Europe This Week: December 9, 2020

December 9, 2020

Your weekly roundup of news and analysis of elections in Europe, usually posted on Wednesdays and occasionally updated throughout the week. For a full electoral calendar and interactive map, click here.


The Black Sea coast in Constanța, Romania’s oldest continually-inhabited city. Photo credit:
Wikimedia/Julian Nyča (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Upcoming Europe Elections

Portugal Presidential Election: January 24, 2021 and Local Elections: September or October 2021

Portugal will hold a presidential election on January 24, 2021. After that, local elections are due in September or October. The two main parties, center-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) and leftist Socialist Party (PS), regularly alternate in power. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa from PSD won the 2016 presidential election. He is running for re-election, and due to his popularity and strong polling numbers, likely to winMore

Catarina Demony, Reuters (December 7, 2020): In a Lisbon bakery, Portugal’s president announces run for second term

Netherlands Parliamentary Elections: March 17, 2021

Netherlands is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on March 17, 2020. The current government is a coalition of four liberal and center-right parties. The biggest is VVD, whose leader, Mark Rutte, is heading his third government as prime minister. While Rutte has been under fire from other political parties, including members of his own coalition, he enjoys high approval ratings from Dutch voters, including for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. More

Eline Schaart, Politico (December 7, 2020): Baudet faces task of rebuilding Dutch far-right party after reelection

Frida Ghitis, World Politics Review (December 4, 2020): With the FvD’s Collapse, the Dutch Far Right Veers in Uglier Directions

Finland Municipal Elections: April 18, 2021

Finland is due to hold municipal elections on April 18, 2021. Following the 2019 parliamentary elections, a left-leaning coalition came into government nationally.

YLE (December 7, 2020): Majority of government ministers plan to run in local elections

YLE (December 4, 2020): Finns Party overtakes Social Democrats to seize pole position in poll by YLE

Germany Parliamentary Elections: September 26, 2021

Germany is due to hold several sets of elections next year, culminating in the federal parliamentary elections that will determine who succeeds Angela Merkel as chancellor. Additionally, five states hold elections.  The year 2021 is thus a “Superwahljahr” (Super election year) in Germany. More

AP (December 9, 2020): Germany sets date for election determining Merkel successor

Kosovo Parliamentary Elections: By October 2023 (snap elections possible)

On November 5, 2020, President Hashim Thaci resigned to face war crimes charges in The Hague. Although the president is elected indirectly by the parliament, Thaci’s resignation could potentially trigger yet another snap election (the third in less than four years).

Valentina Dimitrievska, bneIntellinews (December 9, 2020): Kosovo heading towards snap election as party leaders disagree on new president

Past Europe Elections

Romania Parliamentary Elections: December 6, 2020

Romania held parliamentary elections on December 6. Amid low turnout due partly to COVID-19, the scandal-plagued leftist Social Democrats (PSD) unexpectedly came in first place. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban from the center-right National Liberal Party (PNL) consequently resigned. President Klaus Iohannis is holding talks with the parties on forming a government, and has appointed defense minister Nicolae Ciuca as interim prime minister. More

Radu Albu-Comănescu, Visegrad Insight (December 10, 2020): Drawing a Defence Line in Europe’s East

Stephen McGrath, Euronews (December 8, 2020): How a far-right party came from nowhere to stun Romania in Sunday’s election

RFE/RL (December 7, 2020): Romania’s Pro-Western PM Resigns After Disappointing Election Results

Montenegro Parliamentary Elections: August 30, 2020

Montenegro held parliamentary elections on August 30, 2020, the fifth since independence in 2006. Although the pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists, which has been in power for 30 years, won the most seats, they did not win a majority, and a coalition of opposition parties united to form a government. Zdravko Krivokapic from For the Future of Montenegro will be the next prime minister. The political base of the new coalition is generally pro-Moscow.

Nikola Đorđević, Emerging Europe (December 8, 2020): Montenegro: New government, old problems

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