Europe 2009 – Results wrap part 3

Here we go with the final instalment, covering Greece and the Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007.

• Bulgaria – The result was largely status quo. The six parties contesting the election ended up being ranked in the same order. The centre-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria gained a 2.7% swing and held their 5 seats. The centre-left Coalition for Bulgaria suffered a 2.9% swing and lost one of their five seats. The liberal Movement for Rights and Freedoms suffered most, falling from 20.3% to 14.1%, losing one of their four seats. The extreme racist National Union Attack dropped from 14.2% to 11.95%, losing one of their three seats. The liberal conservative National Movement for Stability and Progress gained 1.9% and a second seat. Two right-wing parties who missed out on seats in 2007 ran on a joint platform as the Blue Coalition. Despite a 1.1% swing against them, they won one seat.
• Czech Republic – The 2004 election was a strange election, with the major centre-left party coming fifth. Normality was restored in 2009. The right-wing Civic Democratic Party held on to about 30% of the vote and maintained 9 seats. The Social Democratic Party recovered to 22% after getting less than 9% in 2004, and they won 7 seats, up from 2 in 2004. The Communist Party fell by 6% from their remarkable 2004 result, winning 14% and maintaining 4 of their 6 seats. The centre-right Christian Democratic Union fell from 9.6% to 7.6%, while maintaining their two seats. The European Democrats, who came third in 2004, fell from 11% to 2% and lost all their of their MEPs.
• Estonia – The result was a disaster for the Social Democratic Party, who suffered a 24% swing and lost two of their three seats. One of these seats went to the Centre Party, who won two seats. The other went to independent candidate Indrek Tarand, who polled 25.8%. The Reform Party and Union of Res Publica and Pro Patria each held on to their one seat.
• Greece – The election saw the centre-left Panhellenic Socialist Movement gain 2.6%, holding on to their 8 seats, while the centre-right New Democracy lost 10.7%, falling to 32.3% and losing 3 of their 11 seats. The Communist Party fell from 9.5% to 8.35%, losing 1 of their 3 seats. The far-right Popular Orthodox Rally performed well, gaining a swing of 3% and winning a second seat. In addition to the Coalition of the Radical Left holding their one seat, the Greens won a seat for the first time with 3.5% of the vote.
• Hungary – The election was a decisive win for the cente-right Fidesz, who won 56.4%, up from 47.4% in 2004. This gave them 2 more seats on top of the 12 they won in 2004. The Hungarian Socialist Party’s vote halved from 34% to 17%, which saw them lose 5 of their 9 seats. The far-right Jobbik did well on their first campaign, winning 14.8% of the vote and 3 MEPs. The Hungarian Democratic Forum maintained their 5.3% of the vote and one seat, while the Alliance of Free Democrats were decimated, losing both their seats.
• Latvia – The centre-right Civic Union topped the poll with 25%, while the centre-left Harmony Centre polled 20%. For Human Rights in United Latvia, which is part of the European Free Alliance, polled 9.7% and maintained their one seat. The two right-wing parties that won almost 50% between them in 2004 were reduced to about 14%, with each party only holding on to one seat.
• Lithuania – The centre-right Homeland Union had  a strong result, going from 12% to 26%, winning two extra seats on top of the seats they won in 2004. The Social Democrats polled 18%, which gave them a third seat. The centrist Labour Party collapsed, falling from 30% to under 9%, which cost them all but one of their five seats.
• Poland – In 2004 Poland’s major parties, Civic Platform and Law and Justice, only polled 36.8% between them. In 2009 they polled almost 72%. This result saw centre-right Civic Platform win 44% of the vote and 25 seats (up from 15) and far-right Law and Justice poll 27.4% and win 15 seats (up from 7). The left coalition also gained more votes, but this only brought them up to 12.3%, winning 2 more seats to add to their existing 5. The centre-right Polish People’s Party lost one of their four seats. The far-right League of Polish Families, which came second in 2004, did not contest the election, and the right-wing Self-Defence party was decimated, losing all six of their MEPs.
• Romania – The election saw a swing away from the centre-right major party to the centre-left major party, with the Social Democratic Party gaining 8% and an 11th MEP. The Democratic Liberal Party polled 6.9% less than its two predecessor parties, losing 6 of their 16 seats. The centrist National Liberal Party came third, gaining 1.1% of the vote, but losing one of their 6 seats. The Democratic Union of Hungarians gained 3.4% to 8.92%, giving them a third seat, although their ticket included a formerly independent MEP, meaning they effectively held steady. The far-right Greater Romania Party doubled their vote from 4.15% to 8.65%, giving them 3 MEPs. A seat was also won by independent candidate Elena Băsescu, daughter of the President who was described as “Romania’s Paris Hilton”.
• Slovenia – The result was good for the centre-right Democratic Party, that went from 17.7% to 26.9%, holding on to their 2 seats. The Social Democrats also polled 18.5%, up from 14.2%, which gave them a second seat. Centre-right New Slovenia fell from first place to third with a 7.2% swing, costing them one of their two seats. The Liberal Democrats polled 21.9% as part of a coalition with the Democratic Party of Retired People in 2004, giving them two MEPs. The two parties fell to 18.7%, with the Liberal Democrats holding one seat while the other party won no representation. The centre-left Zares party polled 9.8% and elected their first MEP.
• Slovakia – The centre-left Smer came first, growing their vote from 17% to 32% and winning two extra seats in addition to their existing three. The centre-right Slovak Democratic and Christian Union remained steady on about 17%, losing one of their three seats. Other centre-right parties won 5 seats, with those parties collectively losing 3 seats. The far-right Slovak National Party elected its first MEP.

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