Latest news with #presidentialvote
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Polish eurosceptic Nawrocki wins presidential vote, electoral commission says
WARSAW (Reuters) -Polish nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki won the second round of the country's presidential election with 50.89% of the votes, the electoral commission said early on Monday on its website. His rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal Warsaw mayor and an ally of the government led by Donald Tusk, got 49.11%. Nawrocki, 42, a eurosceptic historian and amateur boxer who ran a national remembrance institute, campaigned on a promise to ensure economic and social policies favour Poles over other nationalities, including refugees from neighbouring Ukraine. While Poland's parliament holds most power, the president can veto legislation, and the vote was being watched closely in Ukraine as well as Russia, the United States and across the European Union. On social media platform X, current President Andrzej Duda, also a conservative, thanked Poles for going to vote in large numbers. Turnout was 71.31%, the electoral commission said, a record for the second round of a presidential election. "Thank you! For participating in the presidential elections. For the turnout. For fulfilling your civic duty. For taking responsibility for Poland. Congratulations to the winner! Stay strong Poland!" Duda wrote.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
South Korean voters weigh political divide in partisan heartlands
The top contenders in South Korea's presidential vote Tuesday have framed their campaigns as an existential fight for the country's soul, and whoever wins will have to unite a sharply-polarised society. The election was triggered by ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol's disastrous declaration of martial law last year. All major polls suggest victory for Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party, with Kim Moon-soo of the right-wing People Power Party (PPP) trailing far behind. From the city of Daegu, for decades synonymous with conservatism, to Gwangju, the spiritual heartland of the left, AFP spoke to voters about where they stand and how the country's divide can be healed. - Switching sides - Lee Woo-hyun, an entertainment professional from Daegu and long-time conservative voter, told AFP the martial law fiasco "really shook" him. "When I talk to my parents and other senior citizens, I can see they are turning away from the red," the 45-year-old said, referring to the symbolic colour of the PPP. "Some might wonder how one incident could completely change my stance," Lee said. "But for me, it did. A lot of people in their mid-40s feel the same way. They don't think what happened was right." - Generational divide - Ko Seung-ju, an electrical engineering major, sees growing cracks in Daegu's traditional conservative support base. "Younger voters are no longer likely to blindly support the conservatives," Ko said. The Yoon administration's decision to cut the national research and development budget has hit science and engineering students hard, he said. "I really hope that gets reinstated." - 'Balance is important' - Kim Sung-gyun, 60, a former automotive industry worker, said he is undecided. He disagreed with Yoon's attempt to impose martial law, which he described as creating "extreme chaos". "People's lives are already difficult enough." But he expressed reservations about one side gaining unchecked power -- pointing to the opposition's near two-thirds majority in parliament. "Balance is important," he said. He said he plans to vote for whoever he believes "puts the people first", regardless of traditional regional loyalties. - The unshaken - Shopowner Kim remains unfazed by the martial law bid. "Declaring martial law was wrong, but nothing actually happened afterwards so they should just move on," said Kim, who declined to share his full name over privacy concerns. For the 69-year-old, the local economy is the primary concern. He said it was "wiped out" by the Covid-19 pandemic and has never recovered. "It's impossible to keep a business afloat -- there's rent to pay, wages to cover and constant stress piling on." - A vote for democracy - Lee Gwi-nye, 79, a lifelong resident of Gwangju, voiced firm support for the Democratic Party and its candidate Lee. "Democracy lets us live freely and comfortably," she said. "But parties like the PPP, honestly, don't feel democratic at all." To her, democracy means "being able to live and act freely, with peace of mind". - 'History matters' - Jung Se-yoon, 65, a retired teacher, said she doesn't believe in voting solely along party lines. But she vividly recalled a bloody 1980 crackdown in Gwangju by South Korea's former military regime which left hundreds dead or missing. "Those experiences still resonate. That's why I believe history matters," she said. The upcoming election must serve as a "turning point". "It will take far too long for the country to get back on its feet if we miss this chance -- and by then, we might fall too far behind," Jung said. - Beyond party lines - Haylee Lee, an English teacher, urged fellow Gwangju residents to "make a decision based on their own convictions" rather than fall into habitual partisan voting. What matters most to her is how much effort presidential hopefuls make to listen to the concerns of ordinary people. "Many politicians come from privileged backgrounds," she said. "I wonder how well they actually listen to the voices of the middle class." - Pressure as a centrist - Park Yeon-ok, 64, who works at a social enterprise in Gwangju, told AFP she often faces pressure when she identifies as a centrist. "Many people immediately ask: 'So you're not supporting the Democratic Party? Then are you backing the People Power Party?' That kind of reaction is pretty common," she said. In this election, Park sees PPP candidate Kim as someone capable of bringing about unity. "The divisions run deep," she said. "I hope the next leader can help bridge those gaps." hj/oho/ceb/fox/rsc
Bloomberg
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Bolivia Registers 10 Presidential Candidates; Morales Not Included
Socialist former leader Evo Morales failed to register for Bolivia's upcoming presidential vote, according to the list of ten candidates published Tuesday by the electoral court. Morales later said on social media that his party had complied with legal requirements, though it isn't clear whether he will appeal the decision.
CBC
19-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
After 2024 results voided, hard-right Romanian presidential candidate wins 1st round redo
Nationalist George Simion secured about 40% of votes. A runoff will be held May 18 Image | APTOPIX Romania Election Caption: George Simion (right), winner of the first round of presidential voting in Romania, casts his ballot next to Calin Georgescu, winner of the first round of last year's annulled election, during the presidential election redo in Bucharest on Sunday. (Vadim Ghirda/The Associated Press) Hard-right nationalist George Simion secured a decisive win Sunday in the first round of Romania's presidential election redo, nearly complete electoral data showed. The election took place months after an annulled vote plunged the European Union and NATO member country into its worst political crisis in decades. Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, was far outpacing all other candidates in the polls with 40 per cent of the vote, official electoral data shows, after 97 per cent of votes were counted from Sunday's vote. Far behind in second place was Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan with 20.67 per cent, and in third place the governing coalition's joint candidate, Crin Antonescu, with 20.62 per cent — a gap that is expected to widen as the last votes from larger cities are counted. Eleven candidates vied for the presidency and a runoff will be held on May 18 between the top two candidates. By the time polls closed, about 9.57 million people — or 53.2 per cent of eligible voters — had cast their ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau, with 973,000 votes cast at polling stations set up in other countries. The rerun was held after Romania's political landscape was shaken last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped the first round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied. In a prerecorded speech aired after polls closed, Simion said that despite many obstacles, Romanians "have risen up" and "we are approaching an exceptional result." "I am here to restore constitutional order," said Simion, who came fourth in last year's race and later backed Georgescu. "I want democracy, I want normalcy, and I have a single objective: to give back to the Romanian people what was taken from them and to place at the centre of decision-making the ordinary, honest, dignified people." As in many EU countries, antiestablishment sentiment is running high in Romania, fueled by high inflation and cost of living, a large budget deficit and a sluggish economy. Observers say the malaise has bolstered support for nationalist and far-right figures like Georgescu, who is under investigation and barred from the rerun. Georgescu, who appeared alongside Simion at a polling station on Sunday in the capital, Bucharest, called the vote rerun "a fraud orchestrated by those who have made deceit the only state policy," but said he was there to "acknowledge the power of democracy, the power of the vote that frightens the system, that terrifies the system." The presidential role carries a five-year term and significant decision-making powers in national security and foreign policy. Widespread distrust in the authorities Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016, ran on a pro-EU "Honest Romania" ticket. "It is about the trust of Romanians and our partners in democracy ... and in my opinion, it is a new beginning that we all have a responsibility to do correctly," Dan said after the polls closed. Antonescu, 65, a veteran centrist who campaigned on retaining Romania's pro-Western orientation, said Sunday that he voted for "a united Romania, for a strong Romania, for a dignified Romania." Image | Romania Election Caption: An election official holds a voting stamp at a polling station in Mogosoaia on Sunday. (Vadim Ghirda/The Associated Press) "Democracy means a battle, sometimes taken to the maximum, but it is a battle of ideas," he said after voting had closed. "Let's not forget that we are fellow citizens, sons of the same country, and we must move forward together." Victor Ponta, who was prime minister from 2012-2015, also pushed a MAGA-style "Romania First" campaign and boasted of having close ties to the Trump administration, stands in fourth place with 14.3 per cent of the vote. Elena Lasconi, who came second in last year's first round ballot and participated in the rerun, only obtained about 2.6 per cent of the vote. She positioned herself as a staunchly pro-Western, anti-system candidate, railing against what she described as a corrupt political class. Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, said Simion's clear victory indicates a complete "reshape" of the political spectrum, and that if Dan reaches the runoff, "it will be a clear signal that the political class and the political establishment have lost." "You have a populist or pro-sovereign movement ... and you also have this liberal, urban, pro-Western segment of Romania that wants change," he said, adding that it would be a "huge rejection of the classic political parties ... and this will mean that the entire political spectrum will be reshaped." Crossroads moment for Romania Distrust in the authorities remains widespread, especially for those who voted for Georgescu, a sizable electorate that Simion has sought to tap into. "The antiestablishment sentiment is not like an anarchic movement, but is against the people who destroyed this country," Simion told The Associated Press days before the rerun. "We are not a democratic state anymore." Simion said that his hard-right nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party is "perfectly aligned with the MAGA movement," capitalizing on a growing wave of populism in Europe after U.S. President Donald Trump's political comeback. AUR rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election, proclaims to stand for "family, nation, faith, and freedom," and has since doubled its support. Rares Ghiorghies, 36, who works in the energy sector and voted for Simion, says he hopes that if he secures the presidency, Romania can "return to the basic principles of democracy, regain our confidence." "What happened in December 2024 is definitely a dark chapter in the history of this country, and we can no longer accept it," he said. "I'm hoping things will get back to normal." The election redo is a crossroads moment for Romania as it seeks to restore its democracy and retain its geopolitical alliances, which have become strained since the canceled election fiasco. The decision to annul the election and the ban on Georgescu's candidacy drew criticism from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk and Russia, which publicly supported his candidacy in the rerun.
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Polish presidential hopefuls in final campaign push
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Morning opening: Building up to Super Sunday Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Jakub Krupa Good morning, or dzień dobry , from Warsaw, Poland, where 13 presidential candidates are up very early to make the most of the last day before the 'electoral silence' kicks in ahead of this Sunday's first round of the presidential vote. With leading contenders hitting the campaign trail around 6am local time today, it's going to be a long day ahead for them as they hope to convince some undecided voters in what looks like an increasingly tight race. The frontrunner, Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, popped in to a bakery in Myśliborz, while his main rival, conservative Karol Nawrocki, went to say hi to miners. You get the idea. I have spent the last few days here talking to voters and attending rallies by candidates ranging from far-left to far-right, and I will bring you some of what I saw and heard today and over the weekend. The candidates have only until midnight to campaign, and they want to make every minute count. I will bring you more updates on this throughout the day, as we build up to Super Sunday with elections not only in Poland, with Portugal set to choose its next government and a super close presidential run-off in Romania. Portraits of Portuguese political parties' leaders are displayed on a TV monitor before the start of an election TV debate, ahead of the general election, in Carcavelos, outside Lisbon. Photograph: Armando França/AP A billboard displays electoral posters of the candidates for the 2025 presidential election runoff, in Bucharest, Romania. Photograph: Robert Ghement/EPA But we will also keep an eye on the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania, where key European leaders are expected to talk about the future of the continent. Britain's Starmer, Germany's Merz, France's Macron, Turkey's Erdogan, Poland's Tusk, and EU's von der Leyen and Costa are all there. I will bring you all the key updates throughout the day. It's Friday, 16 May 2025, it's Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning. Share
