Ho Ting Hung’s Post

🇪🇺 More diverse than united? 🇪🇺 ⤵ The shift to the right predicted for the 2024 European elections has come true in many European countries – including Germany. Meanwhile, pro-European forces in Poland, among others, have emerged stronger from the election. At our latest roundtable, we analysed and discussed the election campaign strategies of the German parties and the effects of the election results on the European political power structure: ▶ How were complex current challenges negotiated in the German election campaign? ▶ To what extent can the results in Poland be attributed to other strategies or to geopolitical or power-political factors? ▶ And what is the state of the European political power structure just a few weeks after the big election? Daniel Schade (Leiden University) and our policy fellow Dr Maria Skóra  – both recognised observers of German and Polish European politics – provided exclusive first insights into their findings within our research project ‘More diverse than united?’, which we are conducting in cooperation with European Policy Centre. Here, researchers from Germany, Poland, France and Italy analyse the European election campaigns and results in their countries in a comparative approach since the beginning of the year and discuss the results from an EU perspective. Want to find out more about recent shifts in power dynamics, prior campaign topics from war to security, and major differences within national EU politics? 🇩🇪 🇵🇱 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 Read the country reports here: https://lnkd.in/enNvMG3V Special thanks to our partners European Policy Centre, especially Corina Stratulat and Eric Maurice, IAI - Istituto Affari Internazionali with Luca Barana, Terra Nova- think tank with Marc-Olivier Padis, Krytyka Polityczna and our policy fellow Sophie Pornschlegel. Funded by Open Society Foundations. #EuropeanParliament #Election #Project #EPEP

Eastern Europe just lived one of its most pivotal weeks, and our team worked through the night to provide the latest updates as election results from Georgia came in. The news we delivered reflected a watershed moment for the region, and our team did their best to deliver the most up-to-date reporting to our audience this Sunday morning. With preliminary results now in, Georgia’s ruling party, whose 12-year rule has been marked by media suppression and controversial laws, won in a landslide. Our correspondent in Tbilisi, Ana Kakalashvili and I stayed late to cover the latest developments and what lies ahead. During the recent three weeks, I spent in Tbilisi, many Georgians I spoke to mentioned having a post-election "plan B"; for each person, that plan was different, and now Georgia stands at a crossroads, where decisions of each will shape the country’s democracy, its place in Europe, and its future for years to come. This election extends beyond national concerns, also impacting the geopolitics of the entire South Caucasus. Anna Sukiasyan reports from Yerevan on why Armenia should be concerned about Georgia's election outcome, also featuring a Brussels view. For many, the election in Georgia was viewed as an informal referendum "between Russia and Europe." Just a week prior, Moldova held its own referendum on its future within the EU. The razor-thin outcome, however, brought up the deep divisions and polarisation within the country, leaving many questions. Ana Dadu sought to answer some of them. Also, in this unusually election-focused issue, Anastasia Kucher covers the newly announced presidential election in Belarus and Daria Matviichuk reports on mounting unease among Ukrainians just days before the U.S. elections. You'll also find my brief overview of Russia's recent "new world order" club summit in Kazan, as by hosting the BRICS summit, the country returned to the international spotlight. For this edition, Sebastian Graeff and our data visualization team have featured infographics on voter turnout statistics across Europe. The other visuals in the issue were created by Sara Č., with Dylan Goodman polishing the newsletter and Viktorya Muradyan being the producer of it and staying up through the night to ensure it all came together. This may be one of our most important newsletters from Eastern Europe this year. As one of the region’s most pivotal weeks unfolds, its impact will leave a lasting mark. Looking ahead, we’re preparing for next week's second round of the presidential election in Moldova. You can listen to the "Watershed week" newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/dUtQ5u5c Or read it here: https://lnkd.in/dUtQ5u5c

France's coalition aversion jeopardizes stability of any new government. France’s Aversion to Coalitions Risks Early Collapse of New Government In a recent development that has captured global attention and topped Google search trends today, France faces significant political instability as the country’s leaders continue to resist forming coalitions. This aversion to alliances could lead to the premature collapse of any new government. For more detailed information, refer to this news article. Snap Election and Political Stalemate On July 9, 2024, France held a snap election that resulted in a deeply fragmented National Assembly. The election brought forth three roughly equal political blocs, each unwilling to compromise or form what […] https://lnkd.in/dDK9QVcv https://lnkd.in/dJWQ6rRi

🇪🇺 Europe's political landscape is undergoing significant shifts: France: President Macron's dissolution of the Assemblée Nationale has plunged the nation into turmoil, with snap elections leading to governmental instability and the rise of extreme political factions. Romania: The constitutional court annulled the presidential election results amid allegations of Russian interference, reflecting the growing influence of far-right, pro-Russian sentiments. United Kingdom: Nigel Farage's Reform UK is gaining traction, potentially reshaping the political landscape by appealing to voter dissatisfaction with traditional parties. These developments underscore the fragility of political systems and the rise of populist movements across Europe. 🤔 Mad Genius Inquiry: If political chaos is the breeding ground for radical change, are we witnessing the dawn of a new European order or the unraveling of its democratic fabric? This post was generated by my custom-built personal agent, powered by LLMs and designed to operate my computer. If you're curious about how it works, feel free to ask!

📖 While far-right's threats to the EU's democracy dominate political debate in Europe, the situation is more subtle and complex: What is good for the EU integration might not be good for democracy, and vice versa. Is there a way out of this democracy catch-22? Read the latest article by Richard Youngs on Carnegie Europe 👇 https://lnkd.in/e4zPPz8h

🚨 Join us next Tuesday to unpack the US Election results with parliamentarian colleagues from across Europe. In this informal, closed-door parliamentary exchange, you will have the opportunity to: 🇺🇸 Unpack the U.S. Election's Results: Gain insight into what the election outcomes might signify for American domestic and foreign policy; 🇪🇺 Discuss the Impact on Europe: Delve into how these developments may reshape EU-U.S. relations, security dynamics in Europe, and international cooperation; 👂Explore European Perspectives: Listen to the perspectives of fellow parliamentarians from across Europe as they share how these changes resonate within their own countries. Don't miss this chance to connect with other policymakers and contribute your valuable insights on a topic with critical and broad implications for European politics. 📮 If you are already a member of the Open European Dialogue, check your inbox for details, or contact team@openeuropeandialogue.org.

“Ingouvernable” has become the buzzword in France to describe the country after its chaotic snap election, which no party won. The specter of political deadlock threatens to paralyze the French administration and hit financial markets. The critical question that political analysts pose is whether the French political elites have political stamina to influence the coalition of parties. As none of the three political blocs won enough seats to form a government, parties have no choice but to start talking about forming alliances. That’s a rare exercise in French politics, where compromises with political opponents are usually denounced as betrayal. The major task for France’s new, fragmented political system is to identify an individual who could serve as prime minister and assemble a functioning government that will be able to pass laws in the National Assembly. Macron made clear that he would only appoint a prime minister backed by a “solid, necessarily plural” coalition, as he called for “calm and respectful” efforts to seek compromise.

▶ What's next for EU deliberation? The current legislature has been a turning point. Deliberative methods have been implemented at the European level, and there is a growing recognition of the need to engage citizens. Now, let's shift our focus towards the horizon beyond the EU elections, exploring anticipated developments and potential shifts in citizen participation within the EU. We count on a unique panel to explore future trends: 🔹 Colin Scicluna, Head of Cabinet of the Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography. 🔹 Daniela Vancic, European Program Manager at Democracy International e.V.  🔹 Alessandra Cardaci, Project Manager at Debating Europe, the citizens’ engagement and democracy unit of Friends of Europe.   ✒ Moderated by Yves Dejaeghere. Register to join us on March 26 ▶ https://lnkd.in/dzZerx9d #CitizensAssemblies #DeliberativeDemocracy #DemocraticInnovation

For the International Community ‼️ On November 25, at 12:00 PM, the first session of Georgia’s “newly elected Parliament” is set to take place. The Parliament that does not have legitimacy nor in the country neither outside of Georgia! Georgia is now facing an unprecedented constitutional and democratic crisis, as multiple alarming developments converge to mark a critical turning point in the country’s history of independence. • For the first time, the President has refused to acknowledge the election results and has not called the parliament’s first session, breaking constitutional norms. • Election Legitimacy in Question: The election results are under formal challenge in the Constitutional Court, which legally prevents the parliament from proceeding until a final verdict is delivered. • International Isolation: Ambassadors and representatives of democratic nations are boycotting the session, highlighting Georgia’s growing estrangement from the global democratic community. • Global Democratic Concerns: The international community has refused to recognize the legitimacy of these elections or the parliament they have produced. • One-Party Rule: For the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union, Georgia risks becoming a one-party state, joining authoritarian regimes like China, North Korea, and Cuba. The time to act is now ‼️ ✊ Together for democracy, together for Georgia. 🇬🇪🇪🇺

With just days to go until France’s snap parliamentary election kicks off, victory for the far right looks increasingly likely in the first phase of the two-stage runoff. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and its allies are seen winning 36% of votes, signalling growing support for the party’s euroskeptic, anti-immigration agenda, according to the latest opinion polls from Elabe released ahead of the first vote on June 30. The shift away from centrist politics has spooked investors and analysts, who warn of implications ranging from “political paralysis” to “immediate financial crisis.” But predicting the outcome of France’s final vote on July 7 is less clear-cut, given the complexity of France’s voting system. I took a look at the likelihood of a far-right French victory and the impact for markets in my latest for CNBC International: #Frenchelections #politics #farright #LePen #Bardella #Macron