Warriors leave the scene
Gone in the same week, Malcolm Fraser and Lee Kuan Yew. Compare and contrast.
France’s far right eyes a new milestone
Departmental elections in France see the National Front running neck and neck with the major parties. How they respond to the threat may determine the shape of the next presidential election.
Yet another Israeli election
Don't expect much in the way of dramatic change either way from Israel's early election.
Culture, capitalism and destruction
Is it reasonable to compare the destruction wrought by Islamic State with some of the faults of modern capitalism?
Is a Chinese endgame coming?
A China expert offers reasons to expect Communist rule to run into trouble sooner rather than later. Australia, as usual, has its head in the sand.
Election preview: Estonia
Estonia provides another example of co-operation between centre-left and free marketeers, but this time security issues seem to be uppermost in the voters' minds.
A free-marketeer beats the right in Hungary
Hungary's opposition wins a key by-election, with a message that says something important about European party systems.
Another ceasefire, but the war continues
Another ceasefire falters in Ukraine. It's clear what the Ukrainian government is trying to achieve, but Russia's war aims are less obvious.
The World is Not Enough 