Elections

Yearbook

    Non-Voting and Support for Left Parties in Poland
  • Introduction For the first time since 1918, the Polish left has no representation in parliament. The country is now governed by a conservative nationalist party, which has managed to gain the support of sections of society that are amongst the most excluded and dissatisfied by the reality of...
    Elections in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland
  • Taken together, the three Baltic republics Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania occupy an area about half the size of Germany. Poland, by contrast, is one of the largest EU member countries. In other respects too, Poland is very different from the three Baltic states. Unlike Lithuania, Latvia and...
    East of the West – The Visegrad Four
  • The Karlovy Vary Film Festival always presents a series called ‘East of the West’. The survey that follows will likewise look at the area east of the West, though in the slightly narrower sense of that part of Central Europe otherwise known as the Visegrad Four – the Czech Republic, Slovakia,...
    The Italian Vote and the Problem of a New Left Political Entity
  • The results of the recent European Parliament elections raise more questions than they answer. Almost all opinion polls and forecasts, even those based on refined socio-political analyses, have shown that people in Italy feel extremely alienated from political reality. The Italian vote is...
    The Left in the Storm: The Radical Left and the Elections in Spain
  • Six years after the beginning of the 2008 economic crisis, the 2014 European Parliament (EP) elections resulted in enlarged representation for the parties integrated in the group of the United European Left-Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL). This increase was very significant in a few countries where a...
    The Danish People’s Party: A Journey to the Centre [1]
  • The Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti DF)2 was the big winner of the European Parliament (EP) elections in Denmark with 26.7 per cent of the votes. This represented a rise in the party’s votes of 11.2 per cent compared to the EP elections in 2009. The Danish People’s Party was also one of the...
    Far Right-Wing Parties in the European Parliament [1]
  • With the Treaty of Lisbon, the financial crisis, austerity, public debt, European top candidates for European Commission President for the first time in European Parliament (EP) elections, all political actors in the European Union (EU), including far right parties, have been confronted with...
    The European Elections: An Analysis
  • Since the European election of 2014, there has been a split across Europe’s political landscape. While in the EU’s southern countries – especially in Greece, Spain and Portugal – the growing protest against the predominant line of European policy has been articulated largely in a leftist context, a...
    Political Polarisation on the Eve of the 2014 European Elections
  • The elections to the European Parliament (EP) in May 2014 will be marked by the capitalist crisis and its – regionally quite differentiated – political impact. By contrast to 2009 when the elections evidenced a shift to the right, this time they may result in a polarisation between a new bloc of right-wing populist parties and the left wing of the left.
    The LINKE after the Elections of 2011
  • The Berlin elections of September 2011 were the last in this year’s election cycle of seven regional and two communal elections. On the positive side, the LINKE has been able to assert itself as a political force for social justice. However, in all these elections it clearly remained behind its...
    Danish Elections – New Government
  • A new Danish government was formed on October 3rd, consisting of three parties: It is led by the Social Democrats – the other participants are the Liberal Democrats (”Det Radikale Venstre”) and the Socialist People’s Party – SF. Enhedslisten/the Red-Green Alliance (RGA) is a supporting (tolerating)...

Focus

    Challenges for the European Left Party in 2020 — Five Theses
  • The Party of the European Left (PEL) — alongside the European United Left-Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) in the European Parliament (EP) — is one of the European left’s most prominent transnational organizations. What challenges does it face? What are ist potentials for future developments? On the...
    Considerations on the European Elections
  • The GUE /NGL and EL suffered a defeat. Except for some notable exceptions – Portugal, Slovenia, and Belgium – and our having maintained significant electoral strength in Greece and Cyprus we lost across the board. Moreover, we must acknowledge that except for the Czech Republic we have no MEPs in the vast space of Central and Eastern Europe.
    EP Elections in Denmark
  • The EP elections were a victory for a neo-liberal agenda and to a much lesser degree for a green one, although here - as in some other EU member countries - the vote for “green” parties served to reduce the vote f0r the radical left.
    Interactive Map
  • Through the interactive map, you get an overview of the left parties competing in the elections in each country and for the final results.
    Election Analysis: Slovenia
  • On Sunday, 26th of May, Slovenia voted for its MEPs for the fourth time since they became the first former Yugoslav Republic to join the EU on 1st of May 2004. At the same time, this is the second time that a contestant in the elections was a party which is a member of the Party of the European Left.
    The results of the European Elections in Poland
  • The ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) won a significant victory in the European elections in Poland, strengthening its position in the run up to this autumn's national parliamentary elections. This was despite the fact that many of the opposition parties stood in a single coalition against PiS. The remaining left and liberal parties were marginal
    Status Quo Of The Misery
  • The ruling party GERB won the European Parliament elections in Bulgaria with 31.07% of the votes. Second is the BSP (Bulgarian Socialist Party) with 24.26%, while the third is the Movement of rights and freedoms (DPS) with 16.55% (which candidate was Delyan Peevsky – the person that provoked huge...
    Resistance of the South
  • Report on the results of the European elections in Spain by our member organisation Fundació l'Alternativa
    Quest For Left Alternative Continues
  • As broadly anticipated in the pre-election piece on Romania, the country’s main right-wing party won the European elections, the National Liberal Party (EPP), which gathers most elements of previous right-wing governments, gained nearly 27% of the votes. On second place came the Social Democratic...
    The Slovak Paradox
  • The elections to the European Parliament meant a debacle for the three political parties of the government coalition.
    The results of European elections in Lithuania
  • The main result of EP elections in Lithuania could be summed up as a pro-EU anti right-wing populism victory. None of the anti-EU agencies got any seats in the EU parliament. The very high turnout (53.08%) was a result of the second round of very popular Presidential election, but also of...
    Belgium: Black Anger Against Red And Green Anger
  • The clear sanction of the Liberal-Conservative government in the legislative, regional and European elections on May 26 took a radically different form in different parts of the country. While the Flemish (60% of the population) massively voted for the far right, it is the radical and ecological left that triumphs in Brussels and Wallonia.
    European Election in Greece
  • The recent EU election (2019) was a purely internal battle for Greece, in terms not only of electoral campaigns but also of electoral results.
    The French Nightmare
  • One day after the elections, it is still difficult to comprehend fully the results of yesterday’s predicament. On thing is definitely clear, the left has been deeply defeated. The first surprise of the European elections has been the higher than expected turnout. Indeed, while every polling stations...
    A first reaction on the results of the European Elections in the UK
  • The electoral system  The UK electoral system for the European election was the D’Hondt system of PR which traditionally rewards the party receiving the highest vote disproportionately and this has again become the case with the Brexit Party only receiving 33% of the vote but almost 50% of the...
    European Parliament Elections 2019 in Finland
  • Finland elects 13 MEPs (14 after Brexit). The whole country is one constituency and there is no barrier, expcept the number of MEPs. In practice, around 6% of votes is enough for one seat, 12% for two seats and 18% for three seats. A voter need to elect a candidate which belongs to party list or...
    Surprise Election Results In The Netherlands
  • The social democratic PvdA has come out as the surprise winner of the EP elections in the Netherlands. The left Socialist Party looses its two seats and the Party for the Animals looses one seat.
    European elections in Romania
  • In Romania, the European elections come against the background of an upsurge in class struggle that has not been matched, though, by any significant left-wing option at the polls on Sunday. The past year or so has witnessed a wave of important strikes, mostly in the industrial sector. For example,...
    European elections in 2019 in Hungary
  • The list of nine registered Hungarian parties participating on 26 May 2019 in the EUP elections and their main campaign slogans, but also a political comment on the current political landscape in Hungary.
    Cooperation between Socialists and European Left in Hungary
  • The Hungarian member of the Party of the European Left, the Workers‘ Party 2006 is not running for EP elections this time. Instead they call to vote for the Socialist party (S&D) which is projected to gain 11% and 3 seats. Read here the cooperation agreement on the election campaign between the two parties with a focus on energy strategy.
    Spanish Turmoil
  • Analysis from our member organisation ''Fundación por la Europa de los Ciudadanos'' for the European Elections in Spain, right after the national elections and the new framework that is being shaped.
    The Italian Vote
  • Analysis from our member organisation "transform! italia" on the political landscape in Italy.
    The Greek Left before 2019 EU election
  • Analysis from our member organisation "Nicos Poulantzas Institute" on the political landscape in Greece, the efforts of the left government and the challenges towards the European Elections.
    The French Chessboard
  • Analysis from our member organisation "Espaces Marx" on the shaken political landscape in France prior to the European Elections.
    50 Steps to Govern Together
  • The coalition between Podemos and IU (called “Unidos Podemos” – Together We Can) is the only one that, on 26 June, could overturn the situation created by the 20 December Spanish election. In order to do that, Podemos and IU have agreed on a 50-point programme to end austerity and bring democracy to the country. Here we present transform!’s translation of said agreement.
    Podemos-IU Agreement: Good News from the South
  • New elections on 26 June raise hopes for an unprecedented political scenario: As Podemos and Izquierda Unida (IU) have reached an agreement, this is the only coalition that could overturn the situation created by the 20 December election. All the polls currently attribute this coalition about 24% of votes – far more than PSOE.
    What happened in Catalonia on 27 September?
  • Social and democratic issues were completely overshadowed by the yes/no polarisation of the Catalan independence debate in the recent elections. Now, the Catalan political system is in deadlock until Catalonia and a Spanish government that is more open to political dialogue on the matter can arrive at a democratic solution.
    What’s going on in Spain
  • By Martin Lucea. – I’m writing these lines days after the elections held in Spain on 24 May. Just to make it clear, we elected municipal councils for the whole of Spain and regional parliaments for all regions except Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia and Andalusia. Mayors are elected by the councils and regional governments by their respective parliaments.
    A Scenario of Political Change in Spain
  • The most important and immediate conclusion of the local and regional elections that took place on 24 May in Spain is the creation of an unprecedented political scenario in our country; the new political and representational map has brought about realistic expectations for a real change in Spain.
    Commons conquer Barcelona! A victory for David over Goliath
  • Last Sunday the candidature “Barcelona in common” won the municipal elections (the option of 1 of each 4 people voting). “Now Madrid” – a candidature also connected to commons ethos – became a key force for the governance of Madrid city. Those are only two of the many surprises from the municipal and regional elections in Spain on 24 May.
    Tsipras sworn in as the new Prime Minister
  • Greece is headed into a new era of anti-austerity as the radical leftist Syriza successfully formed a government with the Independent Greeks party after falling short of an outright majority in Sunday’s landmark elections.
    EP Elections From a Left Perspective
  • With its EP14 project, transform! europe covers in cooperation with Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and the French journal Regards the European Parliament elections from a left perspective. Find the election results of all EU countries, election analysis, comments and graphs on the respective country...
    Latvia
  • Landslide win for Conservatives, Left significantly short of 5% threshold.
    Romania
  • Outcomes of the European Parliament Elections in Romania The most revealing aspect of the 2014 European Parliament elections in Romania is the further move to the right of the governing party, PSD [the Social Democrat Party]. While the party identifies itself as a center-left one, in practice its...
    Sweden
  • June 7 +++ So it’s decided, Feminist initiative will join the Social democratic party group in the EU parliament. They’ve hade discussions with the greens and GUE/NGL, according to the party chair person Gudrun Schyman, but they’ve decided on the Social democrats because ”they are  a large group and...
    “Europa anders” Stands Up against the Assumption of Liabilities for Banks
  • For ten days Martin Ehrenhauser, front runner for “Europa anders” (Europe different), the Austrian electoral alliance of the Left, has been camped out in front of the Office of the Federal Chancellor in Vienna. The independent MEP and his fellow campaigners have been protesting against the bailout of the Hypo Alpe-Adria bank, which is set to cost € 18 bn.
    Landslide victory for FIDESZ in the Parliamentary elections
  • At the parliamentary elections held in Hungary on 6 April 2014 the ruling rigth-wing populist Fidesz party won a landslide victory over its opponents and retained its 2/3 majority. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policy has been justified by a strong nationalist course in order to catch the wind from the sails of Jobbik.
    The Italian Left Backing Tsipras
  • The project is called “The Different Europe with Alexis Tsipras” and its name is written on a red background. Predictions indicate it could surpass, maybe even easily, the 4% electoral threshold.
    The European Radical Left in the Long Run
  • What is the current situation of the radical Left in Europe? What political and historical events have been shaping its evolutions over the last decades? How has it responded to the challenges of Europeanization?  What role does the European systemic crisis play in the emergence of new dividing lines across the Left? Where does its political project stand?
    Political Polarisation on the Eve of the 2014 European Elections
  • The elections to the European Parliament (EP) in May 2014 will be marked by the capitalist crisis and its – regionally quite differentiated – political impact. By contrast to 2009 when the elections evidenced a shift to the right, this time they may result in a polarisation between a new bloc of right-wing populist parties and the left wing of the left.

Blog

    Notes on the New Conflict Lines and their Perception in the EU Population
  • Using Eurobarometer data, transform! Co-President Cornelia Hildebrandt analyses the Ukraine war's impact on EU population perceptions and anticipates 2024 EU election's issues. The social issue especially dominates, while EU measures taken in 2019-2023 in the wake of Brexit, pandemic and war show that social improvements are indeed possible.
    The New Left-Wing Coalition’s Challenge in the Spanish Elections
  • Marga Ferré, a passionate leader of the Spanish left and Co-President of transform! europe, is preparing for a crucial election in a few week’s time that could reinstate heirs to Francoism. Italy´s magazine “Left” interviewed her during her visit to Rome for the Future Factory Forum.
    “Not the Time to Grieve, but to Fight”
  • Syriza took a beating in last month’s election, but the Greek Left is determined to continue the struggle. Read more in this interview with Danai Koltsida, director of Syriza's greek foundation the Nikos Poulantzas Institute, and vice president of transform! europe.
    KPÖ Causes a Sensation in Salzburg
  • In the regional elections which took place on April 23rd, 2023 in the Austrian state of Salzburg, the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) reached its best result in history in a federal state election.
    A Crucial Battle for Greece and For Europe
  • In less than a month Greece is heading to national elections. After an almost full four-year term of the right-wing PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ single-party government, a lot is at stake.
    Finnish Parliamentary Elections and the Left Alliance
  • The conservative National Coalition Party has emerged victorious in Finland's tightly fought general election. The far-right populist party The Finns achieved its best result to date, placing second. Despite gains, the Social Democrats could only manage third place.
    Lëvizja BASHKË - Movement TOGETHER Towards Social Change
  • The new left-wing party Movement Together is running in the local elections in Tirana on 14 May. Founded in December 2022 by activists from Organizata Politike, the party aims to build a new Albanian left that fights for social justice together with trade unions. Redi Muçi on the formation of the new party and the hurdles to its legal recognition.
    The Latin American Left Will Inspire the World
  • The current Brazilian elections are important also for many beyond the country’s borders. Brazil has strengthened the new left wave in Latin America and cooperation across the Global South, which now counts 134 developing countries and could represent a social alternative at a time when Western countries are facing a coming recession and crisis.
    Bulgaria Once Again Deadlocked After Fourth Vote in 18 Months
  • Georgi Pirinski analyses the parliamentary elections that took place in Bulgaria at the beginning of October, looking at how the result affects central issues such as overcoming corruption and Bulgaria's position on the war in Ukraine, and what consequences the Bulgarian left can draw from the election.
    The New, Reactionary Government of Sweden and How It Came Into Being
  • The latest Swedish elections have seen the rise of the far-right party, Swedish Democrats (which almost entirely focused on immigration and law and order) but also the fall of the left-wing government - says Erik Anderson, member of the Left Party of Sweden in an interview with Wojciech Łobodziński.
    Italy: The Right Has Won but the System Remains Unstable
  • The results of the 25 September Italian elections confirmed many of the predictions contained in the principal opinion surveys. The right-wing coalition won 44% of votes and within it the party with the most radical tradition, Fratelli d’Italia, led by Giorgia Meloni, prevailed with 26%.
    Mixed Signals from Brazil
  • Lula’s first-round victory is encouraging, but Bolsonaro’s surprisingly strong result means four anxious weeks lie ahead.
    Brazil’s Most Decisive Election
  • On Sunday, Brazilians face two radically different choices for the country’s political future. Mario Schenk spoke with Jorge Pereira Filho about the possible outcome of the presidential election, the risk of a coup, the role of right-wing militias and the military, and the challenges that a left-wing government would face if they won.
    Prevented in France – Possible in Italy
  • In France, more than 13 million people voted for the presidential candidate Marine Le Pen of the far-right Rassemblement National (RN). In Italy, the post-fascist party Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) is about to take over government in a right-wing alliance with Lega and Forza Italia. How is this possible?
    Manon Aubry: "We must overcome the blockages posed by certain European rules”
  • Some European provisions are opposed to the implementation of "an ecological and social programme of rupture", explains the La France Insoumise MEP and co-chair of The Left in the European Parliament in an article in "Le Monde", specifying that "disobeying" these rules does not mean contributing to the desintegration of the EU.
    Jean-Luc Mélenchon: What Popular Union?
  • As in the previous presidential election, Jean-Luc Mélenchon outpaced all his competitors on the left by several million votes. His electorate is both in continuity with the 2017 election and undergoing profound transformations.
    French Elections: The Tripartition of the Political Field
  • On 26 April, either Emmanuel Macron or Marine Le Pen will be elected the next president. Even though Macron and Le Pen already confronted each other in the second round of the 2017 elections, this time the radical left has come third, with only 1.2 percentage points behind the far right.
    Campaign Diary: Look to the Left
  • The war in Ukraine, first and foremost, has decentred the general debate and, above all, has allowed Macron to reassert his presidential stature. On the left, the conflict has exacerbated already strong ideological divisions, and the gaps in the polls have widened.
    Mattadraghismo
  • Italy's President Sergio Mattarella’s re-election has elicited a general sigh of relief on the part of those who trembled at the thought of a mediocre spectacle of ungovernability. Let us, however, analyse some significant open questions on Italy's institutional and social structures.
    Could Marine Le Pen’s Dominance of the French Far Right Be Under Threat?
  • After her setback in the regional elections, Marine Le Pen now finds herself rattled by the unexpected rise of far-right media polemicist Éric Zemmour. Between its desire to represent a break with the status quo on the one hand, and its aspirations to electability on the other, her National Rally party is going through an identity crisis.
    Germany on the Road to an SPD-Green-FDP Coalition
  • The formation of a 'traffic-light' government can base itself on a broad social consensus beyond the three parties. The consultation paper looks greener and more social than previous policy but at the same time without breaking from the logic of neoliberalism.
    Italy’s 2021 Local Elections
  • More than 11 million Italian citizens were eligible to vote for city councils and mayors of municipalities throughout the country – which resulted in significant political changes.
    Czech Elections: All Fears Have Come True
  • Prime minister Andrej Babiš’s party narrowly lost in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election. For the left, the result was a disaster: both social democrats and communists failed to enter Parliament.
    2021 State Duma Elections: No (Appetite For) Change?
  • On 19 September 2021, 450 members were elected to Russia’s State Duma. This was the eighth such election to be held in the history of the Russian Federation. Half of these candidates were elected directly via their constituency (first vote), the other half were chosen via lists of candidates from...
    A Day That Changed Not Only Graz
  • For the first time since 1945 in a large Austrian city, the second largest in the country with about 300,000 inhabitants, the bourgeois candidate was voted out in favour of a Communist. Long-time mayor Siegfried Nagl (ÖVP – conservative) suffered heavy losses, while the KPÖ under city councilwoman Elke Kahr came out in first place.
    Germany’s Upcoming Bundestag Election
  • In view of the recession in Germany’s manufacturing industry and with Angela Merkel not standing for election, the parties of the three chancellor candidates are closer in the polls than ever before. Die LINKE could have one path to power: in a coalition with the Social Democrats and the Greens.
    Elections to the Russian State Duma
  • There will be a number of important elections on the European continent this year. Somewhat out of sights of mainstream media and EU citizens are the elections to the highest legislative body in the Russian Federation – the Duma. What are the issues involved?
    Norway Is Moving to the Left – And Rethinking Its EU Relations
  • On Monday, 13 September, Norwegians from the North Cape to south most Lindesnes vote on who will fill the seats of the national parliament in Oslo (Stortinget). Polls suggest that the election will produce a change in government, forcing current Prime Minister Erna Solberg out of office.
    'Fascism or Democracy'. Lessons Learned from Madrid Elections
  • On 4 May there were elections in the region of Madrid and its result, the victory of a trumpist right, has been lived and interpreted internationally as a painful defeat for the left, magnified by the departure of Pablo Iglesias of active politics. It was a defeat, but much more in terms of a cultural battle than in the electoral field.
    Non-representative democracy — season Bulgaria, episode 2021
  • On April 4 in Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections, 25% of voters supported Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's right-wing party, GERB. But new parties that campaigned on anti-corruption and Covid denial also did extremely well. The left's decline is disastrous.
    The fall of 'Dracula Politics'
  • On December 6, Romanians elected their members of parliament. The elections were held despite the fact that there were record numbers of Covid cases during the last month with more than 5,500 cases on the 1st of December and 148 people dead.
    Beach Politics Rule: The Epoch-Making Collapse of the Social Democrats
  • On the night of the first round of national elections in Lithuania, my head was spinning with possible article titles: the colossal defeat of the left, the era defining collapse, the epoch-making disaster of the socialdemocrats. I tried to remember the main slogan of their campaign but to no avail....
    Czech communist party set for shake-up
  • KSČM politician Jiří Dolejš on the crisis facing the Czech left and his party’s renewal after the October regional elections. Dolejš is one of the protagonists in the debate on the party‘s future orientation before the upcoming party congress, which will be held in the runup to next year’s parliamentary elections.
    On the situation of the Czech left after the elections
  • The results of the Czech left in the regional elections are poor, for both the Communist KSČM and the social-democratic ČSSD. In regional councils, left-wing voices will be heard even less than in the past. A commentary by transform! europe's Board member Jiří Málek.
    Regional Elections in the Czech Republic
  • Regional elections were held in 13 regions (October 2/3 2020). They did not take place in Prague as the capital has a special statute. An overview from a left perspective.
    Election Results: Basque Autonomous Community
  • A regional election for the Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community was held on 12th July. The Basque Nationalist Party (Renew) was the election winner and got 31 seats (+3), despite losing 50,000 votes. EH Bildu achieved an outstanding result with an increase of four seats and 6% of the vote.
    The Elections and the Pandemic. The French Municipal Elections 2020
  • The municipal elections are an important event of French politics. Indeed, after the presidential election, these are the elections that usually benefit from the highest turnout. 35,416 municipal councils were to be elected; however, as a result of the pandemic, they took place under very special conditions.
    The Terrible Twins ... against Sinn Féin
  • More than 128 days after February's general election, and against the backdrop of 'lock down', it would appear that Ireland has a new government. This new government, if endorsed by the members of the three parties involved, is of significance for a number of reasons. A report by Darragh Golden.
    Poland’s Presidential Election plagued by Right-Wing Homophobia
  • Whilst the threat of the pandemic still hangs over Poland, the country is going to the polls at the end of the month to vote for its new President. The election is dominated by candidates from the two main right-wing parties, with the incumbent Andrzej Duda using homophobic propaganda as a central theme in his campaign.
    The Search for Majorities: The Friction Among the EU’s Conservatives
  • In the face of current challenges, the EU is at a crossroad. Whether, as a consortium of strong nation-states, it develops into a new type of free-trade zone or intervenes in the future as an independent actor in global conflicts will strongly depend on the conservative forces that constitute the single most politically influential force in the EU.
    Israel’s Radical Right Populism
  • Since its 'conversion' to radical-right populism, Netanyahu's Likud has remained in power for a decade, and following the third round of elections within one year as the dominant force in Israeli politics. Now it looks as if Likud will remain in power until the next election. How did they manage to become hegemonic?
    Political Earthquake in Slovakia: Government is Formed by Right-Wing Populists
  • The leitmotif of the parliamentary elections was the question of whether the opposition would be able to remove Smer-SD and its chairman Robert Fico from government. Although coalition negotiations are still ongoing, it is clear that Fico is going into opposition and his former coalition partners are outside parliament
    The Irish General Election – The Green Shoots of a new Ireland?
  • The Irish general election result has totally transformed the Irish political landscape but in so doing is likely to also change the Anglo-Irish relationship and the relationship between the two parts of Ireland. In order to understand the full impact of Sinn Féin gaining its largest vote in the...
    Municipal Elections in Hungary
  • Significant political changes in Hungary: In the larger cities, the fragmented opposition parties and civil organizations were able to increase their support due to the collaboration of different opposition factions. As a result of the disproportionate electoral system, in some places opposition was able to obtain a significant majority.
    Hope for Polish Left?!
  • The 2019 Polish parliamentary elections were held on 13 October 2019. All 460 members of the Sejm and 100 senators of the Senate were elected. The ruling PiS win the elections, far-right enters the parliament, whilst the left returns to parliament.
    ‘… Going to Ibiza’ – New Elections in Austria
  • On 29 September new elections will be held. The disclosing of the Ibiza video in May marked the end of the coalition of the conservatives and extreme right wing, at least provisionally. Read Michael Graber’s report on the situation in Austria.
    The Cockfight
  • Israel in the run-up to the September 2019 Knesset elections.
    Gregor Gysi On The Election Results In Greece
  • Alexis Tsipras has led his country through a difficult period, for which I personally want to express my gratitude and respect to him as President of the Party of the European Left. However, the majority of Greeks are still suffering from the massive austerity dictates that the Greek government...
    What is at Stake on the 7th of July?
  • Greece is heading towards national elections on 7 July. What, as a result, will the future of Greece, the Greek working-class, and the left look like? – Much is at stake.
    Lot Of Hopes For New Government In Finland
  • On Thursday 6 June a centre-left coalition, including Left Alliance and led by Social Democratic Party, was formed. A very progressive government programme was adopted, although some conflicts are just postponed.
    Presidential Elections in Slovakia
  • Zuzana Čaputová, the candidate of the non-parliamentary neoliberal party ‘Progressive Slovakia’, has won the second round of presidential elections with 58% of votes. Čaputová is the first woman to become president and, at age 45, is the youngest president in the history of Slovakia.
    Ukraine’s Presidential Elections: Oligarch against Oligarch
  • Registered voters:   30,056,127 Turnout:  62.86 % (first round), 62.07 % (second round) second round: Volodymyr Zelensky - 73.22 % Petro Poroshenko - 24.45 % The recent presidential elections in Ukraine have provoked rather similar reactions in the West and in the post-Soviet countries,...
    Left Alliance Took Victory in Finnish Parliamentary Elections
  • Left Alliance won in Finnish parliamentary elections for the first time since 1995. Social Democratic Party won and became the largest party in parliament but also right-wing populist The Finns party preserved its former support and became second. Finnish parliament is now more left-wing and green, but also more split than before.
    European Contradictions Five Months Before the EP Elections
  • Transform! Europe and all its member and observer organizations have committed themselves to create spaces for radical progressive dialogue and debates and assist the affiliated parties throughout Europe in their race towards the EP elections.
    Poland and the Left After the Local Elections
  • The recent local elections in Poland have once again been dominated by the country’s two main right-wing parties: Law and Justice Party (PiS) and Citizens’ Platform (PO). They have also underlined the present weakness of the Polish left, which was further marginalised during these elections.
    We Are In Minority Again
  • In the night of June 24, the sentence which my mother makes after every election we lose, ‘’we are in the minority again’’, echoed in my ears. My father, who was a fanatic supporter of Republican People Party (CHP), which is the main opposition party of Turkey currently, could not be able to recover...
    From Love To Hate
  • An article by Viera Hudečková based on an intervention made at The International Conference “Another EU is necessary and possible” organised by the Party of the European Left on the 12th of May 2018, Sofia, Bulgaria.
    Italy’s Crisis – Between Farce and Tragedy
  • How will Italy’s political crisis end? Will it precipitate imminent new elections? Will there be a government of ‘populists’? Will there be a brief ‘president’s’ government voted on by almost no one?
    Revenge against the Opposition will begin
  • The parliamentary elections in Hungary were characterized by a pervasive overlap between state and ruling party resources, undermining the contestants’ ability to compete on an equal basis, OSCE/ODIHR observers said.
    The Breakdown of the Political Framework
  • The results of the Italian general elections which took place on 4 March seem to confirm the breakdown of the previous political framework, which had already occurred in other countries such as Spain, France and partly also in Germany.
    Fear, Loathing and Poverty
  • The post-election map of Italy has two main traits: fear and poverty. Northern and Central regions have gone to a Centre-right coalition where the leader is not anymore Forza Italia’s Silvio Berlusconi but League’s Matteo Salvini, who dropped its previous ‘Lega Nord’ emphasis to turn it into a nationwide Le Pen-style National Front.
    The Old-New Czech President
  • On the last weekend of January – and with a record-high turnout of 66% of 8,363,000 registered voters – Czechs chose the man who will be President of the Czech Republic for the next five years.
    The “Berlin Republic” Shifts to the Right
  • The governing parties of the grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and SPD have clearly lost the German parliamentary elections (-13.7%). The defeat of this constellation reveals a massive shift in the Republic’s political landscape. This earthquake will shake the circumstances and institutions as we know them to their very foundations.
    In Defence of Democratic Rights
  • In Catalonia an important process of independence is taking place against Spain. At the request of the Popular Party (PP), the Spanish Constitutional Court declared the Catalan Statute of 2010, unconstitutional. This statute was negotiated between the Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and later endorsed by the Spanish Parliament.
    The Bulgarian Election System Needs a Real Change
  • The proposed amendments in the Bulgarian Election code will not address the real problems. A majority voting electoral system cannot eliminate the problem with distrust in political parties, low turnout, unrepresentative, corrupted and dysfunctional public institutions.
    The Short Respite Is Over
  • There was a great sense of relief and much jubilation over the electoral victory of Alexander Van der Bellen, the Green candidate who was supported by a voters’ coalition that ranged from the centre to the Communist Party, and who defeated Norbert Hofer, the candidate of the right-wing radical political party.
    Why could a third-way party gain such a victory?
  • The results of the general elections in Albania came as a surprise to almost everyone: A landslide victory for the ruling Socialist Party, a political disaster for the Democratic Party and historically strong abstentionism.
    Abstentionism the Biggest Winner
  • On the left, the results of June’s local elections show that independent civic lists, in which more radical proposals are put forwards, can have gratifying outcomes. More generally, the results highlight an opportunity to fill a space left by both the decline of the PD and a lack of attraction towards the Five Star Movement.
    The Left Under Macron
  • An interview with Elsa Faucillon, the newly-elected Communist MP on France’s divided Left and the way forward in the fight against Macron.
    An Earthquake? Yes and No
  • After the predicted but non-the-less spectacular result of the first round of the presidential election, on the left urgent questions are burning each and everyone’s lips: what shall we do in two weeks?
    A Success for the ‘Left Alliance’
  • Good news from the North: In the Finnish municipal elections on 9 April 2017, the Left Alliance reached 8.8% of the vote which corresponds to a plus of 0.8%. The success was due to a successful election campaign and the good work of party chairperson Li Andersson.
    Democracy Is More Than Just Elections
  • In last five years in Serbia the dominant political actor is conservative Serbian Progressive Party (SPP). In this period the opposition was hit by the defeat from which it hasn’t recovered until today and it does not represent substantial alternative to the current regime.
    The Pasokification of the Dutch Labour Party
  • There are at least two stories to tell about the recent Dutch elections. The headline story is that the extreme right-wing party PVV of Wilders did not become the largest party, arriving second after the VVD of prime-minister Rutte. The more important story however is the pasocification of the Dutch labour party (PvdA), and the impotence of the so called Socialist Party to come anywhere near being an alternative.
    Finnish Local Elections: the Left Alliance Aims for Success
  • On 9 April municipal elections will take place in Finland. Experience shows that the more candidates a party puts forward, the better its electoral result. What is more, polls are also predicting a positive outcome for the “Left Alliance” – for the first time since 1976, the party has reason to hope for success.
    Hegemony or Negotiated Consensus?
  • This year’s parliamentary elections in Russia did not promise any big surprises. In the end, there was at least one: a landslide victory for the pro-Kremlin political party United Russia (Yedinaya Rossiya) which took 76 % of seats in the Russian parliament or State Duma.[1]
    Regional elections in the Czech Republic
  • Elections to regional councils in the Czech Republic were held in 13 regions (except Prague) on 7 and 8 October 2016*. In one third of constituency's were together with Czech senate elections. In general the results show clear loss for both traditional left-wing parties as well as traditional right-wing parties across Czech Republic.
    On the 2016 Berlin election results
  • From a left-wing perspective, the results of the Berlin state election held on 18 September 2016 can be perceived as a success due to the good performance of the LEFT (Die LINKE). However, looking at the high approval rating for the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland – Alternative for Germany), they are also reason for concern.
    Rejection of a Far-Right President
  • On Sunday 22 May, Austria elected its President in the second round. The results of the two candidates were so close that the election was decided when the voting cards were counted on Monday. The neoliberal, green, bourgeois and democratic candidate, Alexander Van der Bellen, won the second round of the elections with 50.3% against Freedom Party (FPÖ) candidate Norbert Hofer.
    Podemos-IU Agreement: Good News from the South
  • New elections on 26 June raise hopes for an unprecedented political scenario: As Podemos and Izquierda Unida (IU) have reached an agreement, this is the only coalition that could overturn the situation created by the 20 December election. All the polls currently attribute this coalition about 24% of votes – far more than PSOE.
    Serbian 2016 Elections: Neoliberal Continuity
  • Even though Serbia’s recent elections featured some new candidacies, these “newcomers” are not new at all. The parliamentary landscape continues to look the same, with the same faces cropping up again and again over the past 25 years. Unfortunately, there is no left-wing option which could use current developments and propose an alternative to the current state of affairs.
    The 2016 German Regional Elections
  • The regional elections held on 13 March 2016 in the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt were the first elections to take place in some of the larger German regions since the European elections and the regional elections held in 2014. Almost 13 million voters were called to the ballot, representing over one fifth of the German electorate. 1.3 million voters cast their ballot in favour of the AfD (Alternative for Germany – a conservative right-wing party).
    Darkness at the End of the Tunnel
  • An analysis of the outcome of the 2016 Slovak parliamentary elections. What were the expectations beforehand, what actually happened and what does this mean for the Slovak and European left?
    The Irish Election results
  • The complex Irish Proportional Representation voting system means counting will probably only finish today; some more seats have to be sorted. But the result overall is a rejection of austerity and a reality check on government rhetoric about recovery.
    Ireland: An Establishment in Decline
  • While electoral victory isn’t on the cards it seems likely that left-of-Labour parties and candidates will receive between a quarter and a third of the vote in the Irish general election, held tomorrow.
    Outcome of the French Regional Elections
  • In 13 French regions a second round of regional elections was held. In seven regions, the Sarkozyite right has won (there used to be left-wing majorities in all of them before the elections). In five regions left-wing majorities were reached which are based on the lists affiliated with the Parti socialiste (PS) after the first round of elections.
    French Regional Elections: First Observations
  • The results of the first round of regional elections confirm the gravity of the political situation in the country. Following on from the European election, the Front National (FN) is building on its position as a leading political party, with a majority that will amount to some 30% following the results of the regional elections on December 6.
    Turkey: Elections under the shadow of violence
  • The elections held on November 1, 2015 resulted in a huge success for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its “former” leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The AKP increased its votes almost all over the country and gained parliamentary majority which it had lost at the June 7 elections.
    Poland Lurches to the Right
  • The recent parliamentary elections in Poland were historic, although unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. For the first time since 1989 a political party in Poland has won an overall majority in parliament, with the conservative nationalist Law and Justice Party (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość – PiS) winning over 37% of the vote. Also for the first time in history, the left will have no representatives in parliament, meaning that Poland is presently the only country inside the European Union where there are no left MPs.
    Far-right Party Gains Almost One Third of the Vote
  • The Social Democrat Party was slightly weakened but not defeated. The far-right Freedom Party won almost one third of the vote, making it the city’s second most powerful party. The left-wing alliance saw a slight improvement in its results at ward level.
    What happened in Catalonia on 27 September?
  • Social and democratic issues were completely overshadowed by the yes/no polarisation of the Catalan independence debate in the recent elections. Now, the Catalan political system is in deadlock until Catalonia and a Spanish government that is more open to political dialogue on the matter can arrive at a democratic solution.
    Left Block doubles votes
  • On 4 October 2015, 9.6 million Portuguese citizens were called upon to elect a new parliament. Bloco de Esquerda (Left Block), a member of the EL, reached a surprising 10.2 percent of the vote which is an unprecedented result and hence became the third strongest force in the country.
    Danish Elections – A Right-wing Victory
  • Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Denmark were surprising in many ways. The extreme right-wing Danish People’s Party became the big winner, which also led to a huge defeat of the biggest party in the last elections in 2011, the Liberal party “Venstre”.
    Turkey’s Election: Hope Began Its March
  • Turkey’s crucial parliamentary election concluded with an amazing outcome: Since the implementation of the very anti-democratic election threshold of 10%, The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), a leftist and pro-Kurdish party, managed to pass it for the first time.
    Turkey’s Election: Will Hope Pass the Threshold?
  • With its progressive and realistic election programme and wide range of candidates, HDP represents a preferable political party for the workers, farmers, women, youth, LGTBI, different ethnic and/or religious groups. An election success of HDP will raise hopes of people for a change in current situation of the country also by bringing closer the Gezi resistance and the Kobanê resistance.
    What’s going on in Spain
  • By Martin Lucea. – I’m writing these lines days after the elections held in Spain on 24 May. Just to make it clear, we elected municipal councils for the whole of Spain and regional parliaments for all regions except Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia and Andalusia. Mayors are elected by the councils and regional governments by their respective parliaments.
    A Scenario of Political Change in Spain
  • The most important and immediate conclusion of the local and regional elections that took place on 24 May in Spain is the creation of an unprecedented political scenario in our country; the new political and representational map has brought about realistic expectations for a real change in Spain.
    Commons conquer Barcelona! A victory for David over Goliath
  • Last Sunday the candidature “Barcelona in common” won the municipal elections (the option of 1 of each 4 people voting). “Now Madrid” – a candidature also connected to commons ethos – became a key force for the governance of Madrid city. Those are only two of the many surprises from the municipal and regional elections in Spain on 24 May.
    Presidential elections in Poland
  • On 24 May 2015 the run-off of the Polish presidential elections took place: The nationalist-conservative challenger Duda won the race for the young voters which determined the elections’ result.
    Tories will continue to rule a less-United Kingdom
  • Against all predictions, conservative Prime Minister David Cameron was able to obtain an absolute majority in the general election held in the UK on 7 May 2015. It was a political earthquake of an election, for many reasons. The populist right-wing movement made clear that it was here to stay, while Scotland confirmed that it was swimming against the tide with even greater fervor than before.
    On the UK General Election
  • Britain’s general election outcome – a narrow majority for the Conservative Party – was unexpected. Polls and pundits had predicted a hung parliament, too close to call whether Conservative or Labour would be the largest party.
    A Shocking Defeat for the Left
  • The parliamentary elections in Finland mid April resulted in a major defeat for the left. The expected victory for the Left Alliance changed into a defeat from 8.1 % support in 2011 to 7.1 % now. A loss of seats from 14 to 12.
    Finnish parliamentary elections on 19 April
  • The past election period has been demanding for the government. Many commentators consider the sitting government as one of the worst in the Finnish history. The economic situation of Finland is gloomy. The government has failed to implement each and every one of its planned large-scale reforms. Out of the original six parties only four are left, after the Left Alliance and the Greens quit the government in 2014. The instability of the government increased after these two junior partners had left it.
    The Greek election and the day after
  • The first projections had already revealed that the election on 25 January would lead to a fundamental change of political direction. This turned out to be true even though the goal of achieving an absolute majority was just missed out on. Instead of the required number of 151 Parliamentarians; SYRIZA now has 149 out of 300 deputies in the Greek Parliament (Vouli).
    Tsipras sworn in as the new Prime Minister
  • Greece is headed into a new era of anti-austerity as the radical leftist Syriza successfully formed a government with the Independent Greeks party after falling short of an outright majority in Sunday’s landmark elections.
    Ukrainian Elections Results
  • Exit-polls and preliminary results showed a decisive victory for Petro Poroshenko at the presidential elections in Ukraine on 25 May. One of the richest man in the country (7th rank according to Ukrainian Forbes list) with liberal economic program is taking 54% according to over 64% counted...
    The European Elections – How Do We Mobilise?
  • Every campaign constitutes a learning process, a process of individual and collective appropriation and of a gain in consciousness. For us it involves promoting the appropriation by citizens of European-level issues so that they can take a position corresponding to their interests. In order to be effective in 2014 we have to fully deploy new arguments.
    Historic failure for Social-Democratic Left
  • The abstention levels of 39% were a record high for municipal elections. They were particularly high in areas most affected by the crisis; in metropolitan communes; among the young; workers; and voters of the Front de Gauche (Left Front) and of the FN (National Front). In addition, almost 3 million potential voters were not registered to vote.
    The Crisis is not Solved, but Rather Intensified
  • After a government crisis in summer, early elections have been proclaimed in the Czech Republic. This weekend was the day D. The campaigning was relatively short and the program documents were to the majority not of much interest.
    The Defeat of the Norwegian Left
  • The lack of a clear political project is an important part of the explanation of the defeat of the red-green government coalition in Norway.
    Austria Voted Paradoxically
  • The outcome of the Austrian parliamentary elections must seem paradoxical all across Europe. Despite the – by comparison – favorable economic data, the ruling “Great Coalition” of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and Conservatives (ÖVP) was punished. Their share of the votes fell back from 55 percent to less than 51.
    The 18th German Bundestag Elections
  • The Christdemocratic Union (CDU) is the winner of this year’s German elections. The party could again increase their share of the votes to over 40% and thus suceeded in gaining a considerable plus.
    Europe’s Most Leftist Government Defeated by Right Wing Coalition
  • The red-green coalition government in Norway, whose political platform when it took power in 2005 was called the most progressive in Europe, experienced a bitter defeat in the country’s parliamentary election on 9 September. A coalition of four centre-right and right wing parties, including a right wing populist party, gained a solid majority and are now negotiating the political platform for a new government.
    Bulgarian Election: Fraud and Vote Buying
  • On 12 May in Bulgaria were held early parliamentary elections. They were reached after unprecedented massive protests in the whole country in February and the resignation of the government of the ruling party GERB.
    Landslide Victory for Progressive Party May Return Power to Center Right
  • Parliamentary elections in Iceland on 27 April gave a clear sign to the left wing coalition that its services were no longer required. The center Progressive Party is the winner of the elections, more than doubling its number of MPs. The right wing Independence Party survives, but their leader needs to get into government to maintain hold of party. The Left Green‘s young new leader pushed back to after disastrous polls only two weeks ago, whereas the Social Democrats plummeted to record lows. Two new parties are entering politics, the center party Bright Future, and the Icelandic Pirate Party.
    A Setback for True Finns
  • The first wave of success of Finnish populist right seems to be over. In the municipal elections held on October 28th, the party got only 12.3 % of votes as compared to 19.0 % in the parliamentary elections of spring 2011.
    Czech Elections: “No” to Austerity and “Yes” to Strengthening the Left
  • On 12–13 October 2012, elections took place in the Czech Republic. The elections were for regional assemblies and one-third of the Senate. Their political impact could have far-reaching results for the whole of society. They signalled a resounding “no” to cost cutting and complete submission to the demands of the world financial sector for a quick restart of neo-liberal capitalism.
    Präsidentschaftswahlen in Ägypten
  • In Ägypten brachte im Mai 2012 die erste Runde der ersten Präsidentschaftswahlen nach der Revolution, bei der nur ca. 43,4% der wahlberechtigten Ägypter zur Wahl gegangen waren, einige Überraschungsergebnisse. Amr Moussa, der ehemalige Präsident der Arabischen Liga, war nicht wie erwartet unter den...
    After the Greek Elections: “Let Us All Give a Promise!”
  • The night of the Greek elections of 17 June punctuated the map of Modern Greek history. For the first time, parties left of the Social democracy receive such as a large percentage (SYRIZA, Democratic Left and KKE together 37.5%), and assume the position of the major opposition. The only time...
    A New Chapter in French Politics
  • For the first time since ten years the government of France is led by the PS (Parti Socialiste) again. In 2002, the Gauche Plurielle government and its then candidate Jospin encountered catastrophic results due to the public's massive dissatisfaction with their politics. When it became clear that...
    Hegemony and Despair
  • Before the elections of 6 May, the most likely result seemed to be the formation of a government of New Democracy (conservatives) and PASOK (social democrats). However, the slogan for the “government of the Left”, which was brought in the political arena by Alexis Tsipras, led people to face SYRIZA...
    "A Road Map For The New Greece"
  • Speech of Alexis Tsipras, President of the Parliamentary Group of Syriza - Unitary Social Front (USF), during the presentation of the Party Programme, Athinas Hall, Friday, 1 June 2012
    The Politics of Austerity: Democracy in Deficit
  • In their attempt to harness state finances, EU austerity plans openly promoted the implementation of a clear-cut neoliberal agenda with enormous political implications.  Two years after these plans were set in motion, one can draw two safe conclusions: That economic recovery is still absent and that...
    A Spectre is Haunting Europe
  • A spectre is haunting Europe. This time it is the spectre of a political change of the European Union, which was put on the agenda by the election victory of SYRIZA and the outcome of the French presidential elections. And again, all the powers of old Europe have joined forces for a holy chivvy...
    Greek Elections: Climate of Extreme Political Polarization
  • It is evident that we are finding ourselves amidst a transitional period out of which a new point of equilibrium is to emerge following the intense political and social conflicts. What is at stake in the new elections is the political regulation of the crisis. The implementation, in other words,...
    Challenges of a Historic Moment
  • 6 May 2012 is marked by two election results with historical consequences: With the election of socialist candidate, Francois Hollande, to become France’s new president to which the Front de Gauche has quantitatively and qualitatively contributed through its campaign in the first round of the...
    Election in France
  • First and foremost, Hollande’s election is a clear rebuff for the “President of the Rich” and the power of the oligarchy he embodies which has become stronger in the crisis. In spite of the relief felt about Sarkozy having been voted out, the mood can by no means be compared to 1981 (Mitterand’s...
    An Initial Evaluation of the Recent Elections in Italy
  • An initial rough evaluation: The right (PdL-Berlusconi and Lega Nord, Northern League) has suffered a defeat; the Third Pole – the moderate centre and major support for the Monti government – has been punished; the Democratic Party has not made progress; Italy of Values (Idv) has had a good result;...
    France: For the First Time Ever, a Left Majority to the Senate
  • Till now it was generally considered that, under the 5th Republic’s 1958 Constitution, the Senate (the Upper House of Parliament) could never swing Left. However, during the senatorial elections of 25 September last, despite an election system tailored for the Right, the “grand electors” (that is...

Publication

Calendar

    Italian Election, What Next?
  • The Media Alliance and transform! italia are hosting a public meeting to discuss the outcome of the Italian elections and its consequences.
    Analysing the French Presidential Elections
  • These elections continued the evolution of the political arena toward a tripartite division between the far right, the liberal right, and the radical left — Yann Le Lann and Gala Kabbaj (transform! europe) provide an analysis of the elections and the ramifications of this evolution.
    Where do we go now?
  • The Party of the European Left organises this event to understand the next steps of US politics and its potential consequences for the left.