Week in Review: Political Games and Economic Tricks

Reaching for the Solution

Ten months ahead of regularly timed Parliamentary elections, is Romania actually sliding towards an early election as quickly as June? The previous Social Democratic, PSD, government was toppled in October 2019. The new government of Ludovic Orban has just suffered a vote of no confidence of its own.

In principle, President Klaus Iohannis can nominate a new Prime Minister. However, he has vowed not to nominate anyone from the PSD. If two Prime Ministers or their governments fail to get support within a 60 day period, Romania will go to early elections. Indicatively, Iohannis has already suggested this would be a better option. Is Iohannis trying to nudge the country in the direction of early elections, which would in any case benefit the centre right?

Read more: Elections Loom as Solution to Romania's Logjam (February 6, 2020)

Electoral Games

A man casts his ballot at a polling station in Belgrade, Serbia, 02 April 2017. Photo: EPA/ANDREJ CUKIC

In neighbouring Serbia, voters will, for the first time since 2012, head to the polls in what will be a regularly scheduled (or timed) Parliamentary election at the end of April. Yet societal tensions surrounding the election have been rising for months.

The tensions are, of course, nothing to do with any uncertainty regarding the outcome of the Parliamentary elections. Instead, they have everything to do with the integrity, freedom and fairness of the electoral process. Much of the opposition is set to boycott the elections precisely because of concerns regarding these issues. One particular bone of contention is the state of the Serbian electoral roll, with the opposition accusing the ruling SNS of manipulating the number of voters to its benefit...