> Someone like Bernie Sanders would be central-left here. But he's pretty much an exception in America.

No he wouldn't, have you seen his policies? He is more left wing than even Scandinavian countries, he wants the Employee funds that Sweden tried in the 80s and never went back to because it was too extreme left for them.

Employee ownership isn't that weird though? Most top execs get paid mostly in shares and options. Employees often have this option too. In a socialist view there would be no stock market at all.

The Scandinavian countries aren't very left wing. They're just very rich so they have lots of money for welfare programs. But they're pretty anti immigrant. I would consider Spain more left wing.

That was true 15 years ago - especially with Merkel/Obama/Cameron - but a lot has changed since then.

The European right and American right essentially speak from the same ideology. As the Republicans have moved away from free markets, free trade and immigration. Trump, Farage, Weidel and Le Pen could all work happily in coalition together.

The European left has become so fractured that it's hard to make clear comparisons. Which German political party would Bernie Sanders want to join of SPD, Greens, or Die Linke? In the UK would he work with the SNP, Labour or Corbyn?

Would you consider Germany's CDU/CSU to be close to the republicans in the US? I pegged them more as being Democrat's equivalents. Macron is also more of a US democrat then a republican.

Is an odd fit I would have him with Labour. In canada he would lead the NDP.

That’s tricky- I’d say the modern CSU/CDU & Macron are closer in social policy to the Democrats but economically closer to the Republicans.

Looking at the CDU’s manifesto I think it’s overall more palatable to the Republicans. As the Democrats would likely never support corporate tax cuts or cannabis restrictions.

https://www.cdu.de/app/uploads/2025/01/wahlprogramm-cdu-csu-...