European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
national elections
Presidential elections in Ukraine [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Ukraine will hold presidential elections on 31 March, five years after the Maidan protests resulted in the impeachment of pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovich, setting the country on a course to depeen ties with the West. Continue reading
Digital technology in elections: Efficiency versus credibility?
Digital technology brings greater efficiency in many walks of life, and elections are no exception. Online databases hugely facilitate the task of creating and managing accurate and up-to-date electoral rolls. In less developed countries, whose citizens often lack reliable identity documents, biometric technology can help to identify voters, thus preventing fraud in the form of multiple voting. Continue reading
Malaysia’s 2018 general election
On 9 May 2018, Malaysians go to the polls to elect federal and state parliaments. Although a financial scandal and rising living costs have dented the popularity of the government, the opposition faces an uphill battle to end the governing Barisan Nasional coalition’s six-decade rule, and it is not widely expected to win. Continue reading
Russia’s 2018 presidential election: Six more years of Putin
On 18 March 2018, Russians will elect the president who will govern their country for the next six years. Incumbent, Vladimir Putin is firmly on track to win, with approval ratings that have stayed above 80 % since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Continue reading
Kremlin trolls in the US presidential election
Discussions about Kremlin interference in the 2016 US presidential election initially focused on Russian hackers and leaked e-mails. However, US Congress enquiries have highlighted the important role played by Russian social media activity in influencing public opinion. Continue reading
South Korea’s presidential election: Potential for a new EU role in the Korean Peninsula
Written by Enrico D’Ambrogio, South Korea has been shaken by a succession of corruption scandals involving politicians, judges, senior officials, businessmen and even academics. Impeachment of the country’s first female president, the conservative Park Guen-hye, was confirmed by the Constitutional Court, and snap Presidential elections take place on 9 May 2017. Moon Jae-in, a liberal politician and a leading … Continue reading
Women in parliaments
This ‘Women in parliaments’ infographic provides information on the proportion of women in national parliaments, compares representation of women in national parliaments with their numbers in the European Parliament and shows the number of women in the EP by political group. Continue reading
The upcoming Trump Presidency [What Think Tanks are Thinking]
Written by Marcin Grajewski, The Republican candidate, Donald Trump, won the US presidential election on 8 November, unexpectedly defeating the Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, after a bitter campaign during which the business tycoon, with little political experience, made a number of controversial promises to radically change the government’s policies on migration, … Continue reading
Event Summary: Obama’s legacy
Written by Elena Lazarou, Against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s surprise election victory the previous week, the External Policies Unit of EPRS organised an event asking ‘Will There Be an Obama Legacy: Impacts on America, Europe, and the World’, on Monday, 14 November 2016. Naturally, the panellists’ focused both on the achievements of the outgoing President, and on … Continue reading
US elections [What Think Tanks are Thinking]
Written by Marcin Grajewski, The United States choose their next president on 8 November, with implications for international relations, security, trade and fight against climate change. The vote follows an acrimonious campaign, which analysts say points to a deeply divided nation on issues such as the US international role, immigration, social protection, taxation as well … Continue reading
Iceland ahead of the parliamentary elections
Written by Naja Bentzen, The financial storm that swept Iceland in 2008 has had long-lasting effects on the country’s domestic political climate. Despite the remarkably speedy economic recovery, the post-crash political crisis has continued to evolve. New, alternative political movements have mushroomed, and the anti-establishment Pirate Party is expecting a big boost in the 29 … Continue reading
Understanding US Presidential elections
Written by Carmen-Cristina Cirlig and Micaela Del Monte Graphics by Giulio Sabbati In July 2016, the two major US parties will nominate their respective official candidate for the 58th US presidential election which takes place in November. With less than three months before the national conventions, and a large number of delegates already allocated, on … Continue reading
Niger: paysage politique avant les élections
Écrit par Eric Pichon Alors que l’accession au pouvoir de Mahamadou Issoufou en 2011 avait été saluée comme un modèle de transition démocratique, le climat politique du pays s’est fortement dégradé à l’approche des élections présidentielle et législatives du 21 février 2016. Le Président sortant se représente contre une opposition qu’il a contribué à diviser … Continue reading
Taiwan’s political landscape ahead of elections
Written by Gisela Grieger, Public opinion polls suggest that the 16 January presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan are likely to bring about a change in power. The ruling nationalist Kuomintang (KMT), which advocates stronger ties with mainland China is expected to lose the presidency, and possibly even its majority in the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan’s … Continue reading
Myanmar/Burma’s 2015 elections
Written by Martin Russell Twenty-five years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD party won an overwhelming electoral victory, only to be denied power by the SLORC junta. The 2015 elections give the party and its leader a second chance to end decades of direct and indirect military rule. In the absence of opinion polls it … Continue reading
République centrafricaine : situation avant les élections de 2015
par Eric Pichon [mis à jour le 21/12/2015] Sous l’égide internationale, la RCA tente de revenir à une normalité institutionnelle par la mise en place d’une nouvelle Constitution et l’organisation d’élections législatives et présidentielle. La Constitution de la RCA est suspendue depuis le renversement du président François Bozizé, le 24 mars 2013, et la prise … Continue reading
Burundi : la vie politique à l’heure des élections de 2015
Par Eric Pichon Bien que le multipartisme soit inscrit dans la Constitution, la vie politique du Burundi est marquée par la domination du parti de l’actuel Président de la République. L’annonce de la candidature de ce dernier à l’élection présidentielle de 2015 a été contestée et a déclenché de violents affrontements. Les élections communales et … Continue reading
EU-Turkey relations [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Written by Marcin Grajewski Turkey’s ruling AKP party won the 7 June parliamentary election, but lost its majority in the house, opening the way for talks on a coalition government and plunging the country into uncertainty. The vote ended more than a decade of single-party rule in the EU candidate country and dealt a blow … Continue reading
Israel’s politics in the run-up to the elections
Written by Joanna Apap In December 2014, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called early national elections, scheduled for 17 March 2015, after dissolving the coalition arrangement underpinning the government formed after the January 2013 elections. Differences on Palestinian issues and budgetary matters, between Netanyahu, of the right-wing Likud party, and centrist parties in his coalition, reportedly contributed to the … Continue reading
Greece and the euro area: What next after the Greek election? [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Updated on 05 February 2015 Written by Marcin Grajewski Greece’s new government, led by the election-winning, anti-austerity Syriza party is trying to convince euro area partners to offer the country more debt relief that would allow it to ease austerity and bolster economic growth. The charm offensive in European capitals of Greek Prime Minister Alexis … Continue reading
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