Dutch elections 2021: Diversity and fragmentation
Gender, racial, ethnic, and religious diversity popped up as key issues during the 2021 Dutch election campaign. This was new.
The WA election and Indigenous incarceration
It is shamefully true that Western Australia (WA) has the highest rate of Indigenous incarceration in Australia.
After Myanmar's coup: Can the military hold a new election?
Elections hold a controversial place in politics in Myanmar.
In 2010, after decades of military rule, first under the guise of socialism and then through martial
Under-representation of Asian Australians in politics
The ideal of a liberal democratic political system is that its institutions should broadly reflect the make-up of the governed society. For a multicultural and
Parliamentary fragmentation in PNG: is it getting worse?
Papua New Guinea has many parties in parliament. PNG’s average of 19.6 parties elected at each election between 1997 and 2017 is higher
Elections, democracy and the pandemic year
As 2020 draws to a close, Ghana's opposition has said it will challenge the result of December 7's election. In one of West Africa's most
15 April 2021 - Politics, Foreign Policy, Race
Last February, President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), issued a decree-by-law, declaring that parliamentary elections will take place on 22 May, and presidential elections on 24 July of this year.
10 April 2021 - Gender, Election, Race
Gender, racial, ethnic, and religious diversity popped up as key issues during the 2021 Dutch election campaign. This was new.
30 March 2021 - Politics, Election
Papua New Guinea has many parties in parliament. PNG’s average of 19.6 parties elected at each election between 1997 and 2017 is higher than many other countries with multi-party systems. (For example New Zealand has had on average five parties in its parliament in the same period.)
24 March 2021 - Immigration, Race
The ideal of a liberal democratic political system is that its institutions should broadly reflect the make-up of the governed society. For a multicultural and migrant country such as Australia, this means that its elected legislatures should contain public representatives from a variety of backgrounds, commensurate to their numbers within the population.
23 March 2021 - Election, Law and Order
It is shamefully true that Western Australia (WA) has the highest rate of Indigenous incarceration in Australia.
2 March 2021 - Election
Sixteen days out from the March 13 Western Australian state election, the leader of the Liberal Party, Zak Kirkup, conceded that the party would lose.
26 February 2021 - Election
Elections hold a controversial place in politics in Myanmar.In 2010, after decades of military rule, first under the guise of socialism and then through martial law, the military chose to reintroduce multi-party elections and to honour the results of the election.
31 December 2020 - Politics, Election
As 2020 draws to a close, Ghana's opposition has said it will challenge the result of December 7's election. In one of West Africa's most stable democracies, opposition supporters now claim that the incumbent's victory was rigged and are petitioning the supreme court to overturn the result.
14 December 2020 - Election
Growing candidate numbers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have always intrigued me. I hail from a small island called Lou, roughly 20km southeast of the main Manus island.
2 December 2020 - Election
Labor’s comfortable win in the 31 October Queensland election might be seen as a product of ‘status quo politics’ in a time of crisis.
1 December 2020 - Election
Proposed revisions to Indonesia’s 2017 Election Law are being closely watched by civil society groups. They are concerned that the changes will concentrate power in the hands of elites at the national level, limit women’s representation in politics, and sideline issues like gender equality, labour rights, anti-corruption efforts, indigenous peoples, and the environment.
23 November 2020 - Election
The United States presidential election matters far beyond its national borders, because the leadership of the most powerful country in the world always has a major bearing on global politics. A Biden presidency will change the international landscape over the coming four years.
16 November 2020 - Election
In a post-election poll for the University of Melbourne’s US election webinar series we asked the several hundred people in the audience if President Donald Trump’s defeat would mean the death of “Trumpism”.
14 November 2020 - Election
There are no formal constraints on what a defeated US president can or cannot do in the interregnum between losing the election and his successor’s inauguration.
10 November 2020 - Election
Myanmar’s national elections on November 8 consolidated majority rule under Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), but it also exposed numerous simmering faultlines.
9 November 2020 - Politics, Election
Voter turnout is high in Papua New Guinea. In 2017, approximately 90% of the estimated voting-age population cast a vote, despite PNG not having compulsory voting.
4 November 2020 - Election
Shortly after Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017, I had a conversation with a colleague who specialises in international relations.
4 November 2020 - Election
Two past elections point to the possible outcome of the 2020 US election. In 1896, Republican William McKinley defeated his Democratic opponent William Jennings Bryan with a front porch campaign.
3 November 2020 - Foreign Policy, Election
It is hard to find in post-war American history a greater divide between two presidential candidates on foreign policy than in 2020.
30 October 2020 - Election
As the two major Queensland party leaders are donning Hi-Vis jackets and pledging millions of dollars in north Queensland, it’s more likely the minor parties that will decide the outcome of the 2020 Queensland election.
29 October 2020 - Election
Elected representatives serve as a check on direct forms of rule. Constitutional rights serve as a check on majoritarian forms of rule.
28 October 2020 - Election
An expected victory by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) in Myanmar’s November 8 elections will be significant, but the elections themselves, and the country, are beset with challenges.
22 October 2020 - Foreign Policy, Election
The American presidential election will be held while international perceptions of the US, particularly in Asia, are at historic lows.
20 October 2020 - Election
Political landslides are dramatic occasions which attract international attention as they suggest profound shifts in party positions and public views.
15 October 2020 - Election, Race
During an election campaign as chaotic as this one, where a sitting President has contracted the very virus he is accused of mismanaging, it is easy to forget the discussions that have dominated recent months and, in fact, the entire presidency of Donald Trump.
14 October 2020 - Foreign Policy, Election
On the current balance of probabilities, Joe Biden will win the 3 November US presidential election. We need to address the implications of this for our foreign relations.
8 October 2020 - Election
Next week, New Zealanders will go to the polls to elect the 53rd Parliament, and the 9th since we adopted proportional representation at the national level. But really the election kicked off on the 3rd October, when advance voting began.
6 October 2020 - Election, Infrastructure/Transport, Energy
On October 17th, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) goes to the polls to elect its 10th Legislative Council.
1 October 2020 - Politics, Election
Yesterday, I was on a Zoom call with one of my research students. We’d been talking about how each of us was faring during lockdown and I quipped that aside from the hovering stench of disease and death, I’m actually quite okay.
30 September 2020 - Politics, Election
Papua New Guinea’s roll of voters registered in national elections (the common or electoral roll) has been plagued with problems since at least the 1987 elections.
29 September 2020 - Politics, Election
Dynastic politics is a new normal in Indonesia’s democracy.Power transfer from elected officeholders to their own family members has grown dramatically over the past 15 years.
28 September 2020 - Foreign Policy, National Security, Election
To study transatlantic relations is to permanently have a sense of déjà vu. Since the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949, the history of alliance has been a history of crises among allies.
22 September 2020 - Election
With the 2020 US presidential election less than two months away, there is little doubt Donald Trump will lose the country’s popular vote, and likely by a wider margin than he did in 2016 (when he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes).
18 September 2020 - Election
Nominations for candidates in Victoria’s council elections opened this week, as candidates and voters alike face the 24 October elections in unprecedented circumstances.
15 September 2020 - Election
In 50 short days (US time), US voters will head to the polls in a democracy that, many experts agree, is in real trouble. “[A] close election could drive the [country] into a deep, prolonged constitutional crisis, and perhaps into civil violence,” says one political analyst.
12 September 2020 - Election
Although delayed by a month by Covid-19, voters in New Caledonia will next month return to the polls for the second of three possible votes on whether the Pacific island territory should become independent from France.
3 September 2020 - Election
Polling has just wrapped up in Bougainville for a milestone election on the road to potentially becoming the world’s newest independent nation.
29 August 2020 - Election
Elections can be dicey moments for the neo-authoritarian governments in post-Soviet space.
21 August 2020 - Election
In a sense, the current NT Legislative Assembly elections will be decided around events that occurred seven months after the triumphant victory of the Country Liberal Party (CLP) in 2012. The CLP, then led by Terry Mills, had won that election, to general surprise.
17 August 2020 - Election
Early this year, Indonesia was planning elections for regional heads in nine provinces, 224 districts and 37 municipalities on 23 September. Then Covid-19 happened.
17 August 2020 - Election
Singapore's ruling PAP won yet again in the 2020 election. But it wasn't the “strong mandate” that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had hoped for.
17 August 2020 - Politics, Election
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam last month postponed the city’s slated Legislative Council elections in September by a year, claiming that it is necessary amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
17 August 2020 - Election, Race
This week, Joe Biden selected Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate for the 2020 US election. As a woman of Jamaican and Indian descent, Senator Harris’s selection is historic. The first woman of colour selected for a major party nomination is an unfortunate novelty in the American political landscape.
13 August 2020 - Politics, Election, Race
The 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election has overwhelmingly consolidated the power of the Rajapaksa family.
23 December 2019 - Election
It was a stunning victory for Boris Johnson and the Tories in the UK’s general election, giving the party its biggest seat haul since 1987 – but what does the result tell us about 21st Century politics?
11 December 2019 - Election
11 December 2019 - Election
The polls are pointing to a decisive Conservative victory in the UK election, clearing the way for Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, courtesy of Labour’s working class base.
6 December 2019 - Immigration, Election
While Brexit looms over the UK’s general election, the main parties manifestos show us that this election is likely to be a turning point for immigration policy
2 December 2019 - Election, Environment
Watching the UK election campaign, Australians may look at how climate politics has played out there and wonder why it had to be so toxic down under.
20 November 2019 - Politics, Election
On 12 December, the United Kingdom will return to the polls for the third time in just four years. The parliament that this election produces will finalise Brexit. Or at least, that’s the idea.
20 November 2019 - Politics, Election
In a country riven with ethnic divisions and political violence, Sri Lankans in Saturday’s presidential election chose the strong arm of an authoritarian.
30 October 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Election
As the UK heads toward an election, much of the focus remains on Brexit negotiations; but there needs to be more thought given to the long term, especially when it comes to trade.
25 October 2019 - Immigration, Election
Canada’s federal election result was surprising in that unlike other recent elections in Western liberal democracies, this outcome was entirely expected.
25 October 2019 - Election, Environment, Energy
Canada’s federal election may well have been the country’s first 'climate change election'.
29 August 2019 - Election
India is the world’s largest democracy, with 908.7 million voters enrolled at the time of the 2019 general election. It is tempting to round off to ‘900 million’, but this would be to ignore 8.7 million voters – the population of Switzerland.
15 August 2019 - Election
This paper elaborates upon three of the several challenges faced by the most powerful electoral management body in the world - the Election Commission of India (ECI), and how it proceeded to solve them.
15 August 2019 - Election
One of the greatest challenges for any Election Management Body (EMB) is the incorporation of constantly evolving information communication technology into established election practices.
14 August 2019 - Politics, Election
While political funding is a necessary component for political parties to play their role in the democratic process, transparency and openness in financing of political parties is the cornerstone of a well-functioning democracy.
14 August 2019 - Election
The International IDEA Global State of Democracy Indices data supports that procedural democracy (particularly elections) is in good health in India and Australia, consistently outperforming global and regional averages.
29 July 2019 - Politics, Election
There is a deep paradox at the heart of representative democracy: it is a form of rule by the people that distances itself from the people.
5 June 2019 - Politics, Election, Policy
The Australian federal election result not only defied predictions by pollsters through to most commentators, it highlighted a number of emerging fault lines in Australian politics that have been fomenting for some time.
28 May 2019 - Politics, National Security, Election
The violent riots that shook Jakarta last week led to at least six deaths, over 700 injured and more than 200 arrests.
28 May 2019 - Politics, Election, Policy
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi scored a surprisingly emphatic win in the national election.
24 May 2019 - Election, Policy
The re-election of the Modi government with an increased majority is good news for Australia.
24 May 2019 - Politics, Election, Policy
The violent protests against the official announcement ofJoko “Jokowi” Widodo’s re-election as Indonesian president this week mark the culmination of a months-long campaign by losing candidate Prabowo Subianto to discredit the poll.
20 May 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election, Environment, Policy
Labor was meant to waltz into national government, or least win a workable majority.
16 May 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Election, Policy
Following 68 days of public hearings, 134 witnesses and more than 10,000 public submissions, the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry in February released 76 recommendations to clean up the wide-ranging and shocking misconduct it had uncovered.
16 May 2019 - Election, Policy
The Coalition does not see access to sexual and reproductive services as either an election issue, or a priority for their next term; while the ALP is promising to wade into this currently disjointed, uneven and inequitable space.
15 May 2019 - Education, Election
Early childhood education and care has received significant attention during the 2019 election campaign, due mainly to major Australian Labor Party announcements about funded three-year-old preschool for all children and a $4 billion overhaul of the childcare subsidy system.
15 May 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Election, Policy
The slow rate of wage growth is one of the most widely talked-about features of the Australian economy in the lead-up to the 2019 Federal election.
15 May 2019 - Politics, Immigration, Election
Among Australia's political leaders, and members of the major parties, there remains a worrying failure to openly discuss Australia's obligations under the Refugee Convention.
13 May 2019 - Election, Policy
In the lead up to the announcement of this Federal election, a white supremacist launched attacks on mosques in Christchurch, killing 51 people and injuring another 49.
13 May 2019 - Politics, Election, Environment, Policy
As the federal election approaches, debate over the climate policies of the major parties continues – along with a lot of misinformation over how to evaluate the relative merits and shortcomings of what each party is offering.
13 May 2019 - Election
What are the main issues of concern for Australians in the lead-up to May 18?
10 May 2019 - Election, Environment, Policy
With the Federal Election campaign now in full swing, the debate on the regulation of transport greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has been light on detail and polarised.
9 May 2019 - Election, Policy
Personal income tax, the taxes levied on individuals’ income from wages and capital, collected $206 billion in 2017-18. This represents roughly a half of total Commonwealth tax revenue, and 11% of national income.
8 May 2019 - Politics, Immigration, Election
One Nation is Australia’s own contribution to the growing ranks of nationalist right-wing parties in developed democracies.
7 May 2019 - Election
Australian democracy would operate much more effectively if we had fixed four-year terms at federal level.
6 May 2019 - Politics, Election
The Australian federal election campaign its heading into its end phase and voters have been bombarded by political advertising on their TVs, social media feed, and even texts on their phones.
2 May 2019 - Politics, Foreign Policy, Election, Policy
In this election campaign, there are some very distinct trajectories for foreign aid: from continuing the policy of cutting and diminishing aid, to rebuilding aid as an asset in Australian diplomacy, trade and security.
1 May 2019 - Election
Competition policy rarely features at election time.
30 April 2019 - Politics, Election, Policy
The first of what could be three campaign debates between the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor Leader Bill Shorten last night was never going to have a big impact on the May 18 federal election.
23 April 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election, Social Policy
In an interview with India’s state-run Doordarshan television network on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “I can say this publicly that the BJP will perform better than last time in Uttar Pradesh.”
18 April 2019 - Politics, Election
After a long, bitter, but largely uneventful campaign, counts released on the night of the election suggest that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will be re-elected, with about 55 per cent of the vote.
17 April 2019 - Politics, Election
There are many characteristics of good political leadership – strength, courage, wisdom, judgment, responsiveness.
16 April 2019 - Politics, Election
In 2014, the BJP rode the Modi-wave to come to power. With the Modi magic waning, and no wave in sight, 2019 elections will be a story of alliances and partnerships.
15 April 2019 - Politics, Election
Indonesia goes to the polls on 17 April, with the same presidential candidates as five years ago: the incumbent, Joko Widodo (known as Jokowi), a self-made former furniture exporter and former governor of Jakarta, and Prabowo Subianto, a former general who was once a son-in-law of Soeharto, the authoritarian former president who ruled for three decades until 1998.
12 April 2019 - Election, Policy
Vote Compass is a civic engagement application developed by a team from Vox Pop Labs, in association with the University of Melbourne and the ABC.
11 April 2019 - Politics, Election
“You can’t tell the players without a program,” hawkers used to shout at sports stadiums.
10 April 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Foreign Policy, Election
Announcing the March 2016 reactivation of negotiations on the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), Indonesia’s then-Trade Minister Tom Lembong called for the two governments to take bold steps and “rejuvenate the animal spirits that we know drive economies”.
5 April 2019 - Politics, Election
Budget replies are traditionally bland bookends to the main event.
3 April 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election
2 April 2019 - Politics, Election
On 17 April, Indonesians go to the polls for the first-ever simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections.
2 April 2019 - Election
India is the world's biggest democracy! Indeed, the 2019 election will be the largest democratic exercise in human history.
1 April 2019 - Politics, Election
Multi-millionaire businessman Sandiaga (“Sandi”) Salahuddin Uno has been the surprise star of the 2019 presidential election campaign.
25 March 2019 - Politics, Election
Drawing national conclusions from a state election can be a difficult task, especially from a contest in which sporting stadiums was the major issue of debate.
20 March 2019 - Foreign Policy, Election
Australia’s ability to form a new and deeper relationship with India has long been marred by limited political and cultural understanding.
12 March 2019 - Election
Indian elections are big. Big in numbers and big in significance. The national election coming up in May will have more than 800 million eligible voters and promises to be a crucial round in a struggle over the soul of India.
12 March 2019 - Immigration, Policy
Australia’s refugee policies are rarely outside the political and public discourse.
11 March 2019 - Election, Policy, Infrastructure/Transport, Energy
For Indian politicians looking to woo voters, promises to provide ‘bijli, sarak, pani’ (power, roads, water) have long been important.
1 March 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Election, Social Policy, Policy
Recently India’s Congress party, the chief rival to the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), proposed to introduce a minimum income guarantee (MIG) program should it win power in the April-May 2019 general elections.
25 February 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election, Social Policy, Policy
It's often said that in India, you don’t cast your vote, you vote your caste.
25 February 2019 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election, Policy
Indonesia’s presidential election – Joko “Jokowi” Widodo versus Prabowo Subianto II – is trundling toward its 17 April denouement, an event less exciting for its potential drama and more for its status as the end point of a long and, thus far, insipid contest.
20 February 2019 - Education, Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election, Policy, Population Growth
This article is part of the Indian Election Series – a partnership between the Australia India Institute and the Melbourne School of Government’s Election Watch project.
1 February 2019 - Politics, Election
Ahead of the Presidential Election on 17 April, many Indonesian voters have begun publicly declaring an intention to not cast a vote, or golput.
31 January 2019 - Politics, Election, Policy
This article is part of the Indian Election Series – a partnership between the Australia India Institute and the Melbourne School of Government’s Election Watch.
22 January 2019 - Politics, Election
On 17 January, Indonesia’s presidential candidates faced each other in the first of five televised debates as the country heads toward elections in April.
22 January 2019 - Politics, Election
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his running mate Ma’ruf Amin squared off against Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno last night in the first of five presidential debates.
20 December 2018 - Election, Social Policy, Population Growth
Main points
17 December 2018 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election
The results of the recently-concluded state elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh are a massive blow for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
23 November 2018 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election, Policy, Population Growth
The Victorian economy is performing well, with activities and jobs buoyed by strong population growth.
23 November 2018 - Politics, Election, Environment, Energy
Key points
23 November 2018 - Politics, Election, Policy, Infrastructure/Transport
After decades of under investment in public transport, we welcome the attention that the major parties are giving to new rail projects.
23 November 2018 - Health, Election, Policy
Main points
23 November 2018 - Gender, Politics, Election
Women currently make up 39.8 per cent of Victoria’s Parliament – 77 men compared to 51 women.
22 November 2018 - Politics, Immigration, Policy, Population Growth
The pace of population growth in Melbourne is a significant theme in the 2018 Victorian election campaign, with the major parties promising various policies to ease pressure on services, reduce traffic congestion and radically increase public transport capacity.
22 November 2018 - Election, Policy, Law and Order
22 November 2018 - Politics, Election, Policy
As Victorians vote in another state election, many will again wonder why they can’t vote online. If we bank, shop, and communicate in so many ways online, why can’t we vote online?
21 November 2018 - Politics, Election
Two Victorian opinion polls were released late Thursday.
21 November 2018 - Economy/Jobs, Election
Many expect the Democrats’ midterm victory in the House of Representatives will give them a powerful tool to oppose some of President Trump’s most unpopular initiatives, from immigration to healthcare, and launch new investigations into foreign meddling in the last presidential election.
20 November 2018 - Politics, Election
Every election, political parties create a new slogan to set the tone for their campaigns and attract voters. It's both a war cry and call-to-action and seeks to represent as many constituents as possible.
19 November 2018 - Election, Policy, Infrastructure/Transport
The systematic and serious underpayment of wages or other statutory entitlements is currently not a criminal offence in Victoria, or anywhere else in Australia.
15 November 2018 - Politics, National Security, Election, Policy
This article is part of the Indian Election Series – a partnership between the Australia India Institute and the Melbourne School of Government’s Election Watch project.
14 November 2018 - Politics, Election
This article is the first in the Indian Election Series – a partnership between the Australia India Institute and the Melbourne School of Government’s Election Watch project.
13 November 2018 - Education, Politics, Election, Policy
Main points
8 November 2018 - Politics, Election
Presidential proclamations of victory aside, the results of Tuesday’s US midterm elections have fundamentally shifted the balance of power in Washington.
4 November 2018 - Politics, Election
A spectre is haunting America – the spectre of tribalism.
2 November 2018 - Politics, Election
On 6 November, Americans head to the polls for the first time since President Trump's election in 2016.
26 October 2018 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election
It may not be easy to see in an era dominated by intense culture-war conflict and the controversial actions of President Trump, but the United States is a country that is increasingly struggling with income and wealth inequality, despite its economic might and overall prosperity as a nation.
25 October 2018 - Gender, Politics, Election, Social Policy
“October surprise” is a an American political term used to describe something – perhaps a natural disaster or a strategically-timed data leak - that emerges in the run up to an election. It’s something that likely impacts polls and possibly even the vote count.
25 October 2018 - Politics, Election
For the first time since Donald Trump’s election as President in 2016, Americans go to the polls for a nation-wide election on November 6.
25 October 2018 - Politics, Election
On 6 November, Americans head to the polls for the first time since President Trump's election in 2016.
13 October 2018 - Gender, Politics, Election, Social Policy
“October surprise” is a an American political term used to describe something – perhaps a natural disaster or a strategically-timed data leak - that emerges in the run up to an election. It’s something that likely impacts polls and possibly even the vote count.
7 October 2018 - Politics, Election
On 6 November, Americans head to the polls for the first time since President Trump's election in 2016.
4 October 2018 - Politics, Election
For the first time since Donald Trump’s election as President in 2016, Americans go to the polls for a nation-wide election on November 6.
27 September 2018 - Politics, Election
Brazilians head to the polls on 7 October for a general election unlike any the country has ever seen.
3 September 2018 - Politics
Australian politics looks increasingly like a reality TV show, so what can be done to bring stability and end the constant Canberra coups?
2 August 2018 - Politics, Election
This election has seen the most significant subversion of Cambodian democracy since the 1993 UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) launched the country’s electoral system.
2 August 2018 - Politics, Election
As the cricket superstar-turned-philanthropist takes the top job in one of the world’s most populous countries, he faces pressing issues both at home and overseas.
25 July 2018 - Politics, Policy
One of the criticisms that is often made about opposition parties is that they don’t represent an alternative government. Rather, they just criticise whatever it is that the government is trying to do, without actually providing a better alternative. This state-of-affairs has been expressed by the former Labor Government led by Julia Gillard, when it referred to the (then) Opposition as the ‘No-alition’.
16 July 2018 - Politics, Election
On 28 July, five Federal by-elections will be held. We take a quick look at the electorates, the major candidates, and the likely outcomes. Hover or click over an electorate name (in orange) for more information.
6 July 2018 - Politics, Election
Sunday’s Mexican general election was not only the biggest in Mexico’s history, with over 3,400 positions at stake, but it may be the greatest shock to the political status quo since the Mexican Revolution ended in 1920.
26 June 2018 - Politics, Election
On 1 July, voters in Mexico head to the polls for what might be the most significant general election in the last century.
25 June 2018 - Politics, Election
Hong Kong will soon mark 21 years since the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China.
27 May 2018 - Social Policy, Policy
Malaysia’s recent historic election has propelled Anwar Ibrahim – the long-standing political leader who has twice been jailed on sodomy charges – into the political limelight.
21 May 2018 - Politics, Election
The Timorese people and their leaders should feel confident in the professionalism and transparency of their election processes.
18 May 2018 - Election, Policy
On 7 May, 2018 the Melbourne School of Government and The Age co-hosted a Melbourne Lord Mayoral By-Election Youth Forum to discuss issues affecting young people studying, living and working in the City of Melbourne.
17 May 2018 - Politics, Election
Against all but the most optimistic expectations, on May 9 voters in Malaysia’s 14th General Election voters emphatically rejected the long-serving Barisan Nasional (BN - National Front) government of Prime Minister Najib Razak in favour of the Opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH - Alliance of Hope) coalition, led by former PM Mahathir Mohamad.
9 May 2018 - Foreign Policy, Election
The people of Timor-Leste are heading to the polls this week for the second time in ten months.
15 March 2018 - Politics, Election
South Australians go to the polls this Saturday and the Liberal and Labor parties may struggle to collectively win 60% of the primary vote.
1 March 2018 - Politics, Election
1 March 2018 - Politics, Election
It’s anyone’s guess.
4 October 2017 - Politics, Election
In spite of multiple attempts by Spain’s Madrid-based conservative central government to block it, on October 1st Catalonia’s independence referendum went ahead.
25 September 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Immigration, Election, Policy, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Christian Social Union (CSU), The Left, Alliance ‘90/The Greens, Alternative for Germany, Free Democratic Party
Dr Angela Merkel will lead Germany as its Chancellor for an historic fourth consecutive term.
25 September 2017 - Politics, Election, Policy, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Christian Social Union (CSU), The Left, Alliance ‘90/The Greens, Alternative for Germany, Free Democratic Party
As the dust settles on the German election, it seems the political instability seen throughout the West has now arrived in Germany
21 September 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security, Election, Policy, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Christian Social Union (CSU), The Left, Alliance ‘90/The Greens, Alternative for Germany, Free Democratic Party
Some have claimed that the German political scene this year is boring. But perhaps we need less excitement and greater predictability in an era of Brexit and Trump.
19 September 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security, Election, Policy, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Christian Social Union (CSU), The Left, Alliance ‘90/The Greens, Alternative for Germany, Free Democratic Party
Germany’s newly-elected Chancellor will face significant challenges that will require difficult and divisive choices after the election this Sunday.
15 September 2017 - Politics, Election, National Front, Republicans, En Marche
The National Front's Marine Le Pen has been one of the front-runners in opinion polls throughout the French presidential election campaign and her anti-EU anti-Islam platform has grabbed attention around the world.
14 September 2017 - Politics, Immigration, Election, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), The Left, Alliance ‘90/The Greens, Alternative for Germany
The most likely outcome of the German federal election on September 24 is that Angela Merkel – the longest serving leader in the Western world – will win an historic fourth consecutive term as Chancellor.
5 September 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election, Environment, Policy, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Alliance ‘90/The Greens, Alternative for Germany
All major parties in Germany – except the Euroskeptic, anti-refugee Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) – accept the reality of human-induced climate change.
3 September 2017 - Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security, Election, Policy, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Alliance ‘90/The Greens
Germany’s special relationship with Turkey - NATO allies, partners in a key refugee deal and major trade partners - is routinely referred to as being in crisis.
26 June 2017 - Politics, Foreign Policy, National Security, Election, Policy, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party, Unsubmissive France
The overwhelming win by the party of Emmanuel Macron in the French legislative elections has put a definite halt to the wave of populism in Europe and reinforced French commitment to the European Union.
19 June 2017 - Politics, Immigration, Election, Policy, Conservative Party, Labour Party, UK Independence Party (UKIP)
In the space of a few short weeks of a General Election campaign, the British Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Theresa May went from a 17 seat majority and a 21 point lead over Labour in opinion polls; to just scraping over the line to form a minority government.
19 June 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Election, Policy, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party
Emmanuel Macron launched his political party En Marche! – now La République en Marche! (The Republic on the Move!) – less than 18 months ago.
9 June 2017 - Politics, Foreign Policy, National Security, Election, Policy, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Scottish National Party (SNP)
No matter how Tory partisans try to spin it, the UK election results are a disaster for Prime Minister Theresa May and the incumbent Conservative government.
9 June 2017 - Politics, Election, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party, Unsubmissive France
A month after a truly extraordinary battle for the French presidency between centrist Emmanuel Macron and far right Marine Le Pen, the French people are going to the polls again for two rounds of voting in legislative elections.
6 June 2017 - Politics, National Security, Election, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Scottish National Party (SNP)
The British Prime Minister has confirmed the UK’s General Election will go ahead following Saturday night's terror attack in London that saw three attackers kill seven people and injure 48 others. Speaking outside Downing Street following the attacks, Theresa May said that “violence can never be allowed to disrupt the democratic process.”
1 June 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security, Election, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Scottish National Party (SNP)
Britain’s next leader will have the difficult task of deciding on concrete outcomes for populist platitudes in relation to ‘Brexit’.
18 May 2017 - Politics, Election, Policy
The international political landscape in 2017 is coloured by Brexit, the advent of the Trump administration in the United States, and several elections in Europe.
8 May 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security, Election, Environment, Social Policy, Policy, National Front, En Marche
Democracy has won.
5 May 2017 - Politics, Election, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party, Unsubmissive France
It’s just days before the final vote to decide who becomes the next French President. The result could radically alter the future of the European Union.
5 May 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Immigration, National Security, Election, Environment, Social Policy, Policy, National Front, En Marche
If Emmanuel Macron becomes France’s new President on Sunday, his victory will give the European Union a reprieve, a chance to reset its priorities after the battering from Brexit and the apparently inexorable surge of xenophobia and economic nationalism.
4 May 2017 - Politics, Election, National Front, En Marche
The two remaining candidates in the French presidential election Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have gone head-to-head in the final televised presidential debate, with just days until the final vote.
4 May 2017 - Politics, Election, National Front
French voters face a stark choice for president on May 7: Do they elect pro-globalist, pro-immigration centrist Emmanuel Macron, or do they elect nationalist authoritarian Marine Le Pen?
3 May 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security, Election, Environment, Social Policy, Policy, Race, National Front, En Marche
Political newcomer Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen will go head-to-head in the final vote of the presidential election on Sunday 7 May.
27 April 2017 - Politics, Foreign Policy, Election, Policy, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Scottish National Party (SNP), UK Independence Party (UKIP)
Earlier this month, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that voters in the UK would be going to the polls again for the third time in three years.
24 April 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security, Election, Social Policy, Policy, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party, Unsubmissive France
It was a divisive and unpredictable campaign, but the first round results are now clear.
21 April 2017 - Politics, Election, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party, Unsubmissive France
The French Presidential election will be held in two rounds.
20 April 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security, Election, Social Policy, Policy, Race, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party, Unsubmissive France
After the shock Brexit result in Britain in June 2016 and Donald Trump’s unexpected triumph a few months later, in November, what are the chances of the right-wing Front National’s Marine Le Pen completing a populist trifecta in the French presidential elections?
20 April 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Foreign Policy, Election, Policy
The Brexit process ending the UK’s membership in the European Union has officially started.
19 April 2017 - Politics, Foreign Policy, National Security, Election, Policy, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party, Unsubmissive France
With the recent terrorist attacks in Stockholm and London, and with Syria and North Korea dominating national and international news in France, the forthcoming French elections are bound to take place in a very particular context.
7 April 2017 - Politics, Election, Policy, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party
What a strange election campaign it has been so far.
30 March 2017 - Politics, Election
As right-wing populism continues to rise in some European countries, support for social democratic parties in many European countries has been in retreat in recent years.
24 March 2017 - Politics, Foreign Policy, National Security, Election, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party
The French people will soon elect their next president. It could be the National Front’s Marine Le Pen, the candidate Russia may actively be trying to get elected.
16 March 2017 - Politics, Election, Party for Freedom, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Minor Parties
The Dutch elections have produced a bittersweet victory for center-right incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his VVD Party.
14 March 2017 - Politics, Immigration, Election, National Front, En Marche, Party for Freedom
The European Union stands on the threshold.
13 March 2017 - Politics, Foreign Policy, Immigration, Election, Policy, Race, Party for Freedom, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
This week, on March 15, Dutch voters will be the first in Europe to go to the polls this year.
10 March 2017 - Politics, Social Policy, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party
The future of democracy in Western Europe is rapidly approaching a crossroads.
10 March 2017 - Politics, Immigration, Election, Policy, National Front, Republicans, En Marche, Socialist Party
In the aftermath of the election of US President Donald Trump and the UK’s Brexit referendum, many observers are keeping a watchful eye on how presidential elections play out in France in late April and early May.
10 March 2017 - Politics, Immigration, Election, Policy
When Germany goes to the polls in the second half of 2017, there is a chance that the status quo will prevail.
10 March 2017 - Politics, Election, Policy
Is the election of Donald Trump simply the way democracy works, or is the whole liberal democratic system under threat from a wave of citizen disenchantment?
10 March 2017 - Economy/Jobs, Politics, Foreign Policy, National Security, Policy
In 1973 the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community, now the European Union.
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