March 2011 Volume 1, Issue 1 EuroMarch 2011 pean Times Volume 1, Issue th The Newsletter of Contemporary European Politics Nr.2, December 2011 Editor: José M. Magone

Contents PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN

Presidential OF 23 AND 30 0CTOBER 2011 Presidential and Local Rossen Plevneliev was able The ruling minority in October 2011 1 Elections took place in two to prevail in the second government of party rd th General elections in rounds on 23 and 30 of round against main Citizens for the European 1 October in Bulgaria. challenger, the Socialist Development of candidate Ivailo Kalfin. Bulgaria(GERB) under The presidential elections Elections in Bulgaria Plevneviev got 52.58 prime minister Boyko were contested by 10 in October 2 percent, and Kalfin 47.42 Borissov can rely on a candidates and the local 2011(cont.) percent of the vote. president of the same elections by 85 political party. It seems that the parties. Already in the first round, presidential and local Plevneliev was able to gain Elections in Denmark In the presidential results were a confirmation 40.11 percent, while Kalfin on 16 September elections the candidate of the present government, 2011(cont.) was just a distant second supported by the in spite of the bad 3 with 28.96 percent. conservative government economic situation.(p.2). This means that until 2013, The Finnish Elections of 17 April 2011:The Strengthening of the GENERAL ELECTIONS IN DENMARK ON 16 SEPTEMBER 2011: True Finns 4 THE ELECTION OF THE FIRST DANISH FEMALE PRIME MINISTER HELLE THORNING-SCHMIDT

The Legislative Elections in After a decade of the vote was just 50.2 to achieve a doubling of on 9 October 2011 conservative governments , percent for a left centre their 2007 result. The socialdemocratic candidate 5 coalition led by Thorning- social liberals got 9.5 Helle Thorning-Schmidt Schmidt against 49.8 percent( 2007:5.1 percent) was able to achieve a slight General Elections in percent for a right centre and the red-green coalition majority with its coalition of 23 coalition led by increased from 2.2 to 6.7 October 2011:The partners against the Rasmussen. percent. This more than End of Growth for the Liberal candidate Løkke compensated for the loss of In terms of individual Swiss People´s Party 6 Rasmussen. In the past the socialdemocrats. A results, the social decade, the policies in the fourth important party in lost 0.6 percent country have moved very the coalition is the Socialist in relation to the 2007 Pro-Russian much to the right, People´s Party(Socialistik Harmony Party general elections and particularly due to the fact Folkeparti) which had a Strongest in Latvian achieved the worst result that the Liberals were decrease of their share of General Elections on of 24.9 percent ever. While dependent on the support the vote from 13 to 9.2 17 September 2011 the social democrats of the new right anti- percent. It lost six seats and Victory for the 7 performed worse than in immigration Danish has now 16. Conservative the last elections, the Coalition in People´s Party(Dansk traditional leftwing On the right, the Liberal Portuguese General Folkeparti-DF). coalition partners, the party(Venstre) emerged as Elections on 5 June The majority of the 2011 social liberals(radikale the strongest party again leftwing coalition against venstre) and the red-green with 27.7 percent of the the rightwing coalition is Resounding Victory coalition(Enhedsliste rød- vote. It improved slightly of the People´s Party just five seats, 92 against grønne coalition) were able on its electoral result from in the General 8 87. Also the percentage of 2007(cont. p.3) Elections in of 20 November 2011

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1)Bulgaria’s run-off elections rd th underscore need BULGARIAN ELECTIONS ON 23 AND 30 OCTOBER 2011 for improvements in electoral process, The elections showed also local elections that were held spread across the continent. In

OSCE/ODIHR some recovery of the main parallel to the presidential Bulgaria, there are 750,000 observers say 3)Regierungs- posted in OSCE opposition party , the elections. In the local elections which corresponds to about 10 kandidat website Bulgarian socialists under 84 political parties took part. percent of the population. In Plevneliev Sergej Stanishev. The However, already in the first , there are 1.9 Million, http://www.osc wird neuer e.org/odihr/ele result of the Socialist round the electoral results in Serbia 500,000, Präsident. ctions/84598 presidential candidate were only announced five 600,000, 500,000, In:Spiegel accessed 4 Kalfin was certainly an days after the elections. (1) 275,000, November Online, improvement in Macedonia,185,000, 2011 The different political parties comparison to the 14 175,000, 300,000, 31.10.2011 alleged the ruling minority 2) Bulgarian percent of the general 120,000, Spain GERB party of manipulating elections of 2009. Also in 700,000 , 130,000 and the http://www.sp Socialists results. The Bulgarian the second round, Kalfin UK 100,000. All other iegel.de/politi Demand Vote Socialists, the main opposition was quite a strong European countries have k/ausland/0,15 Recall in 5 party, asked for recounting of challenger to the smaller Roma populations 18,794908,00. Locations,. the votes in the cities of Plevneliev. below 100,000. (3) html Smolyan, Veliko Tarnovo, Posted on accessed on The Bulgarian EU Plovdiv, and the town of Membership of the EU has been website of 4 Nov. 2011 Commissioner Meglena Lom.(2) a good thing for Bulgaria, Novinite, Kunena was also a however the slow reform of the Sofia News According to final results, the presidential candidate and judiciary and other institutions big winner was the ruling Agency, 1 got 14 percent of the vote. contribute allegedly to high party GERB, because it was November Her programme was quite levels of corruption. This is the able to win 14 city councils 2011, technocratic. It may be main reason why several against 8 won by the 4) Out in the motivation enough to member-states including Streets. http://www. Bulgarian socialists. create its own . France and Germany blocked Anti-Roma novinite.com/ Among the cities won by GERB the accession of Bulgaria to the rioting Elections observers from view_news.p are capital city Sofia, in which Schengen area, which allows spreads the the Organisation of EU´s hp?id=13355 before 2009, present prime Bulgarian citizens to travel and Security and Cooperation poorest minister was work in any place of the 0accessed on in Europe alerted to country. The its mayor. . The main 4 Nov. 2011 several irregularities in Economist, reason is that due to the slow the voting process. In spite of this victory of 8 October reforms of Bulgaria, some 2011 moderate parties, in early According to the OSCE, criminal organisations may http://www.e October major riots and conomist.co there have been problems profit from the situation and protests took place against m/node/2153 in the procedure of gain free access to Roma and the Turkish 1502 disclosing the results in the Schengenland.(4) minority. This opportunity accessed 4 first and second round. was used by the far-right The crisis of the Greek economy Nov. 2011 Problems of tabulation and party Ataka(Attack) to has been a major factor for the vote counting were mobilise the people against difficulties of the Bulgarian presented. Moreover, Roma and the Turkish economy. Greece has been so there were allegations of minority. The difficult far one the major investors in vote buying and pressure economic situation the Balkan countries, including on voters by some parties. exarcerbates even further the Bulgaria. One third of all In total, the authorities had situation. Bulgarian banks are Greek. It to launch 106 means that there is strong investigations about these According to the Berlin dependency of the Bulgarian allegations. Institute for Population and economy on the developments Development, in 2011 it is The allegations were in Greece.(4) estimated that there are particularly related to the about 9 million in Roma

Page 3 European Times

THE DANISH GENERAL ELECTIONS ON 16 SEPTEMBER

2011

Nevertheless, the most coalition. The successful formation of a Europe, because the country was Sources: important partner, the new government was announced to part of the Schengen area and Helle Thorning- Conservative People´s Queen Margret on 3 October. Prime therefore had to allow the free Schmidt to be Danish Party(Konservativ Minister Thorning -Schmidt had to make movement of people from EU Prime Minister after Poll. In:BBCNews,16 Folkeparti-KF) lost concessions to the smaller government countries which signed the same September 2011, considerably and the DF partners. One of the these, is the agreement. http://www.bbc.co.u rather anti -immigration continuation of liberal economic policies k/news/world- The present government has to europe-14928312, and occasionally with similar to those of the previous Access date 4 Dec. deal with a deteriorating xenophobic and populist conservative . 2011 economic situation in Denmark. tendencies lost also slightly. New government Moreover, more investment on the The number of unemployed has It meant, that Prime Monday.In:Denmark. transition to fuel-efficient cars in order increased, so that one important dk, ,8 October 2011 Minister Lars Løkke http://www.denmar to reduce carbon dioxide became an measure achieved in November Rasmussen could not count k.dk/en/servicemen important policy area of the was to have agreement on u/News/DomesticPo on a right centre majority in liticalNews/NewGov government. unemployment benefit extension parliament, so that after ernmentMonday.ht for people who are less than four m access date 4 Dec. more than a decade in Probably, the most controversial issue is years unemployed. According to 2011 power, it was replaced by the repeal of the anti-immigration the Danish Statistical Office net New Danish the leftwing coalition led by legislation and policies of the previous unemployment is at the moment government rolls Mrs. Thorning-Schmidt. government, which led to the closing of back border control, 4.2 percent which is still quite in:EUObserver, 4 the border between Denmark and its After negotiations with the low, but slightly rising. October 2011, member-states. This move was posted in: Socialist People´s Party and introduced after many people began to The finance crisis affected http://euobserver.c the Social Liberals, Mrs om/22/113809 immigrate from Tunisia after its Arab considerably the export-oriented access date 4 Dec. Thorning-Schmidt formed a Spring revolution in January and economy of Denmark. In 2009, 2011 government with these February 2011. The then strong Denmark had negative growth parties. The left centre pressure of the Danish People´s Party on and since then the recovery has coalition government is the right centre government led to such been slow and difficult. supported in parliament move. However, this was quite also by the red-green controversial in Denmark and across

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THE FINNISH ELECTIONS OF 17 APRIL 2011: THE

STRENGTHENING OF THE TRUE FINNS

On 17 April 2011, general the campaign. All the other True Finns became third. elections took place in main political parties The big loser of the general . These elections followed a pro-European elections was the Centre have changed considerable line and the main party under the leadership the political landscape of conservative pivotal party of Prime Minister Mari the country. The left-right the National Coalition was Kiviniemi, which also had dimension of Finnish very keen to emphasise the largest share of the politics has been moderate that the political parties Used sources : vote until then. The party due to the political culture should act responsibly due of consensus. However, declined from 23.1 percent The True Finns followed a well- to possible response of the rise of the populist and 51 seats to 15.8 known recipe for success. the markets. percent and 35 seats. Mainstream European parties Eurosceptic party of the The position of the need to offer positive solutions True Finns led by Coalition government National Coalition party not adopt the rhetoric of the charismatic has negotiations took place for nationalist populists. In:The was echoed by the second led to even greater affinity about two months. The Guardian online, 21 April 2011. largest party, the between the more new government under http://www.guardian.co.uk/co Socialdemocrats. In this moderate parties. Prime Minister Jyrki mmentisfree/2011/apr/21/tru sense, the two major Katainen was announced e-finns-nationalist-populists- Mr. Timo Soini is quite parties were united in this european-parties access date 4 on 21 June 2011. It critical of the European aspect of European politics. Dec, 2011 integration process and consists of six parties: the particularly the role that Mr. Soini´s party was able National coalition party, Back to the Roots. Why to win a resounding victory the social democrats, the could Doom Finland plays or does not by achieving 16 percent of ´s Bailout. In:Spiegel play in it. The discussion of , the Green the vote and 35 seats and online, 15 April 2011. the bail-out of struggling Alliance, the Swedish http://www.spiegel.de/internat economies in Southern closing in on the two main People´s Party and the ional/europe/0,1518,757299,0 Europe and Ireland has led parties, the National Christian Democrats. 0.html access date 4 Dec. 2011 Coalition party and the to a spill-over effect on Before that,on 18 May the Finnish politics. Mr. Soini Socialdemocrats. three of the largest Finland´s election.A Suomi clearly opposed any The National Coalition parties(National Coalition shake up. A populist party Finnish contribution to the Party won the elections party, the Social democrats creates an upset in Finland and bail-out of these economies with 20.4 and the Centre party) in the Europea n Union. In:The which were punished by percent(2007:22.3 %) and agreed to support a bailout Economist, 20 April 2011. the markets due to the 44 seats(2007:50) and the http://www.economist.com/no for Portugal, against the high debt levels. This Socialdemocrats got 19.4 votes of the True Finns. de/18587287 access date 4 Dec. sovereign debt crisis 2011 percent(2007:21.4 %) and became a major issue in 42 seats(2007:45). The

25 60 50 20 40 15 30 20 10 10 5 0 Nation Swedis Finnish Åland al Social Green h Christia 0 True Cenre Left islands National Swedish Finnish Coaliti democ Allainc People n Finns(P Party(K Allianc repres Coalitio Social True Cenre Left Green People´ Christia on rats(SD e(VIHR ´s Democ S) ESK)) e(VAS) vendorsentativ. n democr Finns(PS Party(KE Alliance Allaince s n Party(K P) ) Party(S rats(KD Party(K ats(SDP) ) SK)) (VAS) (VIHR) Party(SF Democr es OK) FP) ) OK) P) ats(KD) First, determine the 2011 44 42 39 35 14 10 9 6 1 2011 20,4 19,1 19 15,8 8,1 7,2 4,3 4 audience of the 2007 22,3 21,3 4,1 23,1 8,8 8,5 4,5 4,9 2007 50 45 5 51 17 15 9 7 1 newsletter. This could be anyone who might benefit from the information it contains, for example, employees or people interested in purchasing a product or requesting your service. You can compile a mailing list from business reply cards, customer

Page 5 European Times

THE LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS IN POLAND ON 9 OCTOBER 2011

On 10 October 2011,, general reconciliation. presidency in the first half of the year, Used sources: elections took place in Poland. during which domestic and European The tragic death of former The pattern of elections in politics intermingled and were a major president Lech Kaczynski Parties and Elections in Europe. Poland has been until then distraction to EU business. http://www.parties-and- along with 95 others in a elections.de/poland.html one of one legislature air plane crash in Russia, In contrast to the , the accessed 21 Nov. 2011 governments or even less. No led paradoxically to better main party of the Opposition Law and Poland re-elects PM Donald government was able ever to relations between Russia Justice Party(PiS) lost votes and faced Tusk.in:BBCNews,10 October stay in power for longer than 2011, and Poland, although there defection of some MPs after the http://wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl/wsw one legislature period. The are still controversial election. It means that Jaroslaw /en/000000.html accessed on 21 2011 general elections were Nov 2011 issues such as the missile Kaczynski has difficulties to continue an important turning point in protection system closed its rather negative policy of distrust in Law and Justice set to split. the pattern of elections. The In:New Europe,18 Nov. 2011 to the Russian border relation to Russia and Germany. http://www.neurope.eu/article/law- incumbent government under sponsored by the United and-justice-party-set-split the leadership of the Some leaders of the PiS were not very accessed 21 Nov. 2011 States and the strategic moderate and pragmatic happy with the outcome. The distance issue of the Russian gas Polish Cross Shall G, says Palikot prime minister between PiS and PO was 10 percentage Party, BBC News,9 Nov. 2011 pipeline. Polish-German http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world- was able to repeat its victory points. A new party around former relations improved europe-15663605 accessed 18 of 2007. His party Civic justice minister Zbgniew Ziobro called Nov. 2011 considerably. Platform(PO) is in a coalition Solidarna Polska(Polish Solidarity) Reconciliation and Parliament approves new coalition with the People´s Party(PSL). with 18 seats, weakening so the government. In:Polskie Radio, friendship have very much News From Poland, 19.11.2011 While PO got 39 .2 percent of conservative PiS. replaced feelings of http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/ the vote and 207 seats, PSL 58831,Parliament-approves-new- distrust still relevant after Another surprise was the emergence of coalition-government accessed on achieved 8.4 percent and 28 the Fall of the Wall in 1989. a new secular party called the Pallicot´s 21 Nov 2011 seats Movement(RP). The party wants to Prime minister Donald National Electoral Commission, The coalition government reduce the power of the Church in 2011 Elections. Tusk and his government http://wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl/wsw under Donald Tusk could refer Poland, and stand for a strict /en/000000.html accessed 21 have been a positive force to a booming economy, which separation between state and church. Nov. 2011 in the construction of was growing up to 4 percent . The The new government took office on 11 during the finance crisis that present Polish EU November 2011. It is supported in affected so many countries in presidency has been parliament with 234 votes against 211. side and outside the Eurozone. regarded so far as very well It has a comfortable majority to Another major priority for the organized and successful, continue an ambitious reform government was to improve at least, in comparison to programme of liberalization of the relations to Germany and the previous Hungarian Polish economy, one of the few Russia in the context of a new economies still growing in the European architecture of European Union.

45 250 40 200 35 30 150 25 100 20 15 50 10 0 5 Democrati Civic Law and Pallikot´s Polish Polish 0 c Left Democratic Platform(P Justice(piS Movement People´s Solidarity( Civic Law and Pallikot´s Polish People´s Alliance(S Left O) ) (RP) Party(PSL) SP9 Platform(PO) Justice(piS) Movement(RP) Party(PSL) DL) Alliance(SDL) 2011 39,2 29,9 10 8,4 8,2 2011 207 157 40 28 27 18 2007 209 166 31 53 2007 41,5 32,1 8,9 13,2

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Page 6 of 8 GENERAL ELECTIONS IN SWITZERLAND OF 23 OCTOBER 2011: Page 6 of 8 THE END OF GROWTH FOR THE SWISS PEOPLE´S PARTY?

Major changes are taken place in parties get two seats each, group(Bürgerlich- Switzerland due to social change and the fourth smaller Used sources: Demokratische Partei- and globalization. The main party party gets one seat. Most of BDP). These were the first

Parties and Elections in Europe. profiting from these changes is the these parties are known to elections for the BDP and it http://www.parties -and- populist anti-immigration Swiss be moderate. The got 5.4 percent. Moreover, elections.de/Switzerland accessed 21 Nov. 2011 People´s Party. Switzerland is a traditional parties are the the Fukushima nuclear highly open economy based on a Christian People´s disaster has led also to the Swiss election see nationalists lose share of the vote. In:The strong financing sector, however Party(CVP), the emergence of a green- Guardian, 23 October 2011 in recent years the country has Socialdemocrats(SP), the liberal party(Grüne http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2 011/oct/23/swiss -election- been suffering from a very strong Liberals(FDP) and the Liberale Partei-GLP) which nationalist-party-result accessed Swiss Franc, which undermines Swiss People´s Party(SVP). focus on environmnental on 21 Nov 2011 exports, and a continuing However, since 2003 the issues, particularly nuclear Major Parties get slap in the face. discussion on the merits of joining Swiss People´s Party is safety. In:Swissinfo.ch the European Union. entitled to two seats due to http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Speci All this led to an even more als/Elections_2011/News/Major_p its strength. In 2003, the arties_get_a_slap_in_the_face.ht The Swiss People´s Party has been fragmented parliament, main candidate Christoph ml?cid=31422422 accessed on 21 growing since the early 1980s and because all the other larger Nov 2011 Blocher became member of is now the largest party of the parties declined in their the government. He Swiss far right aiming to make country. In the 2007 elections, it share of the vote. Probably, election history . In:The Telegraph, wanted a re-election in 20 October 2011 achieved 29.8 percent of the vote the most concrete sign of 2007. Nevertheless, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ and almost crossed the 30 percent the erosion of the worldnews/europe/switzerland/88 resistance of the moderate 37942/Swiss-far-right-party-SVP- threshold. However, in the 2011 traditional parties is the parliamentary groups in aiming-to-make-election- elections the SVP declined by 3 steep decline since more history.html accessed on 21 Nov 2007 led to the election of 2011 percent from 28.9 to 26.6 percent. than two decades of the more moderate Eveline Christian People´s In the highly fragmented Swiss Widmer-Schlumpf a Party(CVP), which was party system, consisting of candidate of the SVP that once the dominant party . national, regional and local was not supported by the parties, it is quite difficult for any party. She resisted calls by The election of the new party to achieve an absolute the party to resign, so that government in parliament majority. As a consequence, the the party expelled her from which is based on the vote Swiss constitution has the party. Afterwards she of senior MPs to the top institutionalized a 7 members decided with other seven jobs will certainly Federal Council(government) members of the SVP to lead to further polarization consisting of the largest parties. create a more moderate between the SVP and the Traditionally the three largest civic democrats more moderate parties.

35 30 25 20 number of councillors in 15 the constituencies where 10 5 they had candidates. 0 According to an opinion Civic Swiss Christian Socialde Liberal poll of Democra IPSOS, Marine Le People´s People´s Greens(G Green mocrats( Party(FD Pen may betic able to reach Party(SV Party(CV ) Liberals SP) P) Party(BD P) P) the second round of the P) presidential elections in 2011 26,6 18,7 15,1 12,3 8,4 5,4 5,4 2007 28,9 19,5 17,1 14,5 9,6 1,42012 at cost of president Nicholas Sarkozy,(The Guardian online,21 March 2011) President Nicholas Sarkozy tried to gain the electorate of FN for the UMP, but Marine Le Pen was able not only to stand up to the UMP, but expand in

Page 7 European Times

Sources: PRO-RUSSIAN HARMONY PARTY STRONGEST IN LATVIAN Pro-Russian Party wins most GENERAL ELECTIONS ON 17 SEPTEMBER 2011 votes in election. On 17 September 2011, the pro-Russian Harmony The new coalition consists of the ZRS,V, and In:BBC News, 18. September party won the elections with 29 percent of the vote. the rightwing National Alliance-All for 2011. Posted The Latvian party system is highly fragmented, so Latvia(NA). on that it is always difficult to create a working http://www.bbc. In comparison to , Latvia had co.uk/news/wor coalition. There is also the factor of nationality. difficulties to come out of the finance crisis. ld-europe- There is a tendency of the major Latvian parties to 14962617 An International Monetary Fund austerity exclude the pro-Russian minority parties due to the accessed on 4 package played a major role in increasing Dec. 2011 past history of the and the close considerably unemployment and poverty in relationship of these parties to the Russian the country. The unemployment rate in the The Latvian establishment. Vote. Elections second quarter of 2011 has been 16.9 percent and The early elections were called after a referendum with a stagnant tendency. Referendums. instigated by previous president Valdis Zatlers. The In: Latvians The new government was approved by Online, referendum led to an overwhelming support for new Parliament on 25th of October 2011.The http://latvianso elections. continuing difficult economic situation will nline.com/news /elections/ A new reform party called Zatler´s Reform remain a major priority for the new accessed on 4 Party(ZRS) got the second largest share of the government .Moreover, issues of political Dec. 2011 vote(28.9 percent) group with 20.8 percent. The corruption are still relevant in Latvian politics. (Excellent data archive on the new prime minister belongs to elections 2011) the third largest party, the Party(V).

VICTORY FOR THE PORTUGUESE CONSERVATIVE COALITION ON 5 JUNE 2011

The Finance crisis is creating a new dynamics in government. Prime Minister José Socrates southern European countries. Either technocratic Sources: resigned from all political offices and governments are deployed to manage the highly Portugal announced at least temporary retirement complex financial crisis like in Greece under prime election:Socialists from the political arena. New leader of the admit defeat minister Lucas Papademos or in Italy under new Socialist party became the still unknown In:BBC News, 6 prime minister Mario Monti. June 2011, and not very charismatic José Seguro. http://www.bbc.c In the two Iberian countries, the alternative was to o.uk/news/world- The new conservative government has to organise new elections in order to create a europe-13658998 implement an agreed austerity programme access date 4 Dec. government with a stable majority. After the set out in a memorandum of understanding 2011 resignation of prime minister José Socrates due to a with the socalled trojka, the European lost vote of confidence in Parliament in March Portugal election. Commission, the European 2011, president Anibal Cavaco Silva called for early A grim and the International Monetary Fund. The inheritance. The elections on 5 June 2011. austerity package was agreed by the three next Portuguese prime minister The 5 June general elections led to the main Portuguese political parties promises overwhelming majority of the conservative parties, (PSD,PS,CDS-PP) in order to receive a € 78 much,but the social democrats(PSD) and the Centre-People´s billion bailout from the European Financial promises are Party(CDS -PP). Both together got 50.4 percent and Stability Fund. cheap.In:The Economist, 9 June 136 seats of the 230. The PSD was able to improve In spite of considerable efforts by the 2011, considerably from a low 29.1 percent in 2009 to http://www.econ government to control expenditure, during 38.7 percent in 2011. In contrast, the ruling omist.com/node/ the summer several unaccounted financial 18805349 access socialists(PS) lost considerably from 36.6 to 28.1 ´holes´were found, including a major one by date 4 Dec. 2011 percent . the regional government of the island of New leader of the PSD was able to capitalise on the Madeira. dire economic situation left by the Socialist

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RESOUNDING VICTORY OF THE PEOPLE´S PARTY IN SPAIN

ON 20 NOVEMBER 2011 Sources: Elecciones Generales 2011. In: On 20 November 1975, dictator majority for the conservative These elections Ministry of Interior website Francisco Franco died and a new People´s Party(PP). The consolidated also the http://elecciones.mir.es/resultado sgenerales2011/ini99v.htm chapter in the history of Spain regional and local elections on ongoing growth of the access date 4 Dec. 2011 began. It was the starting point 22 May 2011 confirmed this fourth national party, the

The Spanish Election. Mañana towards democratic transition in trend. The socialists lost even in Union for Progress and belongs to Mariano. The new Spain. Thirty six years later, new traditionally strongholds like Democracy(UpyD). This prime minister has to act fast.- and urgently needs outside general elections took place in Castilla-La Mancha and party led by former support. In:The Economist, 26 Spain. The overall campaign of Extremadura. The general Socialist Rosa Diez wants Nov. 2011, http://www.economist.com/node/2 the general elections was elections on 20 November just to rescale the highly 1540269 access date 4 Dec. overshadowed by the sovereign reconfirmed this trend. Mariano decentralized state of 2011 debt crisis which led to the almost Rajoy, the main candidate of the autonomies towards more Spanish Election. Convincing collapse of the Spanish economy. PP did not need to present a central government. Victory of People´s Party. Conservative leader Mariano Between 2008 and 2011, the thorough programme, just to Particularly, the area of Rajoy beats Socialist leader José unemployment rose to 5 Million emphasise the need for change education should again be Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. In:The Guardian online, 20 Nov. 2011. people(21.5 percent). Since May after eight years of Socialist more centralized http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2 2010, the minority Socialist minority government. The according to UPyD. After 011/nov/20/spain-election -polls- rajoy-victory access date 4 Dec. government of prime minister catastrophic economic policy these elections, the 2011 José Luis Zapatero has introduced was enough to motivate the socialists were only able several austerity measures to electorate to vote for change. to achieve a majority in avoid Spain being for ced to ask for Alfredo Rubalcalba, the former Barcelona and Sevilla. a bailout from the European vice-president of government Several other regionalist Union. and main candidate of the PSOE, parties were able to get was not able to reverse the seats in parliament. In The sudden deterioration of the trend during the electoral total nine such parties got SCHEDULE OF NEXT Spanish economy from boom to campaign. In the elections, PP representation. It is ISSUES bust between 2008 and 2010 led got 44.62 percent and historical therefore a more to major disenchantment of 186 MPs, while PSOE only 28.73 fragmented parliament different groups, but particularly Nr.3, June 2012 percent and 110 seats. Among than in the previous the young people with the Nr.4 December 2012 the national parties, the legislature. Quite Socialist government. On 15 May communist-led United Left(IU) problematic was the 2011, the movement of the was able to reverse its return of the more radical outraged(indignados) became an downward trend . It profited nationalist Basque left important core group in from disaffected voters from the party Amaiur, which was expressing the anger about the PSOE. IU increased from 3.03 able to surpass the more power of the banking sector and percent and 2 seats to 6.92 moderate Basque the bailout by the government . percent and 11 seats. Nationalist Party(PNV). Since 2010, most polls predicted a Amaiur got 1.37 votes and It is now able to build its own breakdown of the Socialist(PSOE) 7 seats, while PNV 1.33 parliamentary group in contrast vote and a growing secure percent and 5 seats. to the previous legislature.

ELECTION RESULTS OF GENERAL ELECTIONS IN

SPAIN - CONGRESO DE DIPUTADOS(LOWER PSOE, 28.73%, 110 seats CHAMBER) 2011 PP, 44,62%, 186 seats

Convergence and Union(CiU), 4.17%,16 seats United Left(IU) 6.92 %,11 seats Amaiur 1.37 %,7 seats UPyD, 4,69 %, 5 seats Basque Nationalist Party(PNV 1.33 %, 5 seats Catalan Republican Left(ERC) 1.05 %,3 seats Galician Nationalist Bloc(BNG) 0.75 %, 2 seats Canary Coalition(CC-NC-PNC) 0.59 % 2 seats Source: Elecciones Generales 2011, Ministry of the Interior, Compromis-Q(Citizens´Movement) 0.51 %,1 seat http://elecciones.mir.es/resultadosgenerales2011/99CG/DCG99999TO_L1.htm access Foro Asturias(FAC) 0.40 %, 1 seat date 4 Dec, 2011 GeroaBai(Navarra) 0.17 %.1 seat