The Economic Crisis Rocks the European Governments but the Supremacy of the Right Continues to Grow

Abstract

Ten European Union countries renewed their parliament in 2011, half of which did so early, notably because of the extent of their economic difficulties. The right continued to progress since it was re-elected in three States (Estonia, Latvia and Poland), as well as in Ireland and Finland (where it shares power however with Labour on the one hand and the Social Democrats on the other). Two countries swang from left to right: Portugal and Spain; Slovenia maintained its leftwing majority. In Cyprus the right also won the elections but due to the specific nature of the island’s political system (the President of the Republic is also the Prime Minister), the left maintained power. Finally, Denmark, which had been under the right for the last ten years, chose political change and elected a new leftwing majority.