Politics - Page 4 of 8

New Finnish Government appointed

On 1 June, the President of the Republic of Finland Juha Sipila appointed the country’s 74^th government. This moment marked the dismissal of Alexander Stubb’s cabinet and the coming into office of Sipila, who will be heading the new 14-minister government. The governing coalition will now consist of the Center Party with six ministerial posts, the Finns Party and the National Coalition Party, with four ministerial posts each. After weeks of cabinet formation talks, party leaders have agreed on a lineup which welcomes the return of ex-Prime Minister Alexander Stubb as Minister of Finance. Another party boss not leaving the negotiating table empty-handed is Timo Soini from the eurosceptic Finns Party

Andrzej Duda wins Polish presidential election

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski conceded defeat in Sunday’s presidential elections. The exit polls showed him trailing his main challenger, Andrzej Duda, who managed to win 53% of the votes. The result marks a significant blow to the ruling Civic Platform and its leader and Prime Minister, Ewa Kopacz. Ripple effects are expected to be felt in the more important parliamentary elections due later this year. In Poland the Head of State has limited powers in comparison to the Prime Minister but Andrzej Duda may well promote a more skeptical approach towards the European Union and lay the groundwork for a right-wing win in the upcoming parliamentary elections

Unexpected results in Polish presidential election

Andrzej Duda pulled off a surprising upset over the incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski in the first round of the Polish presidential elections. According to the Polish Press Agency exit poll, the surge in support for the nationalist conservative candidate puts him in the lead with 34.8% of the vote. President Komorowski has been relegated to an unexpected second place after receiving only 32.2% of the total ballots cast. The two will meet again in the 24 May runoff since neither candidate managed to secure more than 50% of the vote. The results are all the more remarkable as opinion polls gave Mr. Komorowski a comfortable win over his contender

Clear victory for David Cameron in UK general election

The Conservatives’ sweep to victory in the 7 May general election means that a triumphant David Cameron will be back at 10 Downing Street without much hassle and without relying on a coalition partner to form the next government. The Tories’ 331 seats give him an outright majority, the first of its kind in over two decades. The Labour Party suffered a humiliating defeat and the Liberal Democrats were crushed beyond anybody’s expectation. In response to such a dismal outcome both Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg stepped down as party leaders, followed by Nigel Farage of the UK Independence Party, another underperformer in this year’s general elections

Electoral reform for more political stability in Italy

On Monday, 4 May, the Italian Parliament voted on legislation aimed at reforming the country’s electoral system. The overhaul, proposed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, seeks to put an end to a fragmented political scene that has ushered in four different governments since the beginning of this decade. A jubilant ruling coalition welcomed the Parliament’s approval of the bill by a vote of 334 to 61. Soon after the secret ballot came to a close and the votes were counted, an enraptured Renzi tweeted: “Commitment kept, promise fulfilled.” “Mission accomplished”, stated Reform Minister Elena Boschi

Hungarian PM raises eyebrows after talk of reinstating the death penalty

On 28 April, Prime Minister Viktor Orban came out in favour of reinstating the death penalty. “The death penalty should be put on the agenda in Hungary,” the Hungarian leader boldly stated. “Hungary will stop at nothing when it comes to protecting its citizens.” The statement quickly drew criticism from both home and abroad with a harsh reproval from the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Junker. He called on the Hungarian leader to respect the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union which forbids the death penalty in all of its member states

Eurogroup talks stall as Greece dithers on its promises

At the Eurogroup meeting on Friday, 24 April, all eyes were on Greece. The embattled Eurozone country got hammered for backtracking on much needed fiscal reforms. Eurogroup officials stated that such measures are vital in helping the Greek government secure its debt repayments. Without the remaining €7.2 billion in the bailout package, Greece will run out of money in a matter of weeks. The stark warning came as Mr. Varoufakis, Greece’s Finance Minister, tried to calm fears over his country’s ability to raise

The EU accuses Google of abusing its dominant position and opens up an investigation on Android

After five years of research, the European Commission has today accused Google of abusing its dominant position by promoting its products in Internet searches, where it control 90% of the market share in Europe. In parallel, the Commission has formally opened an antitrust investigation against Google’s Android mobile operating system, including its applications and services. This opens up a new front against Google, which could affect its aspirations of gaining ground in the mobile market.

Turkish President visits Slovenia, Slovakia and Romania

Turkey’s diplomatic relations with Slovenia, Slovakia and Romania have seen a boost this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid official visits to the three countries. Turkey’s accession to the EU, bilateral trade and the fight against ISIL / ISIS were among the issues discussed between Mr. Erdoğan and the respective country leaders. Mr. Erdoğan’s visit had to be cut short because of terrorist incidents in Istanbul.

Elections in Andalusia signal end of two-party system in Spain

Elections on Sunday for the Parliament of the Autonomous Region of Andalusia, in the South of Spain, provided a first reality check of the strength of the new political party Podemos. In the Andalusian Parliament, Podemos will start its journey as the third force, with 15 deputies out of 109. The question remains what will happen in Spain´s general election due at the end of 2015.