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 BULGARIA Presidential OF 23 AND 30 0CTOBER 2011 elections in Bulgaria 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 Denmark 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). The Finnish Elections This means that until 2013, 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 Poland 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 coalition led by Thorning- social liberals got 9.5 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 Switzerland 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 democrats 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 Spain of 20 November 2011 European Times Page 2 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 3) observers say 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 Romania, 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, Hungary Präsident. ctions/84598 presidential candidate were only announced five 600,000, Slovakia 500,000, In:Spiegel accessed 4 Kalfin was certainly an days after the elections. (1) Czech Republic 275,000, November Online, improvement in Macedonia,185,000, Greece 2011 The different political parties comparison to the 14 175,000, France 300,000, 31.10.2011 alleged the ruling minority 2) Bulgarian percent of the general Germany 120,000, Spain GERB party of manipulating elections of 2009. Also in 700,000 ,Italy 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, Sofia 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 centre party. 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 Boyko Borisov was work in any place of the 0accessed on in Europe alerted to country. The its mayor. European Union. 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 coalition government. 2011 economic situation in Denmark. tendencies lost also slightly. New government Moreover, more investment on the The number of unemployed has Monday.In:Denmark. It meant, that Prime dk, ,8 October 2011 transition to fuel-efficient cars in order increased, so that one important 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.