A scholarly journal from the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES) Södertörn University, Stockholm.
Issue 2024, 3: Download.
Baltic Worlds Election Coverage online is commenting on the elections taking place in the region.. The comments and analyses present the parties, the candidates and the main issues of the election, as well as analyze the implications of the results.
On October 9 presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan. As a result of the criticized 2009 amendment to the constitution the two-term limit for the presidency was removedand the incumbent, President Ilham Aliyev, could stand as candidate fora third time. Nobody was surprised when he won again.
If not something dramatically happens during the last week before the election there will be some tuff government negotiations after the votes have been counted. Probably Markel will continue as chancellor but it is very unsecure which other parties she will form government with. An alternative chancellor could be Gabriel for a red – red – green coalition.
The elections to the Parliament of the Non-Represented, a grassroots non-citizens’ initiative, took place at the same time as the residents of Riga were called to vote for a new City Council. Looking at these two very different June elections it is clear that the post-ethnic Latvia hailed by Harmony Center/GKR’s members is still far to come. The ethnic card, far from being obsolete, is still used for electoral purposes.
The 23 June 2013 parliamentary elections were an important test for Albanian democracy. Albanian elections have always fallen short of […]
There is no ‘winner’ on these legislative elections and no clear alternative to the status quo after 2009. Even if there is certain stabilization on the political scene (no newcomers in Parliament on these elections), the negative public attitude towards the mainstream parties and their lack of legitimacy may provoke further protests and the lack of clear majority in Parliament may undermine the stability of the new government.
The impression is that the Armenian politicians are balancing the expectations of the Armenian public and the International Community. Both government and opposition have to show that they are responsible politicians that will not resort to violence and that are ready to accept defeat and continue constructive dialogue with their political opponents.
Miloš Zeman (68) was elected the President of the Czech Republic in the direct election on Saturday, January 26th, 2013. Zeman (Party of Civic Rights, Strana Práv Občanů – Zemanovci, SPOZ) gained 54,80 % of votes. His opponent, Prime minister and the candidate of the TOP06 Party Karel Schwarzenberg (75) gained 45,19 % of votes. The campaign preceding the second round of the election was heated.
Since 1989 the parliament of the Czech Republic has chosen country’s presidents. The first direct election in the history of the Czech Republic will take place on January 11-12, 2013. A possible second round will follow two weeks later.
On 2 December 2012 Slovenian citizens elected the fourth president of the republic in its short history as an independent and liberal democratic state. Although the presidential function in a system of parliamentary government (see Strøm, 1995) such as Slovenian is by constitution reduced to more or less ceremonial obligations with very limited executive competences, its significance is in fact far greater.
The results of December 9th 2012 Romanian elections for the two Houses of Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, appear to validate what opinion polls were registering during the electoral campaign. The governing coalition of PM Victor Ponta won a sweeping majority, with the serious perspectives of profound changes of Romanian politics and a redrafting of the existing constitution in store.
Baltic Worlds covers; the Baltic Sea Region, Eastern Europe, Russia, CentralAsia, Caucasus and the Balkan area.