{"title":"Portugal: Political Developments and Data in 2021","authors":"JOSÉ M. MAGONE","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12383","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In 2021, Portuguese politics was strongly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In this constraining context, the Portuguese population went twice to the polls in presidential and local elections. Moreover, the Portuguese government was the holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Throughout the year, the Portuguese government negotiated with the political parties to get the 2022 budget approved. However, most opposition parties rejected the budget for different reasons. Therefore, the President of the Republic dissolved Parliament and announced early elections for 30 January 2022. Although it was a difficult year, Portugal was able to implement an aggressive vaccination programme, which led to a high vaccination coverage of 80 per cent of the population.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"374-384"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/2047-8852.12383","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"137562907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Luxembourg: Political Developments and Data in 2021","authors":"PATRICK DUMONT, RAPHAËL KIES","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12382","DOIUrl":"10.1111/2047-8852.12382","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Luxembourg politics in 2021 was again largely determined by the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic and its response by public authorities, with an easing of restrictions which was followed by the adoption of stricter measures due to the emergence of the Omicron variant. This sequence caused an outcry in the population, with protests that sometimes became violent. The three-party coalition government was also shaken, at the end of the year, by the decision of three of its ministers to resign from their position. After changes of ministerial personnel within The Greens/<i>Déi Gréng</i> delegation in previous years, this time the turnover (set to become official in 2022) concerned the Socialists/<i>Lëtzebuerger Sozialistesch Aarbechterpartei</i> and the Democratic Pary/<i>Demokratesch Partei</i>. But 2021 was also a particularly difficult year for the historically dominant party of the Grand Duchy, the Christian-Social People's Party/<i>Chrëschtlech-Sozial Vollekspartei</i>, in opposition since 2013, but still the largest party in Parliament, as it saw its leader forced out of office.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"307-316"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/2047-8852.12382","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88489320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"France: Political Developments and Data for 2021","authors":"SELMA BENDJABALLAH, NICOLAS SAUGER","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12374","DOIUrl":"10.1111/2047-8852.12374","url":null,"abstract":"<p>COVID-19 aside, France spent 2021 preparing for the presidential campaign. Political signals were mixed with regard to the dynamics of the election to come in April 2022. Regional elections led to landslide re-elections of incumbents from the two formerly dominant parties of the moderate right and left. Primaries on the left as well as right led to the designation of rather centrist candidates in their own camps. But the overall national climate was marked by a shift towards the right of the political spectrum and the competition between Marine Le Pen and her new challenger, Eric Zemmour.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"160-170"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/2047-8852.12374","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76758326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bulgaria: Political Developments and Data in 2021","authors":"MARIA SPIROVA","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12373","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12373","url":null,"abstract":"<p>2021 was a turbulent political year in Bulgaria. Event-wise, it saw three rounds of legislative elections, one presidential election, two caretaker cabinets and a lot of institutional struggles. In terms of results, 2021 saw the end of Citizens for a European Development of Bulgaria/<i>Grazhdani za evropeysko razvitie na Bulgaria</i> (GERB) dominance in political life, challenges to the links between the state and economic strongmen established during its government, and a new, reform-minded, coalition Cabinet taking power. New parties made an entrance on the legislative scene: There Is Such a People/<i>Ima takuv narod</i> (ITN) led by Slavi Trifonov won one election (July) and then lost the next one (November), when a brand new party We Continue the Change/<i>Prodalzhavame promyanata</i> (PP) won a plurality of votes. Another surprising outcome was the acceptance of the Bulgarian Socialists/<i>BSP za Balgariya</i> (BSP) as a legitimate coalition partner after July 2021. The year also saw an inconsistent pattern of anti-Covid-19 policies, low vaccination and high death rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"47-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/2047-8852.12373","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"137545518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sweden: Political Developments and Data in 2021","authors":"THOMAS WIDENSTJERNA, ANDERS WIDFELDT","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12376","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The year 2021 in Sweden contained no elections, but was still very eventful. A lack of government stability, observable in earlier years, became increasingly apparent. There was a successful vote of no-confidence against the Social Democratic Party (<i>Socialdemokraterna</i>)<i>/</i>Green Party (<i>Miljöpartiet de gröna</i>) minority coalition in late June, but the same government was reinstated 16 days later. In early November the Social Democrats changed leader from Stefan Löfven to Magdalena Andersson. This was followed by a corresponding change of Prime Minister, after a somewhat chaotic chain of events where the government lost a key budget vote and the Greens left the government. Andersson thus became Sweden's first-ever female Prime Minister, in charge of a single-party Social Democratic minority government. The Greens changed female spokesperson in January. There were no institutional changes.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"435-449"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"137553529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Greece: Political Developments and Data in 2021","authors":"HARRIS MYLONAS","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12371","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12371","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The year 2021 marked the 200th anniversary of the onset of the Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. On top of the ongoing economic recovery, the government continued to deal with the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant anti-vax movement developed. In the summer, devastating wildfires ravaged Greece. The mounting critique about the handling of the fires together with the worsening situation of the pandemic pointed to a drastic Cabinet reshuffle. Such a reshuffle was attempted but ended up undermining the government's effort to start afresh. Regardless, the ruling party, New Democracy/<i>Nea Dimokratia</i> (ND), remained hegemonic according to the polls. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita increased at a faster rate than expected, but the trade deficit of the country also increased dramatically. Inflation was at the highest point in a decade at 5%. The #MeToo movement eventually reached Greece involving public figures. Finally, this was the year with a staggering number of femicides, 17 in total.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"193-205"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"137542241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ireland: Political Developments and Data in 2021","authors":"EOIN O'MALLEY","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12375","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The political year started and ended with surges in Covid-19 cases dominating the political world, business and citizens’ lives. Caution at the end of the year was probably determined by what had happened at the start of 2021, with a surge in deaths from Covid-19 damaging the government's reputation and its parties’ support. Other more normal issues also started to return to politics, which made 2021 a more typical year of government versus opposition, with the main opposition party gaining support.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"225-229"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/2047-8852.12375","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"137529897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Norway: Political Developments and Data in 2021","authors":"JOHANNES BERGH, RUNE KARLSEN","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12377","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The\u0000main political event in Norway in 2021 was the <i>Storting</i> (parliamentary) election in September. After eight years of rule by a Conservative Party/<i>Høyre</i> Prime Minister, the 2021 election was a decisive win for the centre-left. However, it was a win by a fragmented group of five parties, only two of which ended up forming the new government. Despite the new large centre-left majority in Parliament, the new government, like the previous one, is a minority government. The Covid-19 pandemic dominated Norwegian life through much of 2021, with two large-scale lockdowns early in the year and in December. While the last (December) lockdown was a bit controversial, the government's handling of the pandemic was largely depoliticized. The main issues for voters in the election were environmental issues (including climate change). The pandemic did not register as an important issue among voters.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"351-361"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"137529898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Estonia: Political Developments and Data in 2021","authors":"MARTIN MÖLDER","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12370","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12370","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There was one government change and two elections in Estonia in 2021. In January, the Ratas II government, led by the Centre Party and also including the populist Estonian Conservative People's Party and the conservative Fatherland, was replaced by the K. Kallas I government, a coalition of the liberal Reform Party and the Centre Party. Indirect presidential elections were held at the end of August and Parliament elected Alar Karis as the new President of the Republic. Local elections took place in October and did not produce any major surprises. Regular day-to-day politics and campaigning were overshadowed by waves of COVID-19 in spring and autumn, and the onset of an energy crisis at the end of the year.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"137-146"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"137782276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Croatia: Political Developments and Data in 2021","authors":"DARIO NIKIĆ ČAKAR, VIŠESLAV RAOS","doi":"10.1111/2047-8852.12368","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12368","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Croatian politics experienced relative calm in 2021. The minority Plenković II Cabinet saw no changes and survived motions against two of its ministers. Parliament experienced some turmoil, as intra-party conflict among the Social Democrats resulted in a split of its parliamentary group and a sharp increase in the overall number of independent MPs. In May and June, elections at the county and local levels were held, with the biggest changes occurring in the two largest cities, Zagreb and Split. The mayoral office and the city council of Zagreb were won by Možemo!, a green-left party, while Split received a mayor from the ranks of a centrist-liberal party Pametno.</p>","PeriodicalId":100503,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook","volume":"61 1","pages":"86-93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"137547388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}