All posts tagged: Referendum

Fear of populists is pushing governments to oppose expanding the EU – POLITICO

Fear of populists is pushing governments to oppose expanding the EU – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“Enlargement must remain demanding and merit-based to ensure its success and credibility,” France’s minister delegate for European affairs, Benjamin Haddad, told POLITICO. The biggest concern among governments is fear of political blowback against any leader who brings new EU members into a national debate, three of the diplomats and one senior EU official involved with the enlargement process said. Like others in this article, they were granted anonymity to discuss talks that are largely confidential. A repeat of the “Polish plumber” debate that gripped many EU countries before Warsaw’s admission in 2004, when some politicians argued that cheap Polish labor would replace highly paid jobs in Western Europe, is among the worries in capitals. “The same semi-populist, semi-xenophobic arguments we heard about the Poles, we are likely to hear with the Ukrainians and any other candidate,” said a diplomat from a mid-size EU country. “Who are these people? What are they going to be doing in our club? Will they be coming to take our jobs? No appetite This concern is particularly strong in France, …

Orbán Challenger Magyar Says Election Is a ‘Referendum’ on Hungary’s Place in the World

Orbán Challenger Magyar Says Election Is a ‘Referendum’ on Hungary’s Place in the World

Published by Sam Flores

KISKUNHALAS, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar says a crucial election next week where he’s facing pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will be a “referendum” on whether Hungary continues on its drift toward Eastern autocracies, or can retake its place among the democratic societies of Europe. In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Magyar said the European Union’s longest-serving leader has led the country on a “180-degree turn” in recent years, endangering its Western orientation while cozying up to Moscow. Yet despite that drift, “Hungarians still see that Hungary’s peace and development are guaranteed by membership of the European Union and NATO,” Magyar said. “I think this really will be a referendum on our country’s place in the world.” Magyar spoke to the AP on Thursday following an election rally by his center-right Tisza party in Kiskunhalas, a small city of around 25,000 on Hungary’s southern great plain. It was one of hundreds of rallies he’s held in settlements big and small across the country, a campaign blitz that has him visiting …

How the EU’s lure for new members switched focus – POLITICO

How the EU’s lure for new members switched focus – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“EU membership has always offered stability and prosperity for European nations,” European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told POLITICO. “Now we see that those outside of the EU are increasingly aware that, in a world of competing influences, a seat at the table in the EU also offers increased security and protection.” Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine was a major contributor to the shift. But the biggest catalyst is how Donald Trump has acted since his return to the White House in 2025, according to four diplomats, three EU and two national officials familiar with the deliberations in accession candidate countries, who were granted anonymity to speak freely. Trump’s decision to slap tariffs on imports, his administration’s National Security Strategy that blamed the EU for hastening “civilizational erasure,” and his threat to seize Greenland — a territory of Denmark and a NATO ally — have all pushed countries toward Brussels, the diplomats said. Iceland looks as if it’ll be first out of the blocks, with Reykjavík having sped up its timetable for a referendum on …

Italy’s opposition sees its chance to beat Meloni. But it needs a leader, and a plan. – POLITICO

Italy’s opposition sees its chance to beat Meloni. But it needs a leader, and a plan. – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Impromptu alliances Campaigning against Meloni’s judicial reforms was an easy rallying point for the opposition, as they could all pile on the prime minister for attacking independent state institutions. In Rome’s Piazza Barberini on Monday night, opposition leaders and activists from several centrist and leftist parties gathered to celebrate a result few had considered likely just weeks earlier. Supporters waved party flags and chanted as leaders from across the political spectrum shared a stage in a rare display of unity. But the fraternity shown on the piazza masked deeper divisions: The coalition that came together to defeat Meloni in the referendum remains far from agreeing on a common national program, or a shared candidate for prime minister. The on-again-off-again grouping often diverges sharply on issues such as military spending and support for Ukraine, as well as economic policy, with a significant gap between the radical populist left and the more centrist Democratic Party.   Schlein argued on Wednesday that the opposition must focus on concrete proposals. “We can’t just be against the government, we have to …

Meloni cleans house after referendum loss – POLITICO

Meloni cleans house after referendum loss – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Delmastro Delle Vedove had also received a criminal conviction earlier in the legislature after leaking official secrets. Justice Ministry chief of staff and former MP Giusi Bartolozzi is facing criminal charges over an alleged cover-up involving a Libyan warlord who was arrested last year on an International Criminal Court warrant and then flown out of Rome. During the campaign she called prosecutors “an execution squad,” reinforcing accusations that the government viewed investigations as political interference. Bartolozzi didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Meloni also signaled she had lost confidence in Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè, who has been ordered to stand trial over alleged fraud linked to Covid-19 aid, and said in a statement that she “hoped” Santanchè would choose to resign. Santanchè didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, who authored the reform, took responsibility for the defeat but said on Tuesday he would not step down and instead would “return to his study and hobbies” after national elections expected next year. Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein told …

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni loses referendum – POLITICO

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni loses referendum – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

A loss in the referendum will probably weaken the right-wing prime minister’s hand politically, most critically ahead of a general election expected before the end of next year. Italy’s right has long wanted to shake up a judicial system that it claims is politicized and biased toward the left — an assertion disputed by the opposition and many legal experts — vowing the reforms proposed in the referendum would make the system more accountable. Opponents of Meloni’s reforms warned an overhaul risked weakening judicial independence and portrayed the referendum as an attempt to bring fiercely autonomous legal officials under government control. Voters were asked to approve changes to how judges and prosecutors are governed and disciplined, including separating their career paths and reshaping oversight bodies. The tension over the judiciary reflect long-running tension in Italian politics. The Mani Pulite (Clean Hands) investigations of the early 1990s exposed a vast network of corruption that wiped out an entire political class, leaving magistrates with heightened authority and politicians deeply mistrustful of the judiciary. The shadow of former …

Italy’s justice referendum becomes key test for PM Meloni’s leadership

Italy’s justice referendum becomes key test for PM Meloni’s leadership

Published by Sam Flores

Italy’s hardline conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, faces a pivotal political test in a two-day referendum on judicial reform that started on Sunday, a vote that has transformed into a broader judgment on her leadership at home and abroad. Originally presented as a technical overhaul of the justice system, the reform has sharpened political divisions and unified the centre‑left opposition, turning the referendum into a symbolic showdown on Meloni’s strength one year ahead of national elections. Recent polls show the race remains too close to call, with the “No” camp gaining late momentum in a polarised climate where turnout may prove decisive. After five hours of voting on the first day, according to Italy’s interior ministry, turnout reached almost 15 percent of eligible voters. That is the highest turnout for any two-day referendum in the past 23 years. Lorenzo Pregliasco, political analyst and polling expert at YouTrend, said a rejection of the reform would carry significant political weight. “A possible ‘No’ victory would send a political signal, weakening Meloni’s aura of invincibility, while pushing the centre-left …

Strong early turnout in Italy referendum with high stakes for Meloni – POLITICO

Strong early turnout in Italy referendum with high stakes for Meloni – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Regional data shows northern and central regions leading participation, with Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Lombardy recording the highest turnout so far. Southern regions including Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily are trailing in turnout. At the heart of the vote is a deeply contested reform of the Italian judiciary. The most controversial element is a proposal to overhaul how members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) — the body that governs judges’ careers — are selected. Instead of being elected, most members would be chosen by lottery under the proposal. Supporters of the reform argue the change would break the influence of internal factions within the judiciary and reduce politicization. Critics say it risks undermining merit and representation, potentially allowing underqualified and political candidates to oversee key decisions on appointments and discipline. Two further turnout updates are scheduled for 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday, with final results expected after polls close on Monday at 3 p.m. The referendum does not require a minimum turnout, meaning the reform will be approved or rejected based …

Democrats start to sweat over Virginia’s redistricting referendum

Democrats start to sweat over Virginia’s redistricting referendum

Published by Sam Flores

After putting an aggressive redraw of the state’s congressional map before voters, some Virginia Democrats are growing uneasy about its prospects for passage one month out from the special election. Virginia Democrats entered 2026 riding a wave of momentum, comfortably flipping the governorship and expanding their majority in the state House in last fall’s elections. And heading into the April contest, they hold massive fundraising and ad spending advantages. But recently, the realities of waging a unique campaign in a state that isn’t nearly as Democratic as California, where voters approved a redrawn map through a similar process last year, have begun to set in. Some supporters of the Virginia referendum acknowledge the challenge of convincing voters to back a gerrymandered map when Democrats, who several years ago backed the formation of the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission, have criticized Republicans for similar moves. Virginia voters are also not accustomed to going to the polls in April, when Democrats scheduled the special election, making turnout particularly unpredictable. And recent polling showing mixed views of the ballot …

Iceland to hold Aug. 29 referendum on reviving EU membership talks – POLITICO

Iceland to hold Aug. 29 referendum on reviving EU membership talks – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

In recent months, Iceland — which occupies a strategically important position in the Arctic, but has no standing army — had explored expediting a referendum on the subject of reviving talks, as POLITICO reported last month. Polls show a clear majority of Icelanders support holding a referendum on resuming talks, though the population is more evenly split on whether Iceland should actually join the EU. The EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos played up the bloc’s attraction as a security guarantor in a time of geopolitical upheaval.   “A significant decision now lies ahead for the Icelandic people,” Kos said Friday in a post on X. “In a world that is changing fast, the European Union offers an anchor in a community of values, prosperity and security.”   If the referendum is successful, Iceland would need to go to another vote once it finishes accession negotiations to actually join the bloc. Zoya Sheftalovich contributed to this report.  Source link