#GERMANY: Gov't Collapses After fFinance Min. Fired

[world politics news]

The ruling German coalition has collapsed: Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD) has sacked Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the Liberals (FDP), saying. Lindner "has broken my trust too many times."

The leaders of what is known in Germany as the "traffic light coalition" - SPD, FDP and the Greens - had gathered at the chancellery in Berlin in the evening.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SOUTHAFRICA: ANC Loses Majority In Election, Must Seek Coalition

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The African National Congress (ANC) Party has lost its parliamentary majority in a historic election result that puts South Africa on a new political path for the first time since the end of the apartheid system of white minority rule 30 years ago. Now, it will have to seek coalition partners with other parties to firm a government for the first time.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CROATIA: New Coalition Govt Formed With Rightist Party

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Croatia’s parliament on has approved a new coalition government allying the ruling conservatives with a right-wing nationalist party.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković formed the new government with members of the nationalist anti-migrant Homeland Movement (DP) party following an inconclusive election last month.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#THENETHERLANDS: Wilders Ready For Coalition To Reawaken Netherlands

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Details are still emerging of the program of the new coalition government assembled by the leader of the Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, following his surprise victory in the elections last year. It's taken 6 months, but a right-leaning coalition has been agreed upon.

It's unclear who will be named prime minister,  but Wilders has signaled restrictions on immigration, a roll back of Net Zero policies, a renewal of nuclear power - to reduce dependence on Russian energy sources, and lower taxes. The current government's war on farmers will end, and support will be given to agriculture and food production.

The new immigration restrictions in the likely anti- EU Wilders government is making EU officials nervous, which probably suits Wilders just fine, even if he isn't chosen for the top spot. But EU officials see a trend emerging. EU member nation Italy elected a right-leaning government in recent years,  and Germany may follow suit, as immigration is at record levels in Europe. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: High Court Rules Draft Deferrments For Seminary Students Must End

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Israel's High Court of Justice has issued an interim order barring the government from providing funds to ultra-Orthodox seminary students eligible for military enlistment — as the legal framework for deferring their military service will no longer exist.

A government resolution from June 2023 instructing the Israel Defense Force to temporarily not draft Orthodox seminary students despite the expiration of a law governing the matter will itself expire at midnight on March 31.

The controversy of student deferrals ending could break apart Netanyahu's wartime coalition, which consists of Orthodox political parties.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#THENETHERLANDS: Wilders Says He Doesn't Have Support To Be PM... Yet

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Geert Wilders, whose anti-Islam, anti-immigration rhetoric swept his Party for Freedom to a stunning victory in the November election, said earlier this week that he doesn’t have the support of his prospective coalition partners to become the next Dutch prime minister.

Wilders took to X, formerly Twitter, to say that “I can only become premier if ALL parties in the coalition support that. That wasn’t the case.” Later, however, he took to X to say that one day, he will have enough support.

His coalition consists of 88 seats in the 150-seat parliament. His Freedom Party continues to gain support in the polls.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SPAIN: PM Sanchez Narrowly Pushes Thru First Vote

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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.

#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.

#ISRAEL: Knesset Dissolved, New Elections Planned, As Coalition Fails

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Israel is heading to its fifth election in three and a half years, after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid gave up Monday on their efforts to stabilize the coalition. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Religious Zionist Party's Withdrawal From Coalition May Force New Elections

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Religious Zionist Party leader Betzalel Smotrich sent a request to Knesset speaker Mickey Levy on Monday to hold a special plenum session after the Passover holiday next week in order to vote on dissolving parliament and holding new elections.

Parliament is currently in recess and is not due to reconvene until May 9.

The far-right opposition lawmaker’s request came after the Islamist Ra’am party’s temporary withdrawal from the government and parliament on Sunday, which left the beleaguered coalition in a minority in the Knesset.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: New Democrats Enter Three-Year Accord With Liberals To Support It's Majority

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New Democratic Party has entered into a confidence-and-supply agreement with the ruling Liberal Party to support its legislation and vote "yes" in any no confidence votes for the next three years, in exchange for Liberals pushing through NDP legislation and programs.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he would be willing to pull out of the new deal if it doesn't work as planned, but he said that he is confident his party can secure the social programs and other policies Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised to implement in their accord.

“We’re not going to let the Liberal government off the hook,” Singh told reporters near Parliament Hill on Tuesday, shortly after details of the Liberal-NDP deal were published.

Despite campaigning in the past two elections with rhetoric that attacked Trudeau as untrustworthy and beholden to corporate interests, Singh said he has faith the Liberals will abide by the deal, which is now a public document that Singh described as a new tool for New Democrats to secure their policy priorities in Canada’s minority Parliament.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Bennett Gov't Gets 2021, 2022 Budgets Thru Knesset

[world politics news]

Israel's parliament approved a 2022 national budget on Friday by a vote of 59 to 56, giving a greater measure of fiscal stability to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's cross-partisan coalition government.

It was the first national budget approved by parliament in 3 years.

The spending package was ratified after the Knesset had earlier passed a belated 2021 budget ahead of a deadline which, if unmet, could have triggered a snap election.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CZECHREPUBLIC: Three Parties Form Coalition Gov't

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The Czech Republic gained a new government Monday after two party coalitions that garnered a sizeable chunk of votes in the country's parliamentary election last month signed a power-sharing deal.

A three-party, liberal-conservative coalition dubbed Together, composed of the Civic Democratic Party, Christian Democrats and the TOP 09 party, led the election with a 27.8% share of the vote.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: NDP, Liberals in Talks To Avoid Confidence Votes For Three Years

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Senior Liberals and New Democrats are quietly kicking around the idea of reaching a deal that would allow the government to go three years without falling on a confidence vote.

Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh have met secretly to discuss the parliamentary session ahead.

If the NDP, with 25 MPs, agrees to support the government, the Liberals, who have 159 MPs, they would together have 184 MPs, more than enough to avoid defeat in the Commons during a vote of "no confidence."

When such a vote is lost, a new, snap, election is called. Having just held an election in September, all parties are eager to avoid that situation.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#GERMANY: Social Democrats Open Coalition Talks With Left-Leaning Parties

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Nearly a month after Germany's federal election, official coalition talks finally got underway on Thursday. Leading figures from the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), business-focused Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens met in Berlin in the hopes of forming a government as soon as possible.

With divergent platforms and a promise to have a new government before Christmas, the Social Democrats, Greens and business-focused Free Democrats have their work cut out for them.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#NORTHERNIRELAND: Sinn Fein Urges Commitment To NI Protocol

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Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald has said calls to abolish the Northern Ireland protocol are “not grounded in reality” as she urged the DUP to commit to “real powersharing” with her party at Stormont.

In a keynote address in the Balmoral Hotel in west Belfast to fellow Sinn Féin members, Ms McDonald claimed that a DUP “failure to accept rights and equality” was a contributory factor in the “political storm” that has hit unionism in recent days.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Netanyahu Loses Confidence Vote, Naftali Bennett Becomes Prime Minister

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Yamina Party chairman Naftali Bennett was sworn in as Israel's 13th prime minister, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's 12 consecutive years in office Sunday. Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid Party was sworn in as the alternate prime minister. They will switch positions after 2 years.

The new Bennett-Lapid government narrowly won a Knesset confidence vote, with 60 voting for, 59 against and one abstaining. 

Netanyahu reportedly vowed to make it a short coalition and come back into power quickly.

President Joe Biden rushed to congratulate Bennett, as did many other world leaders.

Bennett, 49, has made pitches to hard-right voters throughout his career, leads the Yamina Party, which has called for Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Opposition Parties In Talks To Unite To Try To Oust Netanyahu

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Yamina Party Leader Naftali Bennett delivered his long-awaited announcement Sunday that he would attempt to create a unity government with Yesh Atid Party Leader Yair Lapid and seek to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he accused of leading Israel to national suicide for his own personal reasons.  

Yesh Atid and Yamina began negotiations immediately following the announcement Sunday night in an effort to reach an agreement by Wednesday’s deadline.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Opposition Leader Gantz Rules Out Coalition With Netanyahu

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Blue and White Party Leader Benny Gantz has dispelled reports that he was considering partnering with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and forming another unity government as he did after the 2020 election, saying that he was "committed exclusively to the bloc of change."

After the April 2020 election, Gantz entered into a power-sharing deal with Netanyahu in which they would each get a turn at serving as prime minister for the next four years, but that agreement collapsed several months later and Israel once again had a general election, culminating with the March 23 vote.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SLOVAKIA: Health Minister Resigns To Save Coalition Gov't

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Slovak Health Minister Marek Krajci resigned on March 11 as Prime Minister Igor Matovic battled to save his faltering coalition government, which is crumbling under the stress of handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Slovakia is currently suffering the second worst daily death rate in the world and the government has come under great criticism for failing to get a grip on the problem. Just recently the crisis came to a head when the prime minister procured 2mn doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, despite the opposition of his coalition partner the For the People party. Sputnik V has yet to receive approval by the EU's European Medicines Agency. 

Krajci, of the prime minister's populist OLaNO party,  said his resignation was a condition of the junior centre-right coalition parties For the People and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) remaining in the government. He plans to step down gradually. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

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