Europe This Week – February 6, 2019

Each day, 21votes gathers election and political news from a different region of the world. We explore Europe on Wednesdays. Click the map pins.

Estonia Parliamentary - March 3, 2019

ERR News: “According to a survey commissioned by daily Päevaleht, Estonian voters want to see a coalition of the governing Centre and opposition Reform parties after the general election on 3 March this year—despite the two parties’ carefully cultivated long-time enmity at the national level.”

The Economist: “How the Baltic states resist Russia: After decades of being force-fed lies, they are all but immune.”

Lithuania Local - March 3, 2019 and Presidential - May 12, 2019

Voice of America: “Lithuania’s intelligence agencies fear Russia will interfere in its forthcoming elections, including one in May to find a successor to the staunchly anti-Kremlin president, Dalia Grybauskaite.”

Financial Times: “Fake news: How Lithuania’s ‘elves’ take on Russian trolls”

Baltic Times: “Eugenijus Gentvilas, leader of the opposition Liberal Movement, say he plans to initiate the unification of liberal forces after the upcoming municipal election.”

Finland Parliamentary - April 14, 2019

Finnish political parties have released their campaign slogans ahead of the elections.

Macedonia Presidential - April 21, 2019

Macedonia will formally join NATO on Wednesday. David A. Wemer at the Atlantic Council: “Name Deal with Greece Gives Macedonia a ‘Second Chance’”

Slovakia European Parliament - May 25, 2019

Radoslav Tomek in Bloomberg: “Slovakia’s former prime minister, Robert Fico, is vying to join the nation’s Constitutional Court after protesters forced him out with the largest anti-corruption rallies since the fall of communism. His candidacy has ignited outrage among many of the euro-area country’s 5.4 million voters, who charge that he allowed graft to thrive under his rule.”

France European Parliament - May 26, 2019

Italian Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio from the populist Five Star Movement met a senior figure in France’s Yellow Vests to offer his support.

The Yellow Vest chaos has sparked President Emmanuel Macron to hold a “great national debate,” a series of in-person and online discussions allowing citizens to weigh in on policy. Macron is proposing also holding a referendum on the same day as the European elections, which has drawn controversy.

Germany European Parliament - May 26, 2019

Financial Times reports: “German centre-right leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has called for the creation of a European army in a speech in Brussels that sets out the campaign themes for her CDU party in this year’s elections to the European Parliament.”

Greece European Elections - May 26, 2019 and Parliamentary - October 2019

Voice of America reports: “Greece is set to ratify Macedonia’s accession agreement with NATO this week after the two countries reached a historic agreement to normalize relations.”

The Economist on Yanis Varoufakis: “A maverick leftist sallies into transnational European politics”

Hungary European Parliament - May 26, 2019 and Local - October 2019

The American NGO Freedom House released its annual Freedom in the World ratings, and Hungary became the first EU member state to be rated partly free. All other EU member states are rated free. Carol Morello at the Washington Post notes: “Among the dozens of groups that issue indexes measuring the principles of democracy, Freedom House is considered the most authoritative. It has rated countries on political rights and civil liberties since 1973, assessing them in three categories as ‘free,’ ‘partly free’ or ‘not free.’”

Joerg Forbrig, Edit Zgut, and Wojciech Przybylski at the German Marshall Foundation: “Hungary and Poland: What Next for Europe’s ‘Illiberal Vanguard’?”

Albania Local - June 30, 2019

Albanian prime minister Edi Rama and president Ilir Meta have clashed over an infrastructure project in Tirana, the capital. The two have had a series of fights lately. Meta’s Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) party has been a kingmaker in previous elections, sometimes supporting Rama’s Socialists and sometimes supporting the center-right Democratic Party.

Voice of America published an investigative report on vote buying and voter intimidation during the 2017 general elections. The matter is also being investigated by Albanian authorities. Exit Albania gives their top five takeaways from the report.

Switzerland Parliamentary - October 20, 2019

swissinfo.ch: “Swiss look into online manipulation ahead of national polls”

Poland Parliamentary - November 2019

DW: “Poland’s first openly gay mayor creates new party ‘Spring'”

Serbia General - Due 2020 but snap possible

Balkans expert Rob Thomas has a useful in-depth piece on the continuing protests in Serbia and how they highlight issues of governance and government.

Freedom House downgraded Serbia from free to partly free.

Montenegro Parliamentary - Due by October 2020 (snap possible)

Balkan Insight: “Montenegrin opposition politician Nebojsa Medojevic said that his Movement for Changes wants to join former Donald Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon’s European right-wing organisation, The Movement.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina - October 8, 2018

Balkan Insight: “With no new governments formed at various levels three months after elections took place, Bosnia faces the prospect of worsening political, social and financial turmoil.”

Estonia General – March 3, 2019
ERR News: “According to a survey commissioned by daily Päevaleht, Estonian voters want to see a coalition of the governing Centre and opposition Reform parties after the general election on 3 March this year—despite the two parties’ carefully cultivated long-time enmity at the national level.”

The Economist: “How the Baltic states resist Russia: After decades of being force-fed lies, they are all but immune.”

Lithuania Local – March 3, 2019 and Presidential – May 12, 2019
Voice of America: “Lithuania’s intelligence agencies fear Russia will interfere in its forthcoming elections, including one in May to find a successor to the staunchly anti-Kremlin president, Dalia Grybauskaite.”

Financial Times: “Fake news: How Lithuania’s ‘elves’ take on Russian trolls”

Baltic Times: “Eugenijus Gentvilas, leader of the opposition Liberal Movement, say he plans to initiate the unification of liberal forces after the upcoming municipal election.”

Finland Parliamentary – April 14, 2019
Finnish political parties have released their campaign slogans ahead of the elections.

Macedonia Presidential – April 21, 2019
Macedonia will formally join NATO on Wednesday. David A. Wemer at the Atlantic Council: “Name Deal with Greece Gives Macedonia a ‘Second Chance’”

Slovakia European Parliament – May 25, 2019
Radoslav Tomek in Bloomberg: “Slovakia’s former prime minister, Robert Fico, is vying to join the nation’s Constitutional Court after protesters forced him out with the largest anti-corruption rallies since the fall of communism. His candidacy has ignited outrage among many of the euro-area country’s 5.4 million voters, who charge that he allowed graft to thrive under his rule.”

France European Parliament – May 26, 2019
Italian Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio from the populist Five Star Movement met a senior figure in France’s Yellow Vests to offer his support.

The Yellow Vest chaos has sparked President Emmanuel Macron to hold a “great national debate,” a series of in-person and online discussions allowing citizens to weigh in on policy. Macron is proposing also holding a referendum on the same day as the European elections, which has drawn controversy.

Germany European Parliament – May 26, 2019
Financial Times: “German centre-right leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has called for the creation of a European army in a speech in Brussels that sets out the campaign themes for her CDU party in this year’s elections to the European Parliament.”

Greece European Elections – May 26, 2019 and Parliamentary – October 2019
Voice of America reports: “Greece is set to ratify Macedonia’s accession agreement with NATO this week after the two countries reached a historic agreement to normalize relations.”

The Economist on Yanis Varoufakis: “A maverick leftist sallies into transnational European politics”

Hungary European Parliament – May 26, 2019 and Local – October 2019
The American NGO Freedom House released its annual Freedom in the World ratings, and Hungary became the first EU member state to be rated partly free. All other EU member states are rated free. Carol Morello at the Washington Post notes: “Among the dozens of groups that issue indexes measuring the principles of democracy, Freedom House is considered the most authoritative. It has rated countries on political rights and civil liberties since 1973, assessing them in three categories as ‘free,’ ‘partly free’ or ‘not free.’”

 Joerg Forbrig, Edit Zgut, and Wojciech Przybylski at the German Marshall Foundation: “Hungary and Poland: What Next for Europe’s ‘Illiberal Vanguard’?”

Albania Local – June 30, 2019
Albanian prime minister Edi Rama and president Ilir Meta have clashed over an infrastructure project in Tirana, the capital. The two have had a series of fights lately. Meta’s Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) party has been a kingmaker in previous elections, sometimes supporting Rama’s Socialists and sometimes supporting the center-right Democratic Party.

Voice of America published an investigative report on vote buying and voter intimidation during the 2017 general elections. The matter is also being investigated by Albanian authorities. Exit Albania gives their top five takeaways from the report.

Switzerland Parliamentary – October 20, 2019
swissinfo.ch: “Swiss look into online manipulation ahead of national polls”

Poland Parliamentary – November 2019
DW: “Poland’s first openly gay mayor creates new party ‘Spring'”

Serbia General – Due 2020 but snap possible
Balkans expert Rob Thomas has a useful in-depth piece on the continuing protests in Serbia and how they highlight issues of government and governance.

Freedom House downgraded Serbia from free to partly free.

Montenegro Parliamentary – Due by October 2020 (snap possible)
Balkan Insight: “Montenegrin opposition politician Nebojsa Medojevic said that his Movement for Changes wants to join former Donald Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon’s European right-wing organisation, The Movement.”

Past Elections
Bosnia and Herzegovina – October 8, 2018
Balkan Insight: “With no new governments formed at various levels three months after elections took place, Bosnia faces the prospect of worsening political, social and financial turmoil.”

The Year Ahead: Europe
Italy, Sardinia regional (February 24); Andorra parliamentary (March); Estonia parliamentary (March 3); Lithuania municipal (March 3); Slovakia presidential (March 16); Netherlands provincial councils, island councils, and water boards (March 20); Macedonia presidential (April); Finland parliamentary (April 14); United Kingdom local (May 2); Lithuania presidential (May 12)

European Parliament (May 23-26), and coinciding with those elections: Ireland local (May 24); Malta parliamentary (May 25); Belgium regional and parliamentary (May 26); Germany, Baden-Würtemberg, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia Municipal, Bremen State (May 26); Greece local (May 26); Italy, nationwide local and Basilicata regional (May 26); Spainregional in Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Canaries, Cantabria, Castilia-Leon, Castilia-Manchego, Extremadura, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Rioja, Valencia, and nationwide local (May 26)

Denmark parliamentary (on or before June 17); Albania local (June 30); Germany, Brandenburg and Saxony state (September 1); Portugal, Madeiran regional (September 22); Greece parliamentary (October but snap possible); Hungary local (October);  Switzerland Federal Assembly (October 20); Poland parliamentary (November); Croatia presidential (December)


Independence Day festivities in Finland.
Photo credit: Wikimedia/Ninaras

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