Seven European countries looking for new governments

Seven European countries are looking for new governments due to post-election coalition negotiations, failure to receive a vote of confidence, or the resignation of the prime minister.

After the general elections in Germany, a difficult coalition bargaining began between the parties to form a new government.

People wonder how the new government will be shaped in the country after 16 years of rule by Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.

The coalition negotiations began between the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which won the general elections with 25.7% of the votes, and The Greens and Free Democratic Party (FDP).

If the talks, which started around three weeks after the elections, turn out successful, a new government will be formed under the leadership of the SPD.

The SPD announced that they will make efforts to form the government until the Christmas period, and they do not want the negotiation period to take as long as in 2017.

Especially between The Greens and FDP, there are deep differences of opinion on tax, environment, and climate.

However, the talks could be delayed until after the New Year, since a three-party coalition government is on the agenda for the first time since 1953 and there are differences of opinion.

The coalition talks in 2017 lasted 172 days, while similar efforts in 2013 lasted 86 days.

Merkel's government will continue to serve until a new government is formed in Germany.

- Expectation of early elections in Austria

Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz, who was investigated in Austria on charges of "bribery and abuse of trust," resigned from his post.

While Kurz did not relinquish his presidency of the Austrian People's Party (OVP), but he transferred the prime minister's seat to Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg from his party to maintain the OVP-Australian Greens coalition formed in January 2020.

Even though the government crisis in the country eased relatively as a result of this stepping back taken by Kurz after resisting for a while, the opposition side thinks Kurz will become the "shadow prime minister" and the "Kurz system" will continue.

There are comments that the current government will not last long and early general elections may be held.

- Who will form government in Czechia remains unknown

The results of the general elections held in Czechia on Oct. 8-9 proved the opposite of what was expected.

Although the ruling Movement of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO) was the party that received the most votes with 27.17%, the opposition government (Spolu) formed by the three parties was the winner of the elections.

As President Milos Zeman has previously announced, he is expected to give the government to the party that single-handedly grabbed the most votes.

However, even if the ANO agrees with the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy Party (SPD), which enters parliament, it is unable to secure the necessary majority to form the government.

The opposition alliance, which won 108 seats in the 200-seat parliament together, announced that it would never meet with the ANO.

For this reason, it is predicted that there will be political uncertainty in the country for a long time if Zeman gives the task of forming the government to ANO leader Prime Minister Andrej Babis.

The recent hospitalization of 77-year-old Zeman, who played a decisive role in the formation of the government, due to health problems also raises concerns in the country.

- Netherlands couldn't form gov't for 210 days

Although 210 days have passed since the general elections held in the Netherlands on March 15-17, a government has not been formed yet.

It was expected that a coalition of at least four parties would be formed in the country, where a total of 17 parties entered the 150-seat parliament.

Coalition negotiations administered by the interim government go rough. Parties, whose attempts to form a majority or minority coalition have been unsuccessful so far, have begun negotiations for a four-way coalition again.

While some opposition parties criticize the resumption of coalition negotiations, they advocate holding new elections.

Claiming that the current situation in the country has not changed, some opposition parties say that the will of the voters is not taken into account.

After the 2017 general elections in the Netherlands, it took 225 days to form the coalition government.

- Bulgaria goes elections for 3rd time in 2021

After the parliamentary election held on April 4 in Bulgaria, the efforts to form a coalition government failed, and it was decided to hold early elections on July 11.

In the parliament that was formed after the general elections There Is Such a People (ITN) party, which has the largest group of 65 people, also failed in its attempt to form a government.

President Rumen Radev dissolved the parliament on Sept. 16 and overhauled the provisional technocrats government he had formed before the elections.

Radev, who replaced the three ministers, announced that early general elections would be held on Nov. 14 and Stefan Yanev would continue as the prime minister of the government that will lead the country to the elections.

So, Bulgaria will hold the third election within a year.

- Norway waits for its new government for 28 days

Following the Sept. 13 general elections, Norway could not form a government for 28 days.

The left bloc led by Labor Party leader Jonas Gahr Store won the general elections in the country but did not reach a sufficient majority to form the government.

Store said in a statement after the coalition talks that they wanted to form a grand coalition with the Socialist Left Party (SV) and the Center Party (SP), but they were unable to do so.

He said they have made significant progress in forming a minority government with the Center Party (M), which is in the right bloc, and that they hope to form a government next week.

- Romania's gov't could not get vote of confidence

After the elections held on Dec. 6, 2020 in Romania, President Klaus Iohannis gave the mandate to form the government to the center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), which was led by him and finished the elections in second place.

The minority government formed by PNL Chairman Florin Citu fell as it could not receive a vote of confidence in the Oct. 5 session.

Iohannis has announced that he is waiting for a name from the PNL to give him the mandate to form a government. Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which won the election, slammed the move and expressed that early elections were needed to end the political crisis.

* Writing by Beyza Binnur Donmez in Ankara.