European Parliament Elections - Essay Example

COUNTRY PROFILES MEMO Center Right Government: AUSTRIA Due to the sudden elections held on 28 September 2008, a new SPO-OVP imposing coalition was formed under Prime Minister SPO's Werner Faymann at the end of the year. Austrians are planning to send quite a lot of anti-EU members to the new parliament. The rightist Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) won 2 seats, a veteran critic of the EU officialdom, Hans-Peter Martin, brought along with him 2 other members of his list to the parliament. In a nutshell more than 1/3rd of voters in Austria cast their votes for parties with a critical approach towards the EU, even though pro-EU, center-right Austrian People's Party (OVP) took the day by ending up with 6 of the country's 17 seats. BULGARIA Parliamentary elections of 2007 resulted in the victory for a new center-right party: Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) under Boyko Borisov. Georgi Parvanov has been the president of the country since 2002. The center-right GERB opposition party won 26.2% of the vote and five seats in the 2009 election. They beat the ruling Socialists (18.9%/4 seats). CZECH REPUBLIC The two round parliamentary elections which were conducted in 2006 was shaded off by a dishonor, resulting in reformation of government in 2007. Mirek Topolanek who leads the Civic democrats formed a new center-right government in January 2007. This government consisted of Topolanek's Civic Union, the Greens, and the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party. Jan Fisher has been the prime minister since 8 May 2009. FRANCE Legislative elections for the national assembly took place in June 2007 in France. President Nickolas Sarkozy's UMP won the elections. Sarkozy was elected as the president in 2007. This was only because of the center-right voters. They elected Francois Fillon of the UMP as their prime minister. In the 2009 elections, Sarkozy's UMP received 28%. French MEP Joseph Daul who is theEPP-ED group chairman stated his party had won because it had verbalized "about Europe" andwas away from any controversies. ITALY Italy's President Giorgio Napolitan, who is a former leader of the Italian Communist Party, was elected in April 2006. But in the 2008 elections Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party won the elections. Berlusconi constituted a center-right cabinet of ministers which included his People of Freedom coalition and the Northern League. Berlusconi's 'Party of Liberty' (PdL) secured 39%, of the votes against 27.5% which its main rival, the centre-left PD secured. IRELAND Ireland's elections to the lower house of parliament were conducted in May 2007. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and his Fioanna Fail Party were victorious. Fianna Fail continued as the largest party but its coalition partners -the Progressive Democrats- were not as victorious. Mary McAleese has been the president of Ireland since 1997. LATVIA The Center-right party won the June 2004 elections in Latvia. The majority coalition consisted of People's Party and other center-right parties. The party led by Aigars Kalvitis became a minority coalition with the departure of one party. In 2007, Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis the head of the center-right Latvian Way party formed a center-right coalition government. LITHUANIA The center-left government was replaced by the center-right in the elections conducted in October 2008. The center-right party is headed by prime minister and leader of the Homeland Union Lithuanian Christian Democrats Party Andrius Kubilius. Dalia Grybauskaite is Lithuania's first female president who was elected in May 2009. POLAND Lech Kaczynki was the elected president in October 2005 elections. But in the Snap elections on October 21 2007 resulted in the victory of the center-right opposition party which is led by Donald Tusk. Tusk became Poland's prime minister in November 2007 and led a coalition government of his civic platform party and the Polish People's Party. SPAIN Prime Minister Zapatero's Socialists won the Parliamentary elections which were held on March 9, 2008. The victory was over Rajoy's center-right party. They were able to make this victory after an unsympathetic campaign of the left and right wing sides. UK Tony Blair's labor party won the elections to the House of Commons in the UK held on 5 May 2005. But due to oppositions Blair resigned in 2007 and the Labor Party's new leader Gordon Brown became the new prime minister of the UK. ------ Center left: CYPRUS Dimitris Christofias is the current president of the Greek Cyprus. The parliament elections conducted in February 2008 was won by Christofias' center-left Cyprus Communist Party. Snap parliamentary elections held in Northern Cyprus (TRNC) resulted in the victory of the right wing National Unity Party (UBP.) UBP's chairman Devis Eroglu became prime minister of northern Cyprus. DENMARK Andres Fogh Rasmussen was retained as the prime minister after the snap parliamentary elections in October 2007. Rasmussen's center-right liberal-conservative government, his liberal party and the conservatives, was taken over by another Rasmussen: Lars Lakke Rasmussen of the center-right liberal party. GREECE The snap election which was to be held in September 2007 was finally held in March 2008. In spite of losing seats, Karamanlis began a new term as Prime Minister with his center-right New Democracy party. HUNGARY Parliamentary by elections was held in April 2006. This election resulted in Prime Minister Gyurcsany's center-left socialist party's victory. A coalition government of the socialists and the centrist Alliance of free democrats were formed. The National assembly elected Laszlo Solyom as the president of Hungary. Prime Minister Gyurcsany resigned in March 2009 and Gyorgy Gordon Bajnai became the Prime Minister. MALTA Elections in Malta were held on 8 March 2008. It turned out to be the victory of the Nationalist Party. The earlier elected president by the House of Representatives, Lawrence Gonzi, continued as the prime minister. PORTUGAL The ruling party Jose Sampio's socialists won the Election of February 2005. The president formed the government under Prime Minister Jose Socrates. But the elections held in January 2006, resulted in the presidency of the center-right Democratic Party's Anibal Cavaco Silva. SLOVAKIA The center-left Direction (Smer)-Social Democracy Party was the largest party to win the Parliamentary elections held in June 2006. The formation of a coalition government took place with two right-wing parties: Meciar's People's Party-Movement for a Democratic Slovakia and the Slovak National Party. The presidential elections in 2009 resulted in the reelection of President Ivan Gasparovic. ----------- Coalition BELGIUM A new interim center-left/center-right coalition was formed due to the 2007 parliamentary elections in Belgium. It comprised of Verhofstad's Flemish Liberals, the Flemish Christian Democrats, the Francophone Socialists, the Francophone Liberals, and the Francophone Christian Democrats. Flemish Christian Democrat Herman van Rompuy became prime minister. ESTONIA Andrus Ansip of the centrist liberal reform party became the prime minister of Estonia following the resignation of Prime Minister Juhan in 2005. Since the world's first national elections featuring casting of votes on internet in 2007 took place Ansip formed a coalition which comprised the centrist reform party, center right union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, and the center-left social democrat party. FINLAND As a result of the parliamentary elections of 2007, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen formed a new center-right 'blue-green' coalition government consisting of his center party, the National coalition (blue parties), the Greens, and the Swedish people's parties. Tarja Halonen was re-elected as the president in the 2006 elections and became the first woman president in Finland. GERMANY The September 2005 elections in Germany resulted in the center-right center-left grand coalition government of the CDU/CSU and SPD under Merkel, Germany's first woman chancellor. The Christian democrats reelected Horst Koehler to his second 5 year term as the country's ceremonial president. LUXEMBOURG The political situation in Luxembourg did not change due to the parliamentary elections of 2009. Prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker was re-elected and he formed a center-right/center-left coalition government comprising of his own center-right Christian Social People's Party and the center-left Luxembourg Socialist Workers Party. NETHERLANDS Prime Minister Balkendende's center-right Christian Democratic Alliance continued to become the largest party in the unicameral legislature snap elections which was conducted in November 2006. A coalition government was formed by Balkandale's center-right Christian Democrats, the center-labor party, and the small center-right Christian Union, which was known as the "Dutch Grand Coalition." ROMANIA Last parliamentary elections held in November 2008 resulted in the victory of the center-left alliance consisting of the Social Democrats, the Conservatives, and the center-right Democratic Liberal Party. These parties formed a center-right/center-left coalition government under Prime Minister Emil Boc who is the head of Democratic Liberal Party. SLOVENIA Presidential elections in October and November 2007 resulted in Danilo Turk's victory. The lower-house elections took place in September 2008, where a coalition of center-left parties of the Social Democrats, Zares-New Politics and Liberal Democracy of Slovenia- defeated the reining governing center-right coalition. Borut Pahor became the prime minister and the head of the Social Democrats. SWEDEN Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson was successful in leading the Social Democrat Party for years. September 2006 elections in Sweden brought an end to the social democratic government and a four party center-right "alliance for Sweden" coalition headed by Fredrik Reinfelt of the Moderate Party took over. ------------------ EXTREME PARTIES Austria Both the far-right parties of Austria won the September 2008 elections. Freedom Party under Peter Westenthaler secured 13 new seats and 6.5% of the vote, and Joeg Haider's 'List' won 14 new seats and 7% of the vote. Belgium The far-right Vlaams Belang headed by Bruno Valkeniers won 17 seats, a loss of 1 seat at the 2007 parliamentary elections in Belgium. Bulgaria The extreme-right anti-Roma party, now known as National Union Attack under Volen Siderov retained its 21 seats at the parliamentary elections held in July 2009 in Bulgaria. Cyprus Snap parliamentary elections held in Northern Cyprus (TRNC) resulted in the victory of the right wing National Unity Party (UBP). The party under Dervis Eroglu won 44% of the vote and 26 seats in the National Assembly out of 50. ------------ REFERANDUMS Ireland: The voters rejected the Treaty of Nice at the referendum that took place in June 2001 by a vote of 54% to 46%. A second referendum took place the year after, and this time 63% voters voted 'yes' on October 20, 2002. Hungary: 12 April 2003, 84% voters voted in favor of joining the EU, despite the fact that the turnout was very low. Hungary nevertheless joined the EU the year after. Czech Republic: June 2003, 77.3% voted in favor of joining the EU. Estonia: 14 September 2003 on EU membership: two thirds of the voters approved accession to the EU. Latvia: EU membership referendum held in September 2003, 67% approved accession. Lithuania: EU accession referendum held in May 2003, 91% voters approved accession. In Malta: Referendum in joining the EU on March 8, 2003, which 53.7% voted for and 46.4% voted against the membership. Poland: Referendum held on June 2003, 77.8% approved joining the EU with 22.6% opposition. Slovenia: March 2003, 89.6% voters approved accession to the EU. Slovakia: May 2003, 93.7% voters approved Slovakia's accession to the EU. Sweden: Referendum held on 14 September 2003, Swedish voters rejected the euro by a vote of 56.2% to 42%. Cyprus: Referendum of Kofi Annan's UN Partition plan was held in Greek and Turkish Cyprus in April 2004. 76% of Greek voters voted against the plan, where 65% of Turkish voters in favor of the plan. France: 29 May 2005, French voters rejected the EU constitution, 54.7% voted no, which came as a shock to the Chirac government. Luxembourg: Consultative referendum on the EU constitution held on 10 July 2005, 56.5% voted in favor of the constitution and 43.5% vetoed against it. Netherlands: 2005, first referendum in country's history, EU constitution was rejected by a vote of 61.5% to 38.5%. Spain: Referendum on EU constitution held on February 2005, 76.7% of the voters approved the document. Romania: November 2007, Romanians voted approved changing the parliamentary electoral system from proportional representation to a two round variant of the single-member-district/plurality system. Italy: Referendum held in 2009, Italian voters approved several changes to the electoral law proposed by Berlusconi, favoring his leading party. ---------- Analysis The European Parliament has benefited from widespread new powers since the first European elections 30 years ago, voter turnout has constantly dropped. This calls for questioning the ability of EU politicians to overturn the trend for the 2009 elections. From the referendum it is clear that the most elected party is the Center-Right. This may be due to the people's trust and belief on the party. Retrospecting the political relationship as an alternative to nationality brings an improved understanding of how power is separated in the European Parliament. With 288 MEPs, the centre-right EPP-ED Group pompously arrogates to be the most powerful political group in Parliament.And theEuropean Green Party (EGP) has fallen further down the pan-European road. At some point in the last campaign in the year 2004, the centre-right EPP-ED cited four of five personalities which it stated that it might support to lead the European Commission. Cees Van der Eijk who is a professor of social science at the University ofNottinghamin the UK, states that "the media pays very little attention to European elections. EU actors are generally invisible and the elections are labeled boring even before they take place". Of course not much can be predicted from the referendums. There have been ups and downs with each and every party. Many factors have played a role either in the victory or the failure of any party. References 1. Ashman, Alex Tufty (2004-07-21), The d'Hondt voting system for European Parliament, http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2757873, retrieved 2009-09-22 2. European Parliament elections in England, Scotland and Wales, http://www.aboutmy vote. co.uk/how_do_i_vote/voting_systems/european_parliament_elections.aspx, retrieved 2009-09-22 3. European Parliament elections in Northern Ireland, http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how_do _i_vote/voting_systems/european_parliament_election-1.aspx, retrieved 2009-09-22 Read More