#SPAIN: PM Sanchez Narrowly Pushes Thru First Vote

[world politics news]

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez barely managed to notch his first significant parliamentary vote since forming a new government, underscoring the challenges facing his coalition over the next four years.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

ITALY: Investment, Not Charity, For Africa Says Meloni

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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told her EU partners that curbing migration from African countries has less to do with offers of charity than strong partnerships coupled with strategic investments in those nations.

Meloni told reporters at a year-end news conference that last month's deal on the EU's Migration and Asylum Pact partially improved the situation for Italy and other asylum countries, but does not represent a solution to increasing migrant arrivals.

“What needs to be done in Africa is not charity,” the Italian prime minister said. “What needs to be done in Africa is to build cooperation and serious strategic relationships as equals, not predators.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#GREECE: PM May Seek New Election, Despite Landslide

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The New Democracy party (ND) of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has won a landslide victory over its main rival, the left-wing Syriza party of Alexis Tsipras in Greece's national elections on Sunday, according to official preliminary results.  

With most polling stations processed, the ND reportedly had a 21-point lead over Syriza, but still no absolute majority.  

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis hailed the outcome as a "political earthquake" and a strong mandate for the ND.

But even if the ND has won the most seats, the lack of an outright victory means Mitsotakis will either have to seek coalition partners or choose to head to a new election.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GREECE: PM Disolves Parliament, Sets May 21st Election

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Greece’s president approved a request by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday to dissolve parliament and hold elections on May 21, as the country gears for a vote that is unlikely to produce an outright winner.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#MALTA: MP Proposes Menstrual Cycle Leave Bill

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Parliament should consider introducing menstrual cycle leave, Labour MP Roasianne Cutajar said. 

Speaking in Malta's parliament, the former parliamentary secretary for civil rights said that many women were unable to go to school or work because of period pains. 

Cutajar said she chose to raise the topic after speaking to a young woman from Qormi who lost her job because she had to miss work owing to pain.  

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#PORTUGAL: Parliament Again Passes Euthanasia Bill

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Portugal’s parliament voted for the third time in almost two years Friday in favor of allowing euthanasia, though as happened in the previous attempts the country’s Constitutional Court or president could stop the bill becoming law.

Left-of-center parties in the mostly Catholic country were the driving force behind the bill, as they were with laws allowing abortion in 2007 and same-sex marriage in 2010.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#SPAIN: Popular Party Elects New Leader

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Alberto Núñez Feijóo, a centrist, was elected this past weekend as president of the conservative Spanish People's Party at the extraordinary congress held by the first opposition formation in Seville.

He was unopposed in his bid for the leadership of the party, which faces an uphill battle to regain power from Spain's Socialist Party.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ALBANIA: Three Balkan Nations Sign Trade Deal

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Five new agreements were signed on Tuesday after a meeting in the Albanian capital Tirana between the leaders of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia as part of the Open Balkan initiative, which aims to replicate the Schengen Zone’s free flow of people, capital and goods, initially between the three countries but potentially across the entire region.

The agreements between the three countries covered labour market access, the interconnection of electronic identification schemes, and cooperation on veterinary medicine and food safety.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PORTUGAL: Parliament Passed Revised Euthanasia Bill

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Portugal’s parliament voted Friday to legalize euthanasia for the second time this year, approving a revised bill that aims to fix objections raised by the Constitutional Court.

Lawmakers voted 138 to 84 with five abstentions to back the amended proposal, which clarifies circumstances under which doctors can assist patients with “grave, incurable and irreversible” conditions who want to end their lives.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ITALY: Brothers Of Italy Party Surges In Poll

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The conservative Brothers of Italy Party, which is in opposition to the government of Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, have surged in support in a poll.

The party, which is the only member of Italy’s centre-right coalition of parties which has not participated in the current “technical government”, is polling at 17%, less than a percentage point behind the left-wing Democrats, which remains the second-largest party in the country.

Despite its name, the Euroskeptic Brothers of Italy Party is led by a woman, Giorgia Meloni, who could become Italy's first woman prime minister.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ITALY: All Parties In Coalition Gov't Except The Small Right-Leaning "Brothers Of Italy" Party

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Every political party in Italy has joined the government in a coalition to support prime minister  Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, except one.

The Right-leaning Brothers of Italy, which is currently polling at about 7%, has voted to remain the sole party in opposition. Despite the male name, the party is headed by a woman, Giorgia Meloni.

The party leader posted on Twitter that the directors of the party unanimously approved her proposal to vote against joining the government of Draghi.

“We do not believe it is possible to try to rebuild Italy with the same people who contributed to destroying it," she said.

Being the opposition party has advantages. The opposition party is entitled to airtime on the public TV station, for instance.

Meloni said the party, which was founded in 2012, will act as a "patriotic opposition."

Party senator Alberto Balboni said on the Senate floor Wednesday:

"In times of crisis, democracy must be strengthened and we in the opposition will guarantee democratic dialogue, without which democracy is destined to end up in a swamp of unanimity."

The anti-EU party has as its principles defending Italy's national identity, patriotism, the family, Christian values and on respect for the rules and on greater liberalism in the economy as well as fairer taxation.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#ITALY: Former EU Central Bank Head Becomes Prime Minister

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The former head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, has been sworn-in as Italy's next prime minister.

Draghi put together a unity government of the main political parties, following the collapse of the previous administration last month.

It was thrown into chaos amid a row over how to spend EU coronavirus recovery funds.

Italy is still grappling with the pandemic and is also facing its worst economic crisis in decades.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ITALY: PM Conte Resigns, New Elections Possible

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Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has resigned - and it is not clear if he will be able to form and lead a new coalition government.

Parties are divided over spending in the coronavirus crisis, in which more than 85,000 Italians have died.

Conte met President Sergio Mattarella, who may ask him to form a stronger government. Last week he lost his Senate majority.

But someone else could become Italy's PM, or a snap election could be called.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PORTUGAL: Pres. Rebelo de Sousa Easily Wins Re-Election

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Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was easily re-elected Sunday, winning just under 61% of the vote, clearing the 51% threshold needed to avoid a run-off.

Ana Gomes, from the governing Socialist Party, came in second with nearly 13%, just one percentage point higher than the candidate from the populist Chega Party, André Ventura.

The 72-year-old was first elected in January 2016 with 52% of the votes, also in the first round. He represents the center-right Social Democratic Party. 

In Parliamentary elections last year, Social Democrats won 79 seats in the 230-seat Parliament, the second highest behind the ruling Socialist Party, which took 108, just 10 short of a majority.

Six candidates competed for the presidential election Sunday. Early polling had predicted the president's easy victory.

De Sousa is on record as saying that relations with China are "exceptional," and the country has been accused of "playing both sides" of the US and China rivalry.

Almost 250,000 voters reportedly took part in the early vote for Portugal's presidential election on Sunday, Jan. 17, a record number of early voters.

Two weeks before the election, the 72-year-old head of state had returned an "asymptomatic" positive test for the Coronavirus, and he went into isolation in the presidential palace in Lisbon.

However, just two days later, officials reported that, "the result "of the test undergone during the night... is negative."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#SPAIN: Vox Party Demands Deportations Of Moroccans Increase

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Spain's anti-immigration Vox Party has accused Spain’s government of “discriminating against Spaniards” because of its inability to deport Moroccan and Algerian irregular migrants.

“We demand that this illegal immigration, which has become genuine discrimination against Spaniards, be stopped,” declared Vox President Santiago Abascal.

The Spanish politician made the statement in a populist speech on December 5 during a visit to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.

Spain's Socialist government has actually increase deportations as pressure mounts on it to take action against what many call a migration crisis in the country.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Regional Governors Oppose Extending State Of Emergency

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Several of Spain’s regional premiers told Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Sunday that they oppose another extension of the state of alarm that was implemented on March 14, a move that gave the central government extra powers to be used to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

The state of alarm must be approved by Congress every two weeks, and the current period is set to end on May 9.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PORTUGAL: Controversy Over Celebrating "Liberty Day"

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Controversy continues to rage over the decision by Members of Parliament  to commemorate ‘Dia 25 de Abril’ (Portugal’s Liberty Day) at a time when the population in general is being told to stay at home.

Leader of the House Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues is adamant that celebration, which commemorate the 1974 bloodless coup that toppled a military dictatorship - go ahead, albeit in a reduced form and according to advice from DGS health chiefs, on the basis that this will be a way of “saying no anti-democratic alternative will emerge from this crisis."

Prime Minister António Costa has sought to keep out of the arguments by saying, "this isn’t the time for division."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ITALY: Tax On Digital Revenue Goes Into Effect Today

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Italy passed a digital tax this week that’s similar to the one France implemented earlier this year.

The digital tax will impose a three percent levy on some digital revenue for companies that make over €750 million ($831 million) in global revenue, including least €5.5 million ($6 million) in Italy, the Wall Street Journal reported.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Negotiations Nearly Complete To Re-Install Socialist PM Sanchez

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A deal between the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) that would pave the way for caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to be voted back into office by Congress in early January nearly done.

The PSOE won the repeat general election in November, but as at the April polls fell well short of a majority.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Francisco Franco Is Still Dead, But Spain's Socialist Gov't Has Exhumed And Reburied Him

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Cries of “long live Franco!” accompanied the coffin of Francisco Franco this past week as Spain removed the remains of its former dictator from the state mausoleum where he was buried in 1975.

His exhumation and reburial is the most significant move in years by Spanish authorities to lay the ghost of the general whose legacy still divides the country he dominated for nearly four decades.

The ruling Socialist Party, which faces a national election next month, has long sought to move Franco’s remains from the huge monument, built on his orders and containing the remains of combatants from both sides of the 1936-39 civil war.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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