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STORY OF THE MONTH
World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva Delivers Message of Resolve to Parliamentarians: We are determined to do our best in the countries we serve
Washington DC, April 8-9, 2019 – 147 parliamentarians from 48 countries representing every region of the world gathered at the World Bank headquarters in Washington April 8-9, 2019 to address today’s most urgent development issues at the fifth annual Global Parliamentary Conference (GPC).
The flagship event of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF, co-organized by the World Bank and the IMF, has become a quintessential meeting on the global parliamentary calendar. It provides a unique opportunity for legislators to engage directly with senior leadership from the two institutions and their peers from around the world, as well as representatives of CSOs, parliamentary organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. As elected officials and policymakers, parliamentarians are key actors in achieving meaningful development results for inclusive, sustainable economic growth.
“The knowledge learned and the experiences of this extraordinary event will not just linger in my mind for many years to come, but will be put to practical use in trying to open new ways and opportunities of engagement with the World Bank and IMF for sustainable development in various spheres,” Cornellius Mweetwa MP, Zambia
During the special townhall session with senior management, World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde rallied MPs around multilateral collaboration to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An effort in which Ms. Georgieva assured parliamentarians the World Bank stands ready to be a key partner, “We are fighting fit and we are determined to do our best in the countries we serve. It is paramount that we do it, because we recognize a tremendous need in terms of supporting countries to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.”
“It is possible,” said Ms. Georgieva as she emphasized the importance of developing digital economies, particularly in Africa, to create jobs and eliminate poverty. “It would take money, political will, and you the parliamentarians.” Jobs creation was by far the most urgent concern for parliamentarians representing donor and recipient countries alike. Ms. Georgieva stated that in addition to jobs creation, ‘increased support of fragile and conflict-affected states,’ and ‘climate mitigation and adaptation’ were key priorities for the World Bank.
Both heads of the institutions highlighted the economic and moral imperative to close gaps in gender equality. "Having more women contributing at all levels of our economy and of our political scenes is propitious to higher growth," said Mrs. Lagarde. Ms. Georgieva incited cheers by noting that the change in presidency created the rare historic opportunity for the two Bretton Woods institutions be run by women. “If we are to succeed, we have to make use of the potential of all people – men and women."
Full Story | Pictures | Town-hall Video
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2019 SPRING MEETINGS
High-Level Meeting of the Global Young MP Initiative
Washington DC, April 9, 2019 – This year’s Global Parliamentary Conference was followed by the first official meeting of the Global Young MP Initiative, a new program designed to provide a platform for dialogue and collaboration to younger parliamentarians on the many development challenges disproportionately affecting youth such as the future of work, education, and harnessing technology to create opportunities. More than 30 MPs from 26 countries in all regions joined.
World Bank Vice President of External and Corporate Relations Sheila Redzepi welcomed them and highlighted their crucial role in relating to and therefore advocating for youth development issues, as well as invigorating policymaking, and democracy, “Young parliamentarians bring innovation and energy into policy debates. Your presence in parliaments can shift social norms about the legitimacy of young people as elected officials.”
One of the original Steering Committee members of the Global Young MP Initiative, Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu MP and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Kosovo presented the objectives of the young MP program and shared some inspiring strategies for youth policies and programs in Kosovo. During a panel conversation, Marianne Azer MP and Member of the Foreign Affairs, Telecommunication and Ethics Committees, Egypt; Sabina Chege MP and Chair of the Departmental Committee on Health, Kenya; and Marianne Marthinsen MP and Member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense and the Enlarged Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Norway gave their countries’ perspectives, leading the way for all participants to embark on a discussion of concerns and best practices from their respective nations.
The biggest worry on the minds of nearly all young parliamentarians was youth unemployment and how to prepare for the jobs of the future through investments in health, education, and the leveraging of technology. A presentation by Ceyla Pazarbaşioğlu, Vice President, Equitable Growth on opportunities for harnessing technology for jobs and inclusion resonated well with the group. As digital natives, young MPs are better positioned to understand technology and use it to create opportunities and change.
The MPs who participated in the meeting were enthusiastic about the possibilities for the new program, a sentiment that could be summed up in the comment by Ricardo Leite MP and Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Portuguese Communities; and the Health Committee, Portugal,“I think that this particular initiative has a tremendous capacity to advise on what direction to take and keep up with trends that young MPs tend to be closer to. Good politicians sometimes need support beyond borders to lead within borders.”
Full Story | Pictures
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2019 SPRING MEETINGS - PARLIAMENTARY SIDE MEETING
Meeting for African MPs with VP for Africa Hafez Ghanem
Washington DC, April 8, 2019 – As part of the World Bank Africa CSO and Parliamentary Development Dialogue series, the World Bank Vice President for Africa, Hafez Ghanem and members of the senior management team met with a group of more than 20 African Parliamentarians on the sidelines of the World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington. The meeting provided an opportunity to share the Bank’s strategic direction for the region but also to hear from the Parliamentarians on how they can work with the Bank to deliver for Africa’s people. Discussions were very engaged and focused on issues of fragility, digital transformation, regional integration, and women and youth empowerment, all of which are key World Bank priorities for Africa. Parliamentarians gave feedback on Bank operations in their respective countries and how the institution could strengthen engagement with them.
Hafez Ghanem noted the importance of continuing to consult and engage with Parliamentarians to ensure local ownership of Bank programs and promote social accountability. He added that the World Bank remains a committed partner in working with all stakeholders to prioritize Africa’s development.
The World Bank in Africa | Africa Digital Economy Moonshot
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2019 SPRING MEETINGS - PARLIAMENTARY SIDE MEETING
Breakfast Meeting on Education with Save the Children
Washington DC, April 9, 2019 – Save the Children alongside the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Education in the UK hosted a special breakfast meeting to discuss SDG 4 with MPs interested in education. Approximately 25 people, including 10 MPs attended. The meeting rallied MPs around policies to support SDG 4.
Save the Children | SDG 4
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2019 SPRING MEETINGS - PARLIAMENTARY SIDE MEETING
Meeting on Human Capital Investments with ACTION
Washington DC, April 10, 2019 – ACTION organized a Parliamentary Meeting for Investing in Human Capital. Some 11 MPs from 10 countries were briefed on the Human Capital Project (HCP) and the Global Financing Facility (GFF) teams on how the HCP and GFF can improve investments in health for better development outcomes. Questions centered around effective implementation of projects, showing results, and the importance of including parliamentarians in project consultations and approvals. It culminated in a draft letter to be signed by MPs urging the World Bank President to prioritize human capital investments.
ACTION | Human Capital Project | Global Financing Facility
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2019 SPRING MEETINGS
Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF Elects New Board Members
Washington DC, April 9, 2019 – The 2019 Global Parliamentary Conference was the occasion to hold bi-annual elections of the Board Members of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF to serve 2019-2022. Liam Byrne MP and Chair of the APPG on Inclusive Growth, UK was elected as the new Chair of the Parliamentary Network. Other Board Members include:
- Bangladesh: Muhiuddin KHAN ALAMGIR
- Canada: Percy DOWNE
- Kosovo: Vjosa OSMANI
- Morocco: Lahcen HADDAD
- Portugal: Ricardo Baptista LEITE
- Somalia: Hodan OSMAN
- Tunisia: Olfa SOUKRI CHERIF
- Uganda: Nathan NANDALA MAFABI
The Parliamentary Network
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EXTERNAL & CORPORATE RELATIONS VP PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENTS
United States: VP Sheila Redzepi Meets Vice President of French National Assembly
Washington, March 28, 2019 – World Bank Vice President of External and Corporate Relations Sheila Redzepi met with the Vice President of the French National Assembly and Rapporteur for the ODA budget Marc Le Fur to discuss shared priorities and opportunities for scaling up cooperation between the World Bank and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
Topics discussed during the meeting included climate, the security challenges of migration and other issues related to fragility, conflict and violence in the Sahel, and the incoming G7 meeting. Ms. Redzepi mentioned the role of the World Bank in the G7, specifically the Human Capital Project and the Africa digital moonshot. They agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation between AFD and the World Bank, as well as the need to coordinate with diverse partners in the field such as CSOs and the UN to support effective engagement so they can deliver programs in cooperation with the Bank. Hon. Le Fur expressed interest in a field visit to witness the work of the World Bank in Haiti.
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Iceland: VP Sheila Redzepi Meets Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir, Chair of the Executive Board of Women Political Leaders
Reykjavik, March 4, 2019 – World Bank Vice President of External and Corporate Relations Sheila Redzepi met with Ms. Kristjánsdóttir, Chair of the Executive Board of “Women Political Leaders” to reinforce a shared commitment to gender equality and engaging with female Members of Parliament. They discussed avenues for increased collaboration between the World Bank and Women Political Leaders (WPL), a global network of female politicians that strives to demonstrate the positive global impact of more women in political leadership.
Ms. Redzepi expressed the World Bank’s appreciation for the fruitful engagement on the digital agenda with WPL and the Parliament of Iceland last November at the Women Leaders Global Forum. She suggested exploring future opportunities for collaboration to advance digital development globally and to contributing to future WPL events.
Women Political Leaders | Women Leaders Global Forum | G7 in France
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT IN UGANDA
Engaging Parliament to Support Maternal Health Care in Rural Areas
Kampala, April 4, 2019 – The Ministry of Health, together with Marie Stopes International, has held two information sessions with members of the Uganda Parliament on the Uganda Reproductive Health Voucher Project (URHVP), which increases access to safe delivery services for marginalized women living in rural and disadvantaged areas during pregnancy and delivery in 13 districts in South Western Uganda and 12 districts in Eastern Uganda. The project is being implemented by the Ugandan Ministry of Health with support from the World Bank and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
The information sessions were part of efforts to keep Parliament informed of the progress of the project, and to seek their support for expansion of the project in a follow-up World Bank operation. In both meetings, updates were provided about URHVP’s implementation progress, successes, challenges and opportunities for the future. URHVP is implemented with the support of the Global Partnership on output Based Aid (GPOBA). In his remarks, the Director of Clinical Services in the Ministry of Health highlighted the benefits of the project including improvements in clinical quality, staff motivation and better health facilities. In response, MPs, acknowledged the impact of the URHVP in their constituencies, and expressed concern at the high numbers (19%) of teenage mothers benefiting from the project. MPs also highlighted the need to continue with the URHVP intervention to ensure continuity of service delivery as this a good opportunity to learn what does and does not work as the country makes progress towards attaining National Health Care (NHC).
The World Bank in Uganda | Uganda Reproductive Health Voucher Project | Marie Stopes International
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World Bank Team Meets Committee on National Economy
Kampala, February 19, 2019 – The World Bank Uganda team, led by the Country Manager, Tony Thompson, had a 2-hour lunch meeting with Honorable Syda Bumba, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on the National Economy and two other committee members. Parliamentarians were briefed on two key operations pending parliamentary ratification, the Social Risk Mitigation and Gender-Based Violence and Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Programs, and updated on the Bank’s pipeline – including the new IDA19 envelope for Uganda worth $1.4 billion.
Honorable Bumba was concerned about the low disbursement rate of Bank financed projects (only about $700m has been disbursed from the $3 billion) and the increasing focus on social development - or what they termed as “soft projects” - rather than infrastructure or those that promote trade/value addition and income generation for job creation. The committee was also concerned about the country’s debt situation, currently at 41%. The committee did not have full information about the terms of Bank credits and invited the Bank to have a longer briefing with the rest of the committee members sometime in early March.
Update April 4, 2019 – Ugandan parliamentarians participating in the 2019 Global Parliamentary Conference were briefed on the Spring Meetings agenda, including key themes, concerns and challenges. Following the meeting, the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Program (IDA $200m) was approved by parliament, a testimonial to the effectiveness of parliamentary engagement.
The World Bank in Uganda | Social Risk Mitigation and GBV Program | Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Program
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENTS
Austria: Workshop on Fiscal Rules and Institutions in the Western Balkans
Vienna, March 6, 2019 – “Sound fiscal frameworks have an important role to play in safeguarding the sustainability of public finances.” This was the overarching message at a high-level workshop on Fiscal Rules and Institutions held on March 6, 2019 at the World Bank’s office in Vienna and sponsored jointly with the Korea Trust Fund for Economic and Peace Building Transitions. The workshop brought together senior officials from the Western Balkans, among them Finance Ministers and Deputies, Budget Directors with representatives from the World Bank, European Commission, European Fiscal Board, Eurostat, European Central Bank and EU independent fiscal institutions. The objective was to share knowledge on practical approaches to designing fiscal rules and building supporting elements of public financial management as well as to openly discuss the challenges in establishing and maintaining independent fiscal institutions.
The workshop was opened by Linda Van Gelder, World Bank Regional Director for the Western Balkans and Sungjeon Kim, National Assembly Budget Office Assistant Chair. Mr. Kim presented the experience of Korea in compliance with fiscal rules and the role the National Assembly Budget Office plays in monitoring the compliance with these rules. Mr. Kim was accompanied by Donghun Lee, Director of Social Budget Analysis Division and Hungyeon Cho, Policy Analyst, both from the National Assembly Budget Office. On behalf of the Korean authorities, Mr. Kim expressed appreciation for the World Bank work delivered under the Korea Trust Fund, while Ms. Van Gelder thanked the Korean authorities for sharing their useful experience and supporting institutional capacity building in transition economies.
The World Bank in Europe and Central Asia.
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Photo credit: Valgard Gislason
PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Women, Business and the Law Launch Event
Reykjavik, March 4, 2019 – Women Business and the Law: A Decade of Reform was showcased on March 4, 2019 in Iceland, the country that topped the World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index for the tenth year in a row in 2018. World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva, who was acting as Interim President at the time, took to the stage to discuss how far the world has come in gender equality and to insist that progress needs to be accelerated for both ethical and economic reasons. She was joined by Ulla Tørnæs, Minister for Development Cooperation, Denmark; Hanna Birna, Chair of Women Political Leaders, and Gudlaugur Thordarson, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Iceland.
The World Bank has released the tenth addition of its Women, Business and the Law (WBL) Report, measuring gender inequality in the law to identify obstacles to women’s economic participation. The report finds that while numerous reforms have increased inclusion, globally women still only benefit from three-quarters of the legal rights that men do. The 2019 WBL also introduces a new index measuring legal rights for women throughout their working lives in 187 economies. The index is composed of 35 data points grouped into eight indicators. The data covers a 10-year period not only to understand the current situation but to see how laws affecting women’s equality of opportunity have evolved over time.
Watch | Women, Business and the Law Website | WBL Report | The World Bank in Iceland
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Nigeria: Domestic Resource Mobilization for Health
Abuja, Nigeria – The World Bank led several development partners, including the Department for International Development in the UK, Canada, and the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, in multiple meetings to encourage the Nigerian Parliament to implement crucial national health care legislation after several years of delay. Following several policy dialogues and briefing sessions with different committees of the Nigerian National Assembly representing both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), a key instrument of the National Health Act (NHAct), was implemented into the budget four years after the NHAct was passed in 2014.
The NHAct was implemented in response to the crisis brought on by chronic underfunding of health in Nigeria, where the Government spends less than nearly every country in the world (in 2016, government health spending was 0.6% as a share of GDP, or $11US per capita). The NHAct is operationalized through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which offers a new source of financing that is primarily dedicated to front line health care, using a range of innovative financing mechanisms (including decentralized facility financing and performance-based financing) to accelerate progress to universal health coverage (UHC).
The World Bank in Nigeria
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
France: World Bank Experts Present ID4D to National Assembly
Paris, February 21, 2019 – The French National Assembly invited the World Bank to contribute to an information mission titled “Children Without Identity” requested by Honorable Laurence Dumont and Honorable Aina Kuric, both members of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The two MPs are looking at unregistered people as a whole around the world, and the associated problems of vulnerabilities, human trafficking, deprivation of rights and other dangers as well as possible solutions.
Samia Melhem, Global Lead, Digital Development and Vyjayanti Desai, Program Manager for Identification for Development (ID4D) presented the World Bank ID4D program, which helps countries establish digital identification systems to enable all people to exercise their rights and access services. The program includes an assessment of the identification systems in 35 countries. The teams then analyze challenges for each country and work with governments on the ground to better identify people and to improve the conditions of the most vulnerable. The aim is two-fold: (i) integrating them into economic and legal systems through legal identity, and (ii) protecting sensitive data related to civil status. During the presentation, they emphasized the need for reliable data in the economic development of states.
ID4D | Children Without Identity
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UPCOMING EVENT - 11-14 June 2019
IDA Parliamentary Field Visit in Senegal and The Gambia
The World Bank will hold a parliamentary field visit in Senegal and The Gambia from June 11-14, 2019. The visit will include a first-hand look at education and health projects in the countries. It will include meetings with local parliament, World Bank experts, civil society and private sector representatives. The working languages will be English and French.
The World Bank in Senegal | The World Bank in The Gambia
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MULTIMEDIA
Spring Meetings Events Replays
Watch all the events from the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings to relive the moments or experience them for the first time.
Spring Meetings events
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February 23, 2019
Nigeria
General elections in Nigeria (presidential, legislative and senatorial) were held on February 23, 2019. In the Senate, the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the majority with 64 seats, followed by the People's Democratic Party (PDP) with 41 seats, and the Young Progressive Party with 1 seat. In the House of Representatives, the APC won 217 seats against 115 seats won by the PDP. The proportion of women in Nigeria's 360-seat House of Representatives decreased from 5.3% to 3.1% with eight women elected as senators and 11 women in the new House of Representatives. Incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected with some 56% of the votes against seventy-two other candidates, including Atiku Abubakar (41% of the votes).
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February 24, 2019
Moldova
Candidates from four parties were elected to Parliament with no sweeping majority: The Party of Socialists, the Democratic Party, the ACUM electoral alliance of DA and PAS, and the Șor Party. The Socialist Party obtained the relative majority with 35 seats, slightly ahead of the ruling center-left Democratic Party with 30 seats. The coalition Party of Action and Solidarity-Dignity and Truth Platform Party, called NOW Platform DA and PAS entered parliament in third with 26 seats, and the Șor Party came in fourth place with 7 seats. Three other MPs were elected as independent candidates. The Party of Communists, which had previously been the third largest force in parliament, failed to obtain any seats for the first time since independence (1991). The center-right Liberal Party, a coalition partner of the democrats, lost all its seats.
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March 3, 2019
Estonia
Of the 101 seats of parliament, the Estonian Reform Party leads with 34 seats, followed by the Estonian Centre Party (26 seats), Conservative People's Party (19 seats), Pro Patria (12 seats) and Social Democratic Party (10 seats). The Estonian Reform Party and the Conservative People's Party were strengthened in these elections with four and twelve additional seats respectively.
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March 5, 2019
Federated States of Micronesia
Parliamentary elections were held in the Federated States of Micronesia to renew the 14 members of Congress: ten district representatives and four senators each representing one of the states of the federation. All 13 of the 14 incumbent senators standing for re-election won, including three unanimously in their constituencies due to a lack of opponents. As there are no parties in the Federated States of Micronesia, all candidates and elected officials are without labels.
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March 10, 2019
North Korea
Parliamentary elections were held to renew all 687 seats in the Supreme People's Assembly by direct universal suffrage after a five-year term of office. Voting is mandatory in North Korea and choice of candidates is not offered, thus no opposition applications are possible.
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March 10, 2019
Guinea-Bissau
Legislative elections were held in Guinea-Bissau to renew the 102 seats of the Chamber of the National People's Assembly. The new chamber of the National People's Congress is composed of four parties. In the lead, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) won 47 seats, losing an absolute majority (-10 seats). The Social Renewal Party (PRS) also recorded a sharp decline, with 21 seats, or a loss of 20 seats. The parliament thus saw the entry of two new parties, the Movement for Democratic Alternation G-15 (MADEM G-15), which became the second largest party in the parliament, with 27 seats, and the United People's Assembly (UPA), which won 5 seats.
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March 14, 2019
Democratic Republic of Congo
Senate elections were held in the Democratic Republic of Congo to renew the 108 members of the Senate, elected indirectly by the 715 members of the provincial assemblies. The election follows the presidential and legislative elections of December 2018. The Common Front for Congo, built around the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy of former President Joseph Kabila, won the clear majority of seats (91 seats + 1 lifetime seat for former President Joseph Kabila). 6 seats were won by the Lamuka coalition that supported the Fayulu candidate and 3 seats for the Cap for Change Coalition of Felix Tshisekedi. The election for the eight seats from the provinces of North Kivu and Mai-Ndombe have been delayed.
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March 24, 2019
Thailand
The Thai general elections were held to elect 500 members of parliament to the Thai House of Representatives. The long-awaited election is expected to allow civilians to return to power after five years of military rule following the 2014 Coup d'état, which dissolved the previous House. No party won an absolute majority following these elections. Preliminary results, which won’t be made official until May 9, indicate Prime Minister’s Chan-o-cha’s pro-military party, Palang Pracharat Party, received the highest number of popular votes at 8.4 million, followed by the pro-democracy Pheu Thai Party tied to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at 7.9 million and Future Forward Party, the new party in the chamber that catered to young voters, 6.2 million votes. Five political parties hold 87% of the seats in the House of Representatives: the Pheu Thai Party came out on top with 137 seats, a loss of 128 seats. Palang Pracharat came out second with 116 seats. The Future Forward Party won 80 seats. The Democrat Party won 52 seats, losing 107 seats. Finally, Bhumjaithai Party won 51 seats, an increase of 22 seats.
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April 3, 2019
Solomon Islands
Parliamentary elections were held to elect all 50 members of the National Parliament at the end of a four-year term. The Solomon Islands are a parliamentary monarchy based on the Westminster model. Almost three-quarters of the outgoing/previous MPs retained their seats, including Prime Minister Rick Hou’enipwela. Twenty-one candidates were elected without party labels. There were only two women among the elected MPs. One third of the seats are represented by the Democratic Party of Solomon Islands (8 seats) and the Kadere Party (8 seats). It should be noted that the United Democratic Party won 4 seats, losing a total of 15 seats.
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April 6, 2019
Maldives
The 87 members of the Maldives People's Council were elected for the first time since the advent of multiple parties in the country. One party alone won more than two-thirds of the seats – the center-right Democratic Party of the new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih with 65 (+39) seats. The Maldives Progressive Party won 5 seats, losing 28 seats and the Republican Party won 5 seats, losing 10 seats.
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April 7, 2019
Andorra
The 2019 Andorran legislative elections renewed the 28 members of the General Council of Andorra. The Democratic Party for Andorra lost its absolute majority of seats but retained the relative majority with almost 40% of the seats (15 seats). The Liberal Party of Andorra won 8 seats. The Social Democracy and Progress party won 2 seats. The Social Democratic Party won 3 seats. The election was marked by a record number of parties in the running, as well as those that obtained a seat, in the context of the country's economic crisis after questioning its status as a tax and customs haven.
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April 9, 2019
Israel
The 2019 Israeli parliamentary elections appointed the 120 members of the 21st Knesset. These elections resulted in a duel between Benny Gantz's newly created Blue and White Party and the Likud of outgoing Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. The latter finally emerged as the winner, with Likud leading the election with 35 seats (+5 seats), accompanied by good results for its allies on the right of the political spectrum. Thus, Benyamin Netanyahu would obtain a coalition with 65 seats including the Likud (35 seats), Shas (8), Yahadout HaTorah (8), the Union of Right-Wing Parties (5), Yisrael Beytenu (5) and Koulanou (4). Netanyahu is expected to be reappointed for a fifth term after inter-party negotiations. The 21st Knesset will have fewer women than the previous one, down to 29 from 35.
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April 14, 2019
Finland
The Finnish parliament, the Eduskunta, elected the 200 members of its 37th legislature. Elections were neck and neck between the Social Democrats, the Finns and the National Coalition parties with 40, 39 and 38 seats respectively, while the Centre Party of outgoing Prime Minister Juha Sipilä fell sharply and lost more than a third of its seats, obtaining 31 seats, its worst electoral result since 1917. The Social Democratic Party saw a slight increase in its results (+6 seats) and managed to take the lead for the first time since 1999. However, with no single party winning more than 18% of the votes, a broad coalition of a large number of parties will be necessary to form a government, auguring difficult negotiations.
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April 28, 2019
Spain
General elections were held in Spain to assign all 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 208 of the 266 Senators. The Socialist Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) won the most seats (123/350 deputies, 121/208 senators). The far-right party, Vox, won 24 seats for the first time since the country transitioned to democracy 40 years ago. Spain’s Socialist party will need help to form a government and will likely enter into an alliance with the left-wing Unidas-Podemos, which secured 42 seats.
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