November 13, 2024
A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in Europe, usually posted on Wednesdays and occasionally updated throughout the week.
The Deutsches Eck promontory in Koblenz, Germany, at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Holger Weinandt (CC BY-SA 3.0 de)
Upcoming Europe Elections
Romania Presidential Election: November 24, 2024 and Legislative Elections: December 1, 2024
Romania holds presidential and legislative elections later this year.
Una Hajdari at Politico notes: “The electoral outcome may keep Romania on its mostly pro-European, centrist path — or tip it toward more nativist policies that would sound alarm bells in Brussels because of the country’s strategic proximity to Ukraine and its role as a key southeast European economy.”
Corrine Deloy, Foundation Robert Schuman (November 12, 2024): The ruling Social Democrats are favourites in Romania’s parliamentary and presidential elections
Iulian Ernst, Romania Today (November 12, 2024): Romanian PM denies rumours about Russia’s attempts to influence internal elections
Ireland Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 29, 2024
Megan Specia, New York Times (November 8, 2024): What to Know About Ireland’s Snap General Election
BBC (November 8, 2024): Irish general election to be held on 29 November
Germany Snap Federal Parliamentary Elections: February 23, 2024
Germany called snap elections following the collapse of the government. These elections come on the heels of three state elections in the east that delivered blows to Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s left-leaning coalition government. The far-right AfD won in Thuringia and came in a close second in Saxony. While Scholz’s SPD pulled off a surprise win in Brandenburg, AfD made large gains there as well. In addition, a new pro-Putin, anti-establishment left-wing populist party, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), won large percentages of the vote.
Notably, Die Linke (The Left), which formed from remnants of the Communist Party in the east, saw a major collapse in the recent state elections.
AP (November 13, 2024): Five things to know about Germany’s government crisis
Sebastian Shukla, Claudia Otto and Inke Kappeler, CNN (November 12, 2024): Germany set for snap election in February
James Angelos and Nette Nöstlinger, Politico (November 12, 2024): Germany’s snap election: What happens now?
Past Europe Elections
Bulgaria Snap Elections: October 27, 2024
Bulgaria held snap elections on October 27, the seventh elections in three years. The center-right GERB, led by former prime minister Boyko Borisov, came in first but fell short of a majority. GERB has won five of the seven recent elections but has not been able to form a durable government since 2021 (Borisov was previously prime minister three times, for a total of nine years, between 2009 and 2021).
GERB is pro-European while the other major party, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), has worked with overly pro-Russia parties in past coalitions.
Krassen Nikolov, Euractiv (November 12, 2024): Borissov says he wants to be PM and pitches good ties with Trump
Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes and Borislaw Wankow, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (November 10, 2024 – in German): GERB wins early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria once again
Lithuania Parliamentary Elections: October 13 and 27, 2024
Lithuania’s Social Democrats won the recent parliamentary elections, defeating the center-right government of Ingrida Šimonytė. Lithuania’s pro-west foreign policy is unlikely to change.
Jurgis Valiukevičius, Jacobin (November 12, 2024): Lithuania’s Social Democrats Set Unsteady Course for Change
Andrius Sytas, Reuters (November 8, 2024): Lithuania election winner includes populist party in coalition talks
Andrew Higgins, New York Times (November 8, 2024): Party Whose Leader Is Known for Antisemitism to Join Lithuanian Government
Greece Parliamentary Elections: June 25, 2023
Nektaria Stamouli, Politico (November 9, 2024): Greece’s main opposition further dismantled
Elections On Deck
Americas
Posted: November 21, 2024 by 21votes Leave a Comment
November 16, 2024
A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in the Americas, usually posted on Saturdays and occasionally updated throughout the week.
Upcoming Americas Elections
Uruguay Presidential Runoff: November 24, 2024
Khalea Robertson, AS/COA (November 15, 2024): Poll Tracker: Uruguay’s 2024 Presidential Runoff
Bolivia Presidential and Legislative Elections: August 17, 2025
Amalendu Misra, The Conversation (November 11, 2024): Bolivia slides towards anarchy as two bitter rivals prepare for showdown 2025 election
Haiti General Elections: Postponed indefinitely
The Economist (November 11, 2024): Haiti has lost its prime minister. Gangs aren’t going anywhere
Evens Sanon, AP (November 10, 2024): Haiti replaces its prime minister, marking more turmoil in its democratic transition process
Jamie Whitehead, BBC (November 10, 2024): Haiti’s prime minister ousted after six months
Past Americas Elections
Chile Local Elections: October 27, 2024
Maximiliano Véjares, Global Americans (November 12, 2024): Traditional Parties Stage Comeback in Chilean Local Elections
Venezuela Presidential Election: July 28, 2024
Abel Alvarado and Veronica Calderon, CNN (November 16, 2024): Venezuela frees dozens of prisoners arrested after Maduro’s election victory
Elections On Deck
Asia
Posted: November 18, 2024 by 21votes Leave a Comment
November 15, 2024
A weekly review of key news and analysis of elections in Asia and the Indo-Pacific, usually posted on Fridays and occasionally updated throughout the week.
Upcoming Asia/Pacific Elections
India, State Legislative Assembly Elections in Jharkhand: November 13 and 20, 2024 and Maharashtra: November 20, 2024 (following elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana in October)
Menaka Doshi, Bloomberg (November 14, 2024): Maharashtra’s Election Winner Faces Storm Clouds
Bangladesh Snap Elections: Forthcoming
The Economist (November 13, 2024): After the revolution, Bangladesh is stable. For the moment
Tasmiah Ahmed and Darko Janjevic, DW (November 12, 2024): Bangladesh: How inclusive is the democratic restart?
Al Arabaya (November 10, 2024): Bangladeshi ousted-party protesters arrested with Trump signs
AP (November 8, 2024 – video): Thousands rally in Bangladesh capital as major political party demands quick reforms and an election
Past Asia/Pacific Elections
Sri Lanka Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 14, 2024
Sri Lanka held its first presidential election since the 2022 financial crisis on September 21. Marxist Anura Kumara Dissanayake won, defeating a number of establishment political figures. He then called snap parliamentary elections, in a bid to consolidate his power. Sri Lanka remains a key site of geopolitical competition, with China constantly seeking to expand its influence and India continuing to play a role.
Krishan Francis and Bharatha Mallawarachi, AP (November 15, 2024): Party of Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning president wins two-thirds majority in parliament
Palau Presidential and Legislative Elections: November 5, 2024
Camilla Pohle, U.S. Institute of Peace (November 14, 2024): What to Know About Palau’s Election: Taiwan, China and Other Key Issues
Reuters (November 13, 2024): Palau president wins second term, will seek to diversify tiny Taiwan ally’s economy
William Yang, Voice of America (November 11, 2024): Palau’s president secures 2nd term amid attempt to navigate US-China competition
Japan Snap Parliamentary Elections: October 27, 2024
In August 2024, Japan’s then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he was stepping down in the wake of a slush fund scandal in the governing Liberal Democratic Party. The party helped a leadership election on September 27, which former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba won. Following the election, Ishiba called a snap election for October 27, a move that had been widely expected.
Riley Walters and Iku Tsujihiro, Hudson Institute (November 13, 2024): Japan Election Brief: Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Forms Second Administration
Mari Yamaguchi, AP (November 11, 2024): Japan’s reelected Prime Minister Ishiba vows to step up reform
DW (November 11, 2024): Japan: PM Ishiba chosen for new term, despite lost majority
Elections On Deck
Eurasia
Posted: November 18, 2024 by 21votes Leave a Comment
November 14, 2024
A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in Eurasia, usually posted on Thursdays and occasionally updated throughout the week.
Upcoming Eurasia Elections
Kyrgyzstan Local Elections: November 17, 2024
Reuters (November 13, 2024): Kyrgyzstan makes arrests over suspected coup attempt ahead of local elections
Belarus Presidential Election: January 26, 2025
Aleksandr Lukashenko has been president of Belarus since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The country last held a presidential election on August 9, 2020. In a vote widely deemed not free and not fair, Lukashenko declared victory. However, the opposition declared that its candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, had in fact won. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets in protest to demand free and fair elections, even in the face of assault and arrest by security forces.
In 2022, Lukashenko held a constitutional referendum on February 27, 2022 as a way of extending his time in power (he has been president since 1994 – the first and only president of post-Soviet Belarus). The changes allow Lukashenko to remain in office until 2035 and scrap Belarus’s non-nuclear status.
Csongor Körömi, Politico (November 14, 2024): Being president is a man’s job, roars Belarusian dictator
Yuras Karmanau, AP (November 12, 2024): Imprisoned Belarus activist resurfaces after no contact with her family for 20 months
TVP World (November 7, 2024): Lukashenko steps up repression ahead of Belarus election, says rights group
Past Eurasia Elections
Moldova Presidential Runoff: November 3, 2024
Moldova held a presidential election and referendum on joining the European Union on October 20. Voters narrowly chose to pursue EU membership. Maia Sandu, Moldova’s pro-west president, came in first in the presidential election but did not win a majority. She subsequently defeated Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor-general who is backed by the pro-Russia faction, in the runoff on November 3.
IWPR (November 14, 2024): Lessons Learned from Moldova’s Elections
OC Media (November 13, 2024): Moldova summons Georgian representative over PM’s criticism of elections
Al Jazeera (November 12, 2024): Moldova formally protests alleged Russian election meddling
Madalin Necsutu, Balkan Insight (November 8, 2024): Moldova Hails Win over Russian Interference, But Bigger Battle Lies Ahead
Leonid Martynyuk, Voice of America (November 7, 2024): Facing interference accusations, Russia falsely declares Moldovan elections ‘undemocratic’
Georgia Parliamentary Elections: October 26, 2024
Emil Avdaliani, Carnegie Endowment (November 13, 2024): Relations Between Georgia and the West to Become Transactional
AP (November 12, 2024): Thousands rally in Georgia to demand new election and push for EU integration
Nicholas Chkhaidze, Atlantic Council (November 12, 2024): Russia emerges as the real winner of Georgia’s disputed election
Gabriel Gavin, Politico (November 11, 2024): Georgian government blasts European delegation amid call for election investigation
Joshua Kucera, RFE/RL (November 7, 2024): Georgia’s Opposition Criticized For Sluggish Reaction To Flawed Election
Uzbekistan Parliamentary and Local Elections: October 27, 2024
Under Islam Karimov, who ruled Uzbekistan from independence until his death in 2016, Uzbekistan was a brutal dictatorship. His successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has branded himself as a reformer. However, Freedom House notes: “While reforms adopted since President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took office in 2016 have led to improvements on some issues, Uzbekistan remains an authoritarian state with few signs of democratization. No opposition parties operate legally.”
Fitch Solutions (November 11, 2024): Uzbekistan’s Economic Policies Steady, But Governance Risks Rising Post-Election
Elections On Deck
Europe
Posted: November 18, 2024 by 21votes Leave a Comment
November 13, 2024
A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in Europe, usually posted on Wednesdays and occasionally updated throughout the week.
Upcoming Europe Elections
Romania Presidential Election: November 24, 2024 and Legislative Elections: December 1, 2024
Romania holds presidential and legislative elections later this year.
Una Hajdari at Politico notes: “The electoral outcome may keep Romania on its mostly pro-European, centrist path — or tip it toward more nativist policies that would sound alarm bells in Brussels because of the country’s strategic proximity to Ukraine and its role as a key southeast European economy.”
Corrine Deloy, Foundation Robert Schuman (November 12, 2024): The ruling Social Democrats are favourites in Romania’s parliamentary and presidential elections
Iulian Ernst, Romania Today (November 12, 2024): Romanian PM denies rumours about Russia’s attempts to influence internal elections
Ireland Snap Parliamentary Elections: November 29, 2024
Megan Specia, New York Times (November 8, 2024): What to Know About Ireland’s Snap General Election
BBC (November 8, 2024): Irish general election to be held on 29 November
Germany Snap Federal Parliamentary Elections: February 23, 2024
Germany called snap elections following the collapse of the government. These elections come on the heels of three state elections in the east that delivered blows to Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s left-leaning coalition government. The far-right AfD won in Thuringia and came in a close second in Saxony. While Scholz’s SPD pulled off a surprise win in Brandenburg, AfD made large gains there as well. In addition, a new pro-Putin, anti-establishment left-wing populist party, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), won large percentages of the vote.
Notably, Die Linke (The Left), which formed from remnants of the Communist Party in the east, saw a major collapse in the recent state elections.
AP (November 13, 2024): Five things to know about Germany’s government crisis
Sebastian Shukla, Claudia Otto and Inke Kappeler, CNN (November 12, 2024): Germany set for snap election in February
James Angelos and Nette Nöstlinger, Politico (November 12, 2024): Germany’s snap election: What happens now?
Past Europe Elections
Bulgaria Snap Elections: October 27, 2024
Bulgaria held snap elections on October 27, the seventh elections in three years. The center-right GERB, led by former prime minister Boyko Borisov, came in first but fell short of a majority. GERB has won five of the seven recent elections but has not been able to form a durable government since 2021 (Borisov was previously prime minister three times, for a total of nine years, between 2009 and 2021).
GERB is pro-European while the other major party, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), has worked with overly pro-Russia parties in past coalitions.
Krassen Nikolov, Euractiv (November 12, 2024): Borissov says he wants to be PM and pitches good ties with Trump
Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes and Borislaw Wankow, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (November 10, 2024 – in German): GERB wins early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria once again
Lithuania Parliamentary Elections: October 13 and 27, 2024
Lithuania’s Social Democrats won the recent parliamentary elections, defeating the center-right government of Ingrida Šimonytė. Lithuania’s pro-west foreign policy is unlikely to change.
Jurgis Valiukevičius, Jacobin (November 12, 2024): Lithuania’s Social Democrats Set Unsteady Course for Change
Andrius Sytas, Reuters (November 8, 2024): Lithuania election winner includes populist party in coalition talks
Andrew Higgins, New York Times (November 8, 2024): Party Whose Leader Is Known for Antisemitism to Join Lithuanian Government
Greece Parliamentary Elections: June 25, 2023
Nektaria Stamouli, Politico (November 9, 2024): Greece’s main opposition further dismantled
Elections On Deck
Middle East
Posted: November 18, 2024 by 21votes Leave a Comment
November 12, 2024
A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in the greater Middle East and North Africa, usually posted on Tuesdays and occasionally updated throughout the week.
Past Middle East Elections
Qatar Referendum on Ending Elections: November 5, 2024
Ohad Merlin, Jerusalem Post (November 5, 2024): Qatar to vote on cancelling elections ‘in name of democracy and social cohesion’
Iraq, Kurdistan Regional Parliamentary Elections: October 20, 2024
Dana Taib Meny, The New Arab (November 11, 2024): Power-sharing negotiations in Iraqi Kurdistan expected to extend until late 2025
Kurdistan24 (November 11, 2024): IHEC reviews final appeals on Kurdistan Region Parliament election results
Elections On Deck