Latest news with #Eurosceptics
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Poland's nail-biter election: Could Warsaw turn on Brussels?
Europe 43:22 From the show Warsaw's liberal mayor Rafał Trzaskowski will need the kind of boost in turnout that propelled his counterpart from Bucharest to victory, Nicoşur Dan who last weekend came to campaign for the candidate from Donald Tusk's Civic Platform. Trzaskowski's not the only one with celebrity endorsements. Donald Trump dispatching his director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to stump for nationalist right candidate Karol Nawrocki. The Law and Justice party of the outgoing Andrej Duda hopes to rally the 20-percent of voters who veered further to the right in the first round. In a nation where living standards have skyrocketed since joining the EU two decades ago, why are so many citizens eager to elect Eurosceptics? Would a Nawrocki win call time after just one year on the efforts of prime minister Tusk to undo the PiS' contentious rule of law reforms? Currently the former president of the European Council, seen here with the leaders of France and Germany, has positioned himself at the heart of Brussels policy making. Looking ahead, which direction do Poles want?
Daily News Egypt
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Pro-Europe candidates lead in Poland, Romania, Portugal elections
Pro-European Union candidates have shown strong performances in elections held in Poland, Romania, and Portugal, where they faced challenges from nationalist, right-wing parties. In Poland, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a candidate for the ruling centrist Civic Coalition (KO), secured a narrow lead in the first round of presidential elections. In Romania, centrist Nicușor Dan won the presidential run-off in Bucharest. Meanwhile, in Portugal, Democratic Alliance leader and current Prime Minister Luís Montenegro won parliamentary elections but fell short of a majority. According to Bloomberg, Trzaskowski won the first round of the Polish presidential election with 31.2% of the vote. In Romania, centrist candidate Nicușor Dan won the second round with over 5.83 million votes. Trzaskowski's 31.2% placed him ahead of Karol Nawrocki, the candidate backed by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, who received 29.7%. The margin was significantly tighter than the 4-7 percentage points indicated in pre-vote opinion polls. If confirmed, this result means Trzaskowski and Nawrocki will compete in a run-off election scheduled for 1 June. This will determine whether Poland maintains the pro-European course set by Prime Minister Donald Tusk or moves closer to nationalist supporters aligned with figures like former US President Donald Trump. 'We are striving for victory. I said the result would be close, and it is indeed close. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we need determination,' Trzaskowski told his supporters. Nawrocki told his supporters he was 'confident of winning in the second round' and called on the far-right to support him to 'save Poland.' Far-right candidates Sławomir Mentzen and Grzegorz Braun collectively received over 21% of the vote, a historically high figure. The Polish vote coincided with the presidential run-off in Romania, where Bucharest's centrist mayor appeared on track to defeat the far-right, Eurosceptic MP George Simion. In Poland, the president has the power to veto laws. A victory for Trzaskowski in the second round would enable Tusk's government to implement an agenda that includes reversing judicial reforms introduced by PiS, which critics say undermined the independence of the courts. Trzaskowski has pledged to strengthen Poland's role as a key player in European policymaking and work with the government to undo PiS's judicial changes. Nawrocki views the election as an opportunity to prevent Tusk from gaining absolute power and to counter the liberal values represented by Trzaskowski, who, as Warsaw's mayor, has supported LGBTQ+ pride marches. Unlike some other Eurosceptics in Central Europe, Nawrocki supports military aid to Ukraine against Russia. However, he has tapped into anti-Ukrainian sentiment among some Poles weary of the influx of refugees. Romanian Election In Romania, pro-EU centrist Nicușor Dan won the presidential run-off, defeating a far-right, Eurosceptic nationalist rival who had led the first round and raised concerns about the country's pro-Western orientation. Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and mayor of Bucharest, secured over 54% of the vote, compared to about 46% for George Simion, a former football hooligan turned leader of the far-right AUR party, after more than 97% of votes were counted, the Financial Times reported. The mayor's victory concludes months of political and economic turmoil that erupted after a previous vote was annulled due to alleged Russian interference, placing Bucharest in the crosshairs of Moscow and Washington and dividing the country over its future path. 'Elections are not about politicians, but about communities. And the community that won today wants radical changes,' Dan said after his victory. He acknowledged the anger of the 'losing community' and promised reforms to combat corruption and improve the rule of law. Simion declared a 'clear victory' on behalf of the Romanian people, asserting he still trusted the accuracy of the vote count. Later, a spokesperson told the Financial Times, 'We will request a recount if we have concerns about fraud.' Simion rose to prominence due to voter anger over the authorities' annulment of last year's presidential election, citing alleged Russian interference in favour of another far-right nationalist candidate, Călin Georgescu, who surprisingly topped the first round of voting last November. Georgescu was barred from running again but endorsed Simion, who had stated he would make Georgescu prime minister if he won. Dan will face the difficult task of appointing an effective new prime minister and government capable of passing necessary reforms to avoid losing attractive investor status and to secure EU funding. Minority Government in Portugal In Portugal, results pointed towards another minority government after the centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) party won the general election but failed to secure a parliamentary majority in a vote that saw a significant advance for a far-right populist party, the Associated Press reported. Democratic Alliance leader and current Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said he was ready to discuss solutions with other parties. In his remarks, he thanked his supporters, his family, and the 'political family' that defended him against attacks related to deals made by a company he founded before leading the party, which is now owned by his sons. With 99.2% of votes counted, the Democratic Alliance had secured at least 89 seats in the 230-seat National Assembly. In a dramatic reflection of shifts in Portugal's political landscape, support for the populist Chega party rose again. It garnered at least 58 seats, up from 50 last year, challenging the centre-left Socialists as Portugal's second-largest party. Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos announced his resignation after his party came in second, losing several seats, bringing it closer to the relatively new far-right Chega party. Portugal's third general election in three years on Sunday dashed hopes that the ballot would end the worst wave of political instability in decades in the EU member state of 10.6 million people. Adding to the uncertainty, the increased support for Chega means the far-right party could potentially take second place with its focus on curbing immigration and combating corruption, challenging the centre-left Socialists. Public frustration with Portugal's mainstream parties has led to an increasingly fragmented political scene, challenging efforts to unify policies on pressing national issues such as immigration, housing, and the cost of living. Immigration and housing are key issues in Portugal, with Chega owing its significant success to its calls for stricter immigration policies, which resonated widely with voters. Portugal has seen a sharp rise in immigration. In 2018, the number of legal immigrants in the country was less than half a million. By early this year, their numbers exceeded 1.5 million, many of whom are Brazilians and Asians working in the tourism and agriculture sectors.
Channel 4
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Channel 4
East vs west? Romania's biggest vote since the fall of communism
Europe seems to love an existential election. There's one happening right now in Poland, at the same time as one here in Romania. It's the most important vote since the 1989 revolution, one voter tells me, as she proudly poses for a photo holding a leaflet for the candidate Nicușor Dan. He's the mayor of Bucharest, and is seen by her as a safe pair of pro-EU, pro-Ukraine hands, as opposed to the populist George Simion. This is the outsider election. Both candidates in this second-round presidential run-off are not from the main political parties that have dominated Romanian politics since the fall of communism. That's because there is, as with elsewhere on the continent and beyond, a frustration with the status quo and politics as usual. People want change, but there are two very different types of change on the ballot this Sunday. Simion has talked about bashing the globalists and bringing Donald Trump's MAGA agenda to Romania. While he and his team say he is not against the EU, he has been touring Europe this week and meeting many Eurosceptics. He appeared at a rally in Poland with their nationalist presidential candidate, Karol Nawrocki, and he met Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister, with Simion speaking about uniting forces to defund EU institutions and take back power from unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. And so last week, thousands took to the streets of the Romanian capital waving EU flags in support of Dan, who fully backs the union and has said he will continue to support Ukraine , unlike Simion. Polls suggest a tight race, but Dan's campaign believes it has the momentum. With Simion off around the continent, he's missed a number of TV debates, allowing Dan to make his appeal to the people almost unchallenged. Of course, Simion's team argue that given Romania's diaspora in Europe are a key voting bloc, he's shoring up their support while he's out of the country. Looming over this election is Russia , because this second-round vote was meant to take place last year. In the first round in November, there was a shock result: the winner was the pro-Russian candidate, Călin Georgescu. He'd been polling in the single digits, yet came first with 23 per cent. So questions were raised and reports began to emerge about his surprising popularity late in the day on TikTok. A declassified intelligence report alleged meddling from Moscow and so just before the second-round run-off, Romania's constitutional court cancelled the election, citing foreign interference. Mădălina Voinea combats disinformation at a think tank called Expert Forum. She says the November result involved internal and external interference and that the tactics were a copy and paste approach used by the Russians in other elections, such as in neighbouring Moldova. But Voinea says that the annulment of the last election was not explained properly to the Romanian people. 'Annulling the elections, in my opinion, only created a vicious circle that we see now even more support for the far right, almost doubling the votes for the candidate.' Indeed, with Georgescu now barred from running, Simion has hoovered up his supporters, appearing alongside Georgescu when he voted in the first round. Simion, who won 41 per cent of the vote, has even suggested the pro-Kremlin Georgescu could be his prime minister. With Simion away, I spoke with Ramona Bruynseels, a member of his party who sits in Romania's parliament. She denied any pro-Russian elements among her group. 'I would like to send a very, very clear message,' she tells me. 'Romania will stay in the European Union. Romania just wants to have a more powerful voice in the EU. And Romania wants its national identity to be respected.' She said Simion stood for 'family, faith, liberty, and democracy'. But despite her reassurances, I asked about Simion's anti-Ukraine stance. 'It's important for us to see what the United States will do. But if we were to listen to the Romanian people, we would stop, straightaway, any kind of involvement in Ukraine. And this is because Romanians are afraid that any kind of involvement exposes Romania, and we don't want surprises like the war being extended or Romania being attacked.' 'Annulling the elections, in my opinion, only created a vicious circle that we see now even more support for the far right, almost doubling the votes for the candidate.' – Mădălina Voinea That's the stance that worries leaders in Brussels, as well as people in Bucharest. Iulian Fota, a former national security adviser, has serious concerns about a Simion presidency. 'I don't want to say that Romania will make an alliance with Russia, but we will open our ear to them'. He thinks that even if Simion's team plays down their rhetoric around the EU and Moscow, he will be unpredictable once in office. 'He will be tempted to dilute our relations with the EU, he will ask for all kinds of concessions, he will try to reverse some policies,' Fota says, warning that Simion is all about ideology, instead of 'better economic policies, better social policies, and it's difficult to imagine how we can get that without European participation and support'. That final point is something even Simion supporters can get behind. About two hours outside of the capital, I met voters in Călărași. Here you can see the areas where Communism feels closer in time than the EU era, with crumbling apartment blocks. This is the outsider election. Both candidates in this second-round presidential run-off are not from the main political parties that have dominated Romanian politics since the fall of communism. I chat to some men passing the day playing the tile game Rummikub, which was created by a Romanian. Sandu tells me that in the past, there was the rich, the middle class, and the poor. 'Now, the middle class no longer exists. It's just the rich and the poor.' Has the EU been good then for Romania, I ask. 'No', he says. Another voter, Aurelia, says she's going with Simion, because 'he seems closer to our peasant soul. Because we are peasants, we work hard.' But even here, some doubt Simion. Ion tells me he's with Dan because if Simion wins, 'we won't have justice anymore. It was already weak, but we'll lose our rights. And this Simion will be a danger for the country.' 'Now, the middle class no longer exists. It's just the rich and the poor.' – Sandu The big question ahead of the vote this Sunday, is what role misinformation will play. When I managed to grab a few words with Dan before one of his debates, I asked him whether he was concerned about Russian interference. 'I don't think so, there was some influence in the past, on small sites.' But is Russia still a threat to Romania, I ask? 'It could be.' Read more: Zelenskyy accuses Putin of sending 'junior' officials for talks Trump and Qatar sign $200 billion plane deal Putin wants 'direct talks' with Ukraine to end war
Local Norway
07-05-2025
- Business
- Local Norway
Norwegian foreign minister says EU more important than ever for Norway
The minister's comments were part of a statement he gave to Norway's parliament on the country's ties to Europe, which he used to call for increased cooperation with the EU. 'A new multipolar world order — not to say disorder — is taking shape. This means that our cooperation and community with the EU, and the values we share, are becoming even more important than before,' he said. 'Security, economy and fundamental values are the foremost pillars of the European community of which Norway is a part. The Labour Party government will work to strengthen this community along all three pillars,' he added. While not an EU member, Norway is tied to the bloc through the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement. The EEA covers all EU countries plus non-members Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. READ ALSO: Why Norway isn't a member of the European Union Eurosceptics in Norway argue that the EEA Agreement means Norway doesn't have a say in EU directives, which Norway must implement and follow. Earlier this year, the Centre Party left the current minority government due to a row over EU energy directives, leaving the Labour Party alone in government until general elections in September. Eide also warned parties and politicians who have told voters they would try to pull Norway out of the EEA or negotiate the existing agreement in order to gain votes that this wasn't a realistic prospect. Advertisement 'I hear those who advocate something less binding than the agreement we have today. It is fine to want something less binding than the EEA. However, I believe that critics of the agreement owe it to voters to make them aware that 'something less than the EEA' also means fewer opportunities for Norwegian companies, workers and consumers in Europe,' he said. 'Let me be clear. Talking about a renegotiation of the EEA Agreement, as some do, is tempting with a solution that does not exist,' he added.
Irish Times
29-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
ECJ rejection of Minimum Wages Directive would deal blow to social Europe programme
The annulling of the Adequate Minimum Wages Directive by the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) would be 'profoundly damaging' to the EU at a time when it is already under attack by 'far-right Eurosceptics', according to a new trade union-commissioned report by the social policy think tank, Tasc. The directive, which was transposed into law in Ireland last year, is under threat due to a case taken against its validity by Denmark, supported by Sweden. They argue the EU is exceeding its power to influence the setting of wage levels in member states. In January, advocate general Nicholas Emiliou issued an opinion in the case recommending that the directive be annulled in full. The court is not obliged to follow the recommendation but tends to in about two-thirds of instances. Despite this, the trade union movement has remained publicly optimistic the case will be rejected. The final judgment is expected within a matter of months. READ MORE The Tasc report, the EU Minimum Wage Directive and the Battle for Social Europe, which was commissioned by Ictu, Siptu and the Financial Services Union. suggests the directive is already having a significant impact across Europe towards achieving its primary goal, an increase in minimum rates of pay. In Ireland, unions see one of the mechanisms set out in the directive to achieve this – the extension of collective bargaining coverage to at least 80 per cent of the workforce – as a primary objective. As Ireland currently falls far short of this level, under the directive, the Government is required to produce an action plan before the end of the year on how to meet that goal. However, with the pending court decision, this is now in doubt. Launching the Tasc report on Tuesday, senior economist Oisín Gilmore said a decision to annul the directive would have far-reaching consequences for the EU, its member states and citizens. 'If the ECJ were to adopt [Mr] Emiliou's reasoning, it would not only undermine the directive,' he said, 'but it could also cast doubt on the legal foundation of other key EU rights, such as the right to annual paid leave and to pay replacement for maternity leave. 'Such an outcome would erode trust in the EU's ability to deliver on the promises of social justice and economic fairness that underpin its legitimacy'. Ictu general secretary Owen Reidy said the court should reject the case but that, even if it does not, both Ireland and the European Union must prioritise addressing low wages and in-work poverty. 'To this end, governments here and across Europe must enhance trade union rights and promote collective bargaining by improving union access to workplaces, implementing protections against union-busting and safeguarding union representatives from discrimination.'
