The Robert Schuman Foundation published this week an interview of Aleksander Milinkievich, leader of the democratic opposition in Belarus and winner of the Sakharov Prize 2006 awarded by the European Parliament, on the political and economic situation in Belarus. He also brought up the issue of the democratic opposition movement which appeared during the presidential election on March 2006. Finally, he called on the European countries and the European Union to support the democratic process in Belarus.
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The coalition "For a European Serbia-Democratic Party-G17+-Boris Tadic" rallying the Democratic Party, the G17+, the Democratic Party of Sandzak, the Movement for Renewal (SPO) and the League of Social Democrats of Voivodina (LSV) easily won the general elections that took place on 11th May in Serbia winning 38.7% of the vote and 103 seats in the National Assembly, the only Chmaber in Parliament. The ultra-nationalist Radical Party (SRS) won 29.10% of the vote and 77 seats. The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) led by the outgoing Prime Minister came third winning 11.3% of the vote and 30 seats. The Socialist Party led by Ivica Dacic won 7.9% of the vote (20 seats). The coalition rallying the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Civic Alliance and the Social Democratic Union won 5.20% of the vote and 13 seats. Finally the parties representing the country's minorities won 7 seats. The Democratic Party came out ahead in the local elections in three of the largest cities: Belgrade, Novi Sad and Nis.
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On 21st May next the Georgians will be renewing their Parliament during a general election that is taking place a few months early (the elections should have been held in the autumn). The constitutional amendments approved on 4th March by Parliament brought changes to the appointment of MPs whose number will drop from 255 to 150. Half of them will now be elected by a majority vote within 75 constituencies whilst the other half will be appointed by a proportional system from a list within one single national constituency. The most recent poll by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR) published at the beginning of May credits the United National Movement for a Victorious Georgia with 44% of the vote ahead of the New Rights- United Opposition bloc which is due to win 12% of the vote, the Christian Democratic Party 11%, the Labour Party 7% and the Republican Party 4% which for the latter means a result lower than the necessary minimum to be represented in Parliament. Will Mikhail Saakachvili maintain his parliamentary majority in spite of the rebellion undertaken against him? The answer will come on 21st May next.
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The treaty modifying the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty Establishing the European Community was signed on 13th December 2007 in Lisbon by the Heads of State and government of the 27 Member States of the European Union. If it is ratified by all Member States it will come into force on 1st January 2009. Ireland is the only European State to submit its ratification to referendum, an obligatory measure since it appears in the articles 46 and 47 of the Irish Constitution. The referendum will take place on 12th June next.
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