Bundestag votes no confidence in Scholz government, elections set for February
Chancellor Olaf Scholz failed a confidence vote in the Bundestag on Dec. 16, paving the way for early parliamentary elections scheduled for Feb. 23. Out of 717 lawmakers who participated in the vote, only 207 supported Scholz’s government, matching the size of his Social Democratic Party (SPD) faction. A total of 394 MPs expressed no […]
Georgia's government will be approved despite opposition's protests, PM says after elections
The Georgian parliament will approve the government despite protests by the opposition, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Oct. 27 as his party declared victory in the elections. The country's electoral commission said that the ruling Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party won 54% of the vote, dashing hopes of the pro-EU opposition. Georgian opposition refused to […]
Georgian elections accompanied by vote buying, intimidation, European monitors say
The Georgian parliamentary elections were marred by intimidation and irregularities before and during the vote, European monitors said on Oct. 27 after the ruling party claimed victory. The country's electoral commission said the ruling Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party won 53.9% in the Oct. 26 vote that was described as pivotal for Georgia's EU aspirations. Some […]
Georgians head out to vote in parliamentary elections, tensions run high at some polling stations
Parliamentary elections in Georgia are underway on Oct. 26 which will determine if the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party will remain in power. A large rally with tens of thousands of Georgians in support of the country's accession to the European Union was held in Tbilisi's Freedom Square on Oct. 20 ahead of the vote. Georgia […]
Opinion: Rigged elections have stolen Georgia's European future
In Georgia’s 2012 election, then-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s pro-Western party was defeated by Georgian Dream, a party led by the Russian-backed oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. Though widely hailed at the time as a democratic triumph, astute observers warned against celebrating. One such observer was Georgia’s former economy minister, the late Kakha Bendukidze, a businessman and philanthropist who […]
Russia-friendly candidates surge in Romania's elections, a worrying signal for Ukraine
Romania's presidential and parliamentary elections saw a strong showing for far-right politicians critical of military support for Ukraine. Anti-NATO and Russia-admiring independent candidate Calin Georgescu came in first during the initial round of the presidential vote on Nov. 24, with nearly 23%, a shock result that contradicted previous polling. Nationalist parties failed to win a […]
Sandu leads in 1st round of Moldovan elections, voters reject EU referendum
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Moldovan President Maia Sandu led the first round of the country's presidential election on Oct. 20 with nearly 39 percent of the vote, the Moldovan election commission announced. The preliminary results are based on over 93 percent of the tallied votes. If no candidate […]
Ukraine hopes Washington will support Kyiv's NATO bid after elections, as opposition in Europe persists
The desire to receive an official invitation to NATO tops President Volodymyr Zelensky's victory plan. While acknowledging that membership itself is a matter for after the war, Zelensky urged allies to send an invitation before U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office in January. The president also said that Ukraine needs to receive an invitation without […]
Ukraine to hold elections 'immediately after war,' Zelensky's chief of staff says
Ukraine will hold elections "immediately" after the end of the war to allow all soldiers and refugees to vote, Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak said in an interview with Corriere della Sera published on Oct. 27. "(President Volodymyr) Zelensky is very clear; he wants all soldiers and refugees abroad to be able to vote," Yermak […]
US, EU call for investigation of Georgian elections after reports of intimidation, irregularities
The EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged an investigation of the Georgian parliamentary elections over reports of irregularities in statements made on Oct. 27. The Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party won almost 54% of the vote in the Oct. 26 elections, but international observers declared the results neither free […]