Electoral Panorama / Panorama Electoral

Serbian President Boris Tadic dissolved the National Assembly yesterday and called an early parliamentary election for next May 11, following the collapse of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's center-right coalition government, which fell apart over the issue of suspending ties with the European Union.

A number of EU countries (along with the United States) have extended recognition to the predominantly Albanian province of Kosovo, which last February 17 declared itself independent of Serbia. However, the latter regards Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence as "null and void."

The upcoming parliamentary election will be Serbia's third nationwide vote in just over one year: the preceding National Assembly election was held on January 21, 2007, while a presidential election took place in two rounds of voting last January 20 and February 3.

2007 Parliamentary Elections in Serbia has an overview of the Balkan country's electoral system, while Weimar Serbia? Ultranationalists top parliamentary poll once more, on Global Economy Matters, has further information about the 2007 National Assembly election, including definitive election results. Meanwhile, Déjà vu: ultranationalist Nikolić wins plurality in Serbian presidential election...but loses runoff vote (also on Global Economy Matters) covers the recently held presidential election, with definitive first round and runoff election results.

Update

A turn to the West in Serbia? Pro-EU parties handily defeat ultra-nationalists, on Global Economy Matters, covers the outcome of the May 11, 2008 parliamentary election in Serbia.

The Times of Malta reports that President Eddie Fenech Adami has dissolved Parliament at the request of Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who has called a general election for Saturday, March 8. Parliamentary Elections in Malta - Elections to the House of Representatives has an overview of the Mediterranean island nation's electoral system, with nationwide general election results since 1962 and district-level figures since 1976.

Serbia, which held a presidential election last January 20, returns to the polls for a runoff presidential vote on February 3, and I'm covering the event on Global Economy Matters, under Déjà vu: ultranationalist Nikolić wins plurality in Serbian presidential election...but loses runoff vote.

Elections to the Faroese Løgting now has countrywide results of the January 19, 2008 Løgting election, in which the Republican Party won the largest number of votes and seats, but the Unionist-Social Democratic-Conservative coalition government of Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard retained an overall parliamentary majority.

(This posting is also available in English.)

En las elecciones generales del próximo 9 de marzo en España, cuatro provincias - Córdoba, La Coruña, Soria y Vizcaya - perderán un escaño en el Congreso de los Diputados, mientras que otras cuatro - Alicante, Almería, Murcia y Toledo - contarán con un escaño adicional en la cámara baja de las Cortes Españolas.

Si las elecciones generales de 2004 se hubiesen llevado a cabo bajo la nueva distribución de escaños en el Congreso, el gobernante Partido Socialista (PSOE) hubiera perdido un escaño en La Coruña así como en Vizcaya, mientras que el opositor Partido Popular (PP) hubiera contado con un escaño menos tanto en Córdoba como en Soria. Sin embargo, el PSOE hubiera capturado los escaños adicionales de Alicante, Murcia y Toledo, mientras que el PP hubiera conseguido solamente el recien añadido escaño de Almería. En resumidas cuentas, el PSOE hubiera tenido una ganancia neta de un escaño, para un total de 165, mientras que el PP hubiera bajado por uno, a 147 escaños. Entre tanto, los restantes nueve partidos representados en el Congreso hubieran obtenido el mismo número de escaños que ganaron en las pasadas elecciones.

(Esta entrada está disponible también en español.)

In the general election of next March 9 in Spain, four provinces - Córdoba, La Coruña, Soria and Vizcaya - will lose a seat in the Congress of Deputies, while another four - Alicante, Almería, Murcia and Toledo - will have an extra seat in the lower house of the Spanish Cortes.

Had the 2004 general election taken place under the new distribution of Congress seats, the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) would have lost one seat in both La Coruña and Vizcaya, while the opposition People's Party (PP) would have had a seat fewer in Córdoba as well as Soria. However, PSOE would have captured the additional seats in Alicante, Murcia and Toledo, whereas PP would have only won the newly-added seat in Almería. In all, PSOE would have had a net gain of one seat, for a total of 165, while PP would have come down by one, to 147 seats. Meanwhile, the remaining nine parties represented in Congress would have obtained the same number of seats they won in the last election.

(This posting is also available in English.)

El gobierno del presidente (primer ministro) español José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero ha aprobado en el día de hoy el decreto para disolver las Cortes - la legislatura bicameral de España - y celebrar elecciones generales el domingo, 9 de marzo de 2008.

Elecciones al Congreso de los Diputados de España tiene información detallada sobre el sistema electoral español.

Actualización

El Boletín Oficial del Estado tiene el texto completo del Real Decreto 33/2008, de 14 de enero, de disolución del Congreso de los Diputados y del Senado y de convocatoria de elecciones.

(Esta entrada está disponible también en español.)

The government of Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has approved today the decree to dissolve the Cortes - Spain's bicameral legislature - and hold a general election on Sunday, March 9, 2008.

Elections to the Spanish Congress of Deputies has detailed information about Spain's electoral system.

Update

The Official Spanish Gazette has the full (Spanish-language) text of Royal Decree 33/2008, of January 14, of dissolution of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate and call to elections.

Denmark votes today in a snap parliamentary election called by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Elections to the Danish Folketing has an expanded overview of Denmark's electoral system and party politics, with legislative election results since 1971, while An early and uncertain parliamentary election in Denmark, on Global Economy Matters, covers today's vote.

Update

Elections to the Danish Folketing now has definitive 2007 parliamentary election results, as published by the Danish Ministry of the Interior and Health on November 21. Note that these figures are identical to updated preliminary results issued last November 15, save for very minor changes in the number of registered electors, blank or invalid ballots and votes cast for independent candidates.