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18 June 2015 Republic of Korea
The former Minister of Justice, Hwang Kyo-Ahn, was confirmed as Prime Minister by the National Assembly by 156 votes to 120. The previous premier, Lee Wan-Koo, resigned in April amid allegations of bribery. The opposition opposed Hwang’s confirmation, citing accusations that he had avoided military service and peddled influence, but agreed to the parliamentary vote following a pledge by the ruling Saenuri Party to reform the parliamentary confirmation system and an apology from Hwang regarding the allegations. The new Prime Minister pledged to eradicate an outbreak of the acute virus Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which had killed tens of South Koreans since the first case on 20 May.
18 June 2015 Denmark
At a general election the centre-right parties, led by Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Venstre (Liberals), narrowly won a majority in the 179-seat Folketing over the parties of the centre-left. The leader of the Socialdemokraterne (Social Democrats, the main party of the outgoing coalition), Helle Thorning-Schmidt, resigned as Prime Minister and as leader of the party, despite the Social Democrat share of the vote having increased and its becoming the largest single party in the legislature, with 47 seats. The populist, Eurosceptic and anti-immigration Dansk Folkeparti (Danish People’s Party) took second place with 37 seats and some 21.1% of votes, ahead of the Liberals, who received 19.5% and 34 seats. Notably, Alternativet (The Alternative), a recently established green party, entered the legislature for the first time, winning nine seats. Turnout was 85.8%.
11 June 2015 Vanuatu
The Prime Minister, Joe Natunan, and his Vanua’aku Pati-led Government were removed in a parliamentary vote of no confidence, in which three government members of Parliament voted with the opposition. On the same day Sato Kilman of the People’s Progressive Party, who had been dismissed as the Minister for Foreign Affairs by Natunan the previous week, was elected to his third term as Prime Minister, defeating Ham Lini of the National United Party by 28 votes to 22. This was the ninth change of Prime Minister in Vanuatu in five years.
7 June 2015 Mexico
Elections to renew all 500 seats in the Federal Chamber of Deputies were held. According to preliminary results from the Instituto Nacional Electoral, the ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) succeeded in retaining its status as the largest party in parliament, albeit with a reduced majority of 203 seats (down from 214 seats). However, with backing from its allies, the Partido Verde Ecologista de México and the Nueva Alianza, the PRI could count on the support of a total of 260 deputies. The opposition Partido Acción Nacional secured 108 seats, six fewer than in 2012, while the left-wing Partido de la Revolución Democrática’s representation fell to just 56 seats (from 99 seats), although the new leftist party, Movimiento Regeneración Nacional or Morena, won 35 seats.
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7 June 2015 Turkey
Elections to the 550-seat Grand National Assembly (TGNA) were held. According to final results published by the High Electoral Board on 18 June, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) remained the largest party with 258 seats. However, its share of the valid votes cast declined to 18.9m. (40.9%), compared with 21.4m. (49.8%) at the general election of 2011. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) received 11.5m. votes (25.0%) and 132 seats, while the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) took 7.5m. votes (16.3%) and 80 seats. The People’s Democratic Party (HDP), a predominantly Kurdish left-wing party, achieved representation for the first time as an organization, securing 6.1m. votes (13.1%) and 80 seats. (HDP-affiliated candidates had been present in the outgoing parliament as independents.) No other party surpassed the 10% threshold to enter the legislature. Meanwhile, on 9 June the Prime Minister, Prof. Dr Ahmet Davutoğlu, submitted the resignation of his Council of Ministers to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Davutoğlu and his ministers were asked to remain in post until a new government could be formed.
30 May 2015 Ukraine
The former President of Georgia (2004–2013), Mikheil Saakashvili, in which capacity he had been regarded as a reformer and a staunch ally of the West, was appointed by President Petro Poroshenko as Governor of Odesa (Odessa) Oblast, having been granted Ukrainian citizenship in order to permit him to assume the position.
29 May 2015 Finland
A new coalition Government comprising three parties, the Finnish Centre Party, the Finns Party and the National Coalition Party (NCP), took office, with Juha Sipilä of the Centre Party as Prime Minister. Of the 14 ministerial posts, six were allocated to the Centre Party, while the Finns Party and the NCP were each allocated four. Notable appointments included Timo Soini of the Eurosceptic, populist Finns Party as Minister for Foreign Affairs, and former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb as Minister of Finance.
24 May 2015 Poland
Andrzej Duda, the candidate of the socially conservative Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (Law and Justice) party, was elected President, obtaining 51.6% of the votes cast in the second round of popular voting, defeating the incumbent head of state, Bronisław Komorowski, who was closely associated with and a former member of the liberal-conservative Platforma Obywatelska (Civic Platform) party. In accordance with national convention, Duda was expected to resign his party membership prior to his inauguration as President.
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