Archive for March, 2015

27
Mar

Socialists see off challengers in Round 1 of Spain’s electoral fight

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Susana Díaz seems likely to return as President of Andalusia (Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Junta Informa)

Susana Díaz seems likely to return as President of Andalusia (Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Junta Informa)

Rumours of the death of Spain’s two-party system are, perhaps, exaggerated.

The main results of last Sunday’s regional election in Andalusia, the most populated autonomous community in Spain, were a win for Socialists (PSOE), and a surge in support for the far-left Podemos party.

But coming from a region where PSOE has been in government for more than 30 years, they probably cannot be extrapolated to the country as a whole.

This is an unusual electoral year in Spain.

As well as last Sunday’s vote in Andalusia, there are regional elections in 13 autonomous communities and municipal elections throughout the country (on 24 May), regional elections in Catalonia (27 September), and a general election (probably in November). Each of the regional and local polls will offer clues for the national poll.

PSOE and the conservative People’s Party (PP), which runs the national government, finished first and second in Andalusia. But a degree of change is undeniably in the air.

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26
Mar

A big six weeks for Britain… and Europe

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Maurice

Houses of Parliament (CC/Flickr Maurice)

An extraordinary election approaches, but traditions die hard in the United Kingdom.

Today, the 55th parliament of the United Kingdom will be ‘prorogued’ – a suspension of proceedings (to be followed by dissolution), involving red robes and ermine, royal ‘inconvenience’, slammed doors, ceremonial hat-doffing, and royal assent in Norman French.

In Britain, some things stay – perhaps reassuringly – constant. But this is no ordinary election: it is one that could change Britain’s own constitutional make-up, its place in the world, and the nature of the European Union as we know it. Perhaps in 2015 only the Greek election rivals it in importance for the future of Europe.

The Conservatives, who lead the coalition government, promise a referendum by 2017 on the country’s membership of the EU; the UK Independence Party, which has the support of around one in every seven Britons according to opinion polls, would like one even earlier (and a subsequent British exit – or ‘Brexit’). The main opposition party, Labour, is still under pressure from some quarters to change its position of rejecting a referendum.

And the UK has its own, internal ‘exit’ issues to grapple with. The Scottish National Party, despite losing the independence referendum argument, is set to significantly increase its representation in Westminster – and may have a big say on who governs Britain.

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24
Mar

A European health union?

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The new European Commission is focusing on an Energy Union and a Capital Markets Union – but what about a ‘Health Union’?

Addressing the EU Health Policy Forum last week, the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, stated that he was favourable to the idea:

It is an idea that has its merits – but one that faces significant hurdles too.

Health policy is stubbornly national. However, healthcare needs are frequently common across Europe. Answers are sometimes best provided collectively. But what can the Commission realistically do?

In October last year we looked at the components that might make up a genuine ‘European Health Union’.
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20
Mar

Mixed fortunes for governing parties in Dutch regional polls

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The VVD, the party of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, topped the polls - photo © European Union, 2015

The VVD, the party of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, topped the polls
Photo © European Union, 2015

The Dutch provincial elections, held on 18 March, have resulted in a striking fragmentation of the Dutch political landscape.

The results of the provincial elections have national importance: the 566 newly-elected members of the twelve provinces (known as states-provincial) will elect the 75 members of the Dutch Senate (Eerste Kamer). This indirect election will take place on 26 May 2015.

Liberals and centre-right emerge as winners

The conservative-liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), which leads the current government, emerged as the winner. It took 15.8 per cent of the vote, and is likely to win 13 seats in the Senate (down from 16). The VVD was closely followed by the centre-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), with 14.7 per cent of the vote and 12 seats.

However, the big winner was the social liberal Democrats 66 (D66), nearly doubling its numbers from the 2011 election and becoming the third biggest party in the Senate. The party won 12.3 per cent of the vote and is set to take ten seats – the party’s best result in 25 years. Read more

02
Mar

A more fragmented political scene, but economic liberals are set to retain power

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RoivasEstonia’s parliamentary elections, held on Sunday 1 March, saw the market-liberal Reform Party, led by Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas (pictured right), returned as the largest party in a more diverse and right-wing parliament.

The Reform Party, which has supplied the prime minister since 2005, took 27.7 per cent of the vote and 30 seats in the 101-seat Riigikogu, down nearly one point on its score in the previous elections in 2011. It lost three seats.

However, its coalition partner, the Social Democrats, fared worse, winning just 15.2 per cent of the vote, down nearly two points and four seats on its 2011 showing.

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