Hot Issue Nr. 388

Local elections in the UK:

An Indicator for UK referendum on EU membership

In the UK local and regional elections on 5 May 2016 the two major parties suffered losses. The election serves as an indicator for the UK referendum on EU membership next month.

The Scottish National Party SNP has won most seats in the Scottish Parliament, but has lost its overall majority. The nationalists succeeded 63 of 129 seats - six seats less than in the last election. The leader of the SNP Nicola Sturgeon had already hailed a "historic" victory since the SNP won the third election in a row. Previously, the nationalists governed with an absolute majority (69 seats) but will now need the support of a smaller party – most likely the Green Party. The Scottish Conservative Party came in second with 31 seats - a major achievement for a party that has long been unpopular in Scotland. The Scottish Labour Party lost many votes and became only third strongest force. In March, the SNP has announced plans for another referendum on Scotland’s membership in the UK after the referendum on UK´s EU membership on 23 June 2016.

The Labour Party remains the strongest party in Wales but faces the significant rise of the UKIP party (UK Independence Party). The anti-EU party of Nigel Farage has won five seats in the Welsh regional parliament. The UKIP fights for a withdrawal from the EU, whereas the leader of the Labour Party Jeremey Corbyn is in favour of remaining in the EU.

In Northern Ireland, the two major Irish Republican parties Sinn Fein and the SDLP suffered losses, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the largest party in Northern Ireland, won most of the votes. The Green Party of Northern Ireland won a second mandate and the left-wing Socialist People Before Profit Alliance has gained two seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time. However, the distribution of seats remains broadly unchanged.

First Muslim Mayor in London

With approximately 44 percent of the votes Labour candidate Sadiq Khan was almost ten percent ahead of conservative rival Tory Zac Goldsmith in the mayoral election in London. The labour party takes over the British capital after eight years. Khan became thus the first Muslim mayor of a western capital.
Khan, a former human rights lawyer and son of a bus driver from Pakistan, describes himself as "British Muslim who takes the fight against extremists." Khan promised to be "a mayor for all Londoners". "I ask the people urgently to vote for hope over fear," he said. London has 8.6 million inhabitants of which more than a million are Muslims.

"Super Thursday", as the media named the Election Day, is considered the first test for the labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who took over the Labour presidency in late summer last year. Compared to the regional and local elections in the years 2011 and 2012 the labour party must accept losses. But compared to the disastrous outcome of the national election in 2015, the Labour Party has won back some votes. The Tories have also lost some votes compared to the national elections last year. In general, the Labour Party did better than expected. They even defended some of their few strongholds in the conservative dominated south of the UK. 40 million Britons were called on 5 May to elect their regional and local parliaments.

Sources:
faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/kommunalwahl-in-grossbritannien-rechtspopulisten-erzielen-wahlerfolg-in-wales-14218188.html
zeit.de/politik/ausland/2016-05/grossbritannien-kommunalwahl-labour-partei-jeremy-corbyn-verluste

zuerst.de/2016/05/08/kommunalwahlen-in-grossbritannien-ukip-und-schottische-nationalpartei-gewinnen/
photos:
salzburg.com/
arynews.tv/en/britain-awaits-results-of-super-thursday-votes/

Local elections in Serbia:

Serbian ruling party wins majority

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have achieved the majority of votes in the local elections and even in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, which traditionally is a stronghold of the opposition Democratic Party.

The right-wing SNS won 44.5 percent of votes in the elections for the Regional Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina on 24 April 2016. The Democratic Party (DS), which was in charge previously, only got 7.24 percent. The socialist PLC JS coalition won 8.85 percent, while the Nationalist Party SRS got 7.66 percent of the votes. The League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) won 6.43 percent and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) achieved 4.87 percent. At the same time early parliamentary elections were held in Serbia. The overall turnout was 56.40 percent.
With 63 of 120 seats the SNS won 50 seats more than in the last elections 2012 and outrun the Democratic Party, which traditionally is the strongest party in the Vojvodina. The Democratic Party lost 48 seats. The SNS is planning a coalition with the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM). The SVM represents the largest ethnic minority in the Vojvodina.

The remarkable victory of the SNS is due to the successful economic reforms and the accession negotiations with the EU. Furthermore, renaming the party’s list played a role. Vučić had his own name put on all electoral lists (list "Aleksandar Vučić - Serbia wins") instead of the name of his party SNS and have thus reached the preference of Serbs to vote for leaders, instead of parties.
The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province in Serbia, a northern part of the country in the Pannonian Plain. Novi Sad is the administrative center of the Vojvodina and the second largest city in Serbia. The AP Vojvodina has a population of around 2 million people with more than 26 ethnic groups and six official languages.

The SNS has also reached the majority of votes in the remaining municipalities and cities, like Smederevska Palanka (central Serbia), Indjija and Apatin in Vojvodina, previously ruled by the Democrats. The SNS also won 14 of 17 municipalities in Belgrade, except Vracar, Stari Grad and New Belgrade, which go to the Democratic Party. Despite a strong campaign the SNS did not succeed a majority in Jagodina (central Serbia), Surdulica and Bosilegrad (in the southeast of Serbia) or Cajetina (southwest Serbia), where the local politicians of other parties have gained the majority again.

In Vranje (Southern Serbia), the elections will be repeated in two polling stations after bribes have been reported. In Nis, in southern central Serbia, elections will be repeated in 20 polling stations as more ballots were casted than voters registered.

Source: www.balkaninsight.com
Karte:http://www.uni-regensburg.de/Fakultaeten/PKGG/Geschichte/geschichte-suedost-osteuropa/studium/exkursionen/vojvodina/projekt.html

New member of the IRE network:

The Regional Association Pongau joins the IRE

The Regional Association Pongau has joined the IRE network and is represented by its Chairman Dr. Peter Brandauer, the Mayor of Werfenweng.
The Regional Association Pongau is an amalgamation of all 25 Pongau communities, cities and a service facility with a broad field of functions for its member communities, the tourism organizations, business people and its citizens. The Regional Association Pongau owns the mobility center Pongau GmbH ("mobilito") and supports the Europe Direct Information Centre "EDIC Southern Salzburg - Pongau".
The focus lies on promotion consulting, regional planning and regional development, the mobilization and development of commercial sites and the organization and development of public transportation. Furthermore, an information and cooperation center for regional projects and regional diversity handles regional concerns.

A

bout 80,000 people make their living in the 25 municipalities of the district "St. Johann im Pongau". Pongau is also a region with enormous high recreational value. With around 8.5 million overnight stays and 71,000 guest beds it is the most important tourist destination in Austria. During winter the region of Pongau has already positioned itself as one of the top destinations in Europe.
Pongau is Austria's only region that has a nationwide active mobility center (service center for tourist mobility management).

We look forward to the cooperation with the regional association Pongau and hope for a good and close collaboration.

More information about the Regional Association:
http://www.pongau.org/home.html

Save the Date:

Invitation

Catalonia‘s Way in Europe

Panel discussion

(in German language)

Wednesday, 25 May 2016, 19:00 hrs
Internationale Salzburg Association (ISA)

Palais Kuenburg-Langenhof
Sigmund-Haffnergasse 16, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Opening address and moderation

Univ. Prof. Dr. Franz Schausberger

IRE-Chairman and Member of the Committee of the Regions, Brussels, EU

Panelists:

Jordi Solé, Secretary for Foreign and European Union Affairs, Government of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain

Adam Casals, Envoy and Head of the Delegation of the Catalan Government in Vienna, Austria

Krystyna Schreiber, German Author of books and publications on Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain

Dr Kai-Olaf Lang, Senior Fellow, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin, Germany

Registration until 20 May 2016:

martina.balazic@institut-ire.eu

Tel: 0662 84 32 88 – 0

In Cooperation: