elections
Swiss, Slovenian, Swedish and Italian media on new nationalist Serbia president
The leader of the Serbian progressive party won a surprise victory against current pro-European president Boris Tadić in the presidential election on 20 May. Tomislav Nikolić's victory means the country's past is catching up with it, commentators write, fearing a major setback for EU enlargement
elections, vote, tomislav nikolic, balkans, nationalism, youth, boris tadic
Greece: There were 21 neo-nazis in parliament and the little one said, roll over
The wonderful Greek word 'charmolypi' describes the exact sentiment of the majority after the 6 May elections: joy (hara) and sadness (lypi). There is relief, because the two major parties were punished, but also scepticism about the rise of extreme right and the course of the country
elections, greece, opinion, athens, euweek, right wing extremism, politics
Slovakia elections: Austrian, German, Hungarian, Czech and local media on Fico win
Robert Fico's social democratic party Smer emerged from Slovakia's early elections with an absolute majority on 10 March, while the ruling conservatives lost two-thirds of their electoral base. Fico must put aside his arrogant, populist ways and tackle the rampant corruption in the country, say the European media
elections, robert fico, vote, greece, change, hungary, euweek
Three candidates for Russia elections on 4 March: Poverty, Power, Putin
To their surprise, president Vladimir Putin’s ‘United Russia’ party clocked just under 50% of votes in the December elections of 2011. The ruling party waved goodbye to approximately 12 million voices, hand-in-hand with a drop in popularity for the ‘eternal’ candidate and former KGB agent. Predictably, there is a sore lack of alternatives, but citizens are trying their best to resist the political transition. The few NGOs able to work in the Caucasus are giving it their all, whilst the ‘Generation P’ depicted in contemporary literature and now cinema may have grown up in a climate of rising poverty, but are defined today by their political consciousness and use of democratic means to serve it - youtube, anyone? The recent wave of protests have defined an unprecedented new voice of the Russian population, though it highly remains to be seen whether this can topple Putin’s bid to be prime minister for the third time ever on 4 March (Image: © courtesy of Generation P movie facebook page)
- Read the special edition Three candidates for Russia elections on 4 March: Poverty, Power, Putin
- Human rights activist Igor Kolyapin on Chechnya and democracy in Russia
- Ode to 6 billionaires and almost 50 millionaires in Russia's Duma
- Russian film 'Generation P' does McDonalds and Coca Cola in nineties Moscow
- Top five Russian political music videos
- Voina: 'As a Russian activist, I'm not sure that I will live long'
- Fictional Russian hopefuls in 2012 elections
Romance and demons of 'Arab spring' and 'islamist winter'
The revolutionary euphoria of the Arab uprising gave way to a complex and arduous process of transitions and shifts in the balance of power - processes that in North Africa have included the rise to power of islamist parties
elections, syrian arab republic, religion, morocco, egypt, turkey, religion and democracy
Anti-Putin protests continue in run-up to March 2012 elections
Russia’s very public objection to electoral fraud after parliamentary elections in early December was largely forgotten by western media in January. One Brit takes the temperature of the feeling on the streets of Moscow
elections, protest, soviet, internet, russian federation, euweek, politics
Schulz, new president of European parliament: Martin who?
Do you know who the president of the European parliament is? If not, read on: Martin Schulz isn't afraid of courting controversy and is planning to shake up the way Europe is run
elections, european institutions, european parliament, european democracy, politics
Odd ode to Eric Cantona
The Olympic Marseille football club is beginning to form a reputation as the starting block for 'wannabe presidents'. Following in the footsteps of George Weah and his candidacy for the presidency in Liberia, it’s now the turn of Eric Cantona to make his ambitions for high office known, writes one French blogger, 'ASL'
elections, football, money, economical crisis, 'indignant citizens' movement, economy, housing
Slovenian journalist: death threats after arms trade trilogy
In Slovenia, a trilogy published between summer 2011 and spring 2012 has exposed the secrets of the arms trade during the Balkans war and the role of the country's politicians in it. It's been an ache in the sides of those in power and with money and interests whom the book denounces. Co-writer Blaz Zgaga, 38, may be in hiding but he won't stay down
elections, united nations, corruption, balkans, international trade, yugoslavia, ljubljana
From elections to christmas, same old campaign in Spain
Spain’s recent congress and senate elections on 20 November bombarded our tired eyes and weary spirits. Now we are hit with another inevitable bomb shell: christmas. We face another equally exhausting and worrying campaign
elections, money, democracy, bank, angela merkel, europe, crise
Russian art collective Voina: 'Zhlobs are in power in today's Russia'
The Moscow-based self-styled 'street art gang' formed in 2005. Its four main members consist of president Leonid Nikolaev - who was arrested at an 'election fraud protest rally' on 5 December - ideologist Oleg Vorotnikov, coordinator Natalia Sokol and her son and Voina's youngest activist, two-year-old Kasper Can't-Take-Our-Eyes-Off-Him Sokol. Part one of an exclusive interview marks their brief history
elections, university, moscow, protest, best of cafebabel.com, ideology, culture
United Hush-ia: will Russians elect another doomed Duma?
On 4 December Russians will elect a new parliament. Whilst ruling party United Russia has been in power for over a decade, it looks set to reduce its majority in the lower house, or State Duma. The centrist party’s success will doubtless foreshadow Vladimir Putin’s comeback as president in a ‘job swap’ with Dmitry Medvedev at elections in March 2012. Behind the scenes of this circus, the chorus is beginning to grow edgy. Whilst over 60% of United Russia supporters are female and its popularity is growing amongst young people and across a strengthened Eurasian region, more and more journalists, activists and students are speaking out, especially across social networks. Even the purported star of the show Putin has lost favour, receiving his first ever catcalls. Has the bread and circuses act fallen through? (Image: © Kristof)
- Read the special edition United Hush-ia: will Russians elect another doomed Duma?
- Boo-tin: Russian prime minister Vladimir catcalled in public
- Why I like Putin for president: young Russians speak
- Cyril Tuschi’s ‘Khodorkovsky’: 'I’m not so frightened - I’ll be flying to Moscow premiere'
- Strategy 31: Russians protest for right to demonstrate
- Reforms and Russians: mapping young people’s stalled futures
- Dear granddad, for Christmas I'd like a Eurasian union
Susanne Graf: 'Those who remember the GDR know what it means to be observed constantly'
Berlin’s September elections made her the youngest MP in the parliament at 19, the only woman in her fraction - and a ‘pirate’. We talk data protection, mistakes in politics and why a quota for women in the pirate party wouldn’t make any difference
elections, germany, brunch, best of cafebabel.com, berlin, politics, pirate party
Rosen Plevneliev: Bulgaria’s 'Bob the Builder' is new president
Aged just 47, the former construction minister has managed to stay the nice kid on the block. The most popular minister in cabinet (up until now) does not belong to any political party, but was backed by the ruling party. Yet not everyone is happy with the German-educated politician being in the presidential position for the next five years
elections, meglena kuneva, facebook, boyko borisov, media, european democracy, politics
Tunisia’s Arab renaissance comes out of London exile
On 23 September the arab spring achieved its most significant achievement yet. It was a rebirth for the modern Arab world without spilt blood nor fiery rhetoric in the dust and the death; instead it used ink and consensus to rebuild a country. Moderate islamist party ennahda, coming out of exile in the UK, won 41% in the country's first democratic elections on 22 October
elections, london, religion and democracy, united kingdom, children, arab spring, tunis
Blogger Khelil Ben Osman on Tunisian elections
There's no official result in the Tunisian elections yet. Nonetheless the moderate islamist party ennahda is on the verge of victory. One of the pioneers of the digital awakening during the jasmine revolution gives his view of the first great moment of democracy in Tunisia
elections, democratisation, tunisia, jasmine revolution, islamophobia, islamic revolution, politics
Elections 2012: glimpses of social network Putin-bashing
On 7 October, the 59th birthday of Vladimir Putin, one pro-kremlin activist composed a couplet with a nod to a soviet-era poem, ending with the words ‘thanks for this Putin’. The rhyme provoked a deluge of tweeted criticism levelled at the Russian prime minister. Could this be the beginning of a protest wave?
elections, dmitry medvedev, techno-media, twitter, facebook, internet, russian federation
Riots: Britain's boring thugs and Europe's burning thread
Don't synonymise the London rioters with the protesting Greeks or Syrians; it is just plain offensive. Yes, Londoners mobilised for four days, but it can't compare to the months of social, political and economic agitation across Europe and the Arab world
elections, italy, economical crisis, greece, london, youth, united kingdom
Poland elections: another one bites the Tusk
Donald Tusk’s pro-European civic platform (PO) party won 39% of the vote in parliamentary elections on 9 October. It's the first time a ruling party has been returned to power since the fall of communism in Poland. The Spanish, Hungarian, Czech and local press react
elections, eu presidency, economical crisis, eurotopics, poland, euweek, european union
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