THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. Reforming Europe in a time of war

THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 46 − Majority: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark (probably, if the prime minister’s intention of reaching an agreement with other parties moves forward), Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Nether- lands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden (thanks to parliamentary support for- malised in an agreement with the far right). − Minority: Bulgaria (where a snap election had been held, but no government had been formed at the time of writing this chapter), Cyprus, Estonia, France, Ireland and Spain. The situation in many countries, of course, is fluid. In Spain, for instance, the government does not have a formally established majority via written agreements, but it is proving capable of assembling one on almost every vote, which affords it parliamentary stability. Elections and forming governments in EU member states in 2021 and 2022 Below we list which countries held elections and/or formed a government in the last two years: − Austria : a new government was formed in Decem- ber 2021 with the participation of the People’s Party and the Greens. − Bulgaria : a government was formed in December 2021 comprising centrists, Socialists and Christian Democrats; a snap election was held on 2 October 2022, won without securing a majority in parliament by former conservative Prime Minister Boiko Borisov’s Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party (GERB). No government had been formed at the time of writing. − Cyprus : elections in May 2021 resulting in the con- tinuation of the one-party, Christian Democrat gov- ernment in power since 2013. − Czech Republic : elections in October 2021 and the forming of a government in December that year, made up of Eurosceptic conservatives, Christian Democrats and greens. − Denmark : snap elections on 1 November 2022 with victory for the Social Democrats, an absolute majority for the leftist bloc and certain re-election for the act- ing prime minister (who has expressed her desire to govern in coalition with the rising Moderates party). − Estonia : one-party liberal government formed in January 2021. − France : presidential and legislative elections in April, May and June 2022. A government was formed around President Emmanuel Macron on 4 July with the participation of liberals and social democrats − Germany : elections took place in September 2021 and a three-party government comprising Social Democrats, Greens and liberals was formed − Hungary : elections in April 2022 and the forming of a government in May with the Eurosceptic nationalist right and Christian Democrats − Italy : a government was formed in February 2021 under the presidency of the independent Mario Draghi comprising right-wing nationalists League, the populist Five Star Movement, centrists Together for the Future (a splinter group from the Five Star Movement), the socialists of the Democratic Party, the Christian Democrats of Forza Italia, the liberals of Italy Alive and eco-socialists. The government collapsed in July 2022 and a general election was held on 25 September, with victory for the far fight (the party to garner more votes than any other) and the forming of a right-wing government made up of Brothers of Italy, League and Forza Italia. − Malta : elections in March 2022 resulting in the continuation of the single-party Labour government. − Netherlands : elections in March 2021 and the form- ing of a government in January 2022 with conserv- ative liberals and centrists and Christian Democrats. − Portugal : elections in January 2022 resulting in the continuation of the one-party Socialist government in March. − Romania : forming of a government in November 2021 with Social Democrats, Christian Democrats and the Hungarian minority − Slovakia : formation of a government in April 2021 with Christian Democrats, conservatives, nationalists and liberals.