Elections

Presidential elections will be held in Kazakhstan on 20 November. A country that until a few years ago had only known the rule of one man, is now being given a choice between six candidates, the incumbent president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and five others:  Karakat Abden, Nurlan Auesbayev, Zhiguli Dairabayev, Meiram Kazhyken and Saltanat Tursynbekova. A 300 strong OSCE Observation Mission will deploy on election day to observe the elections. Headed by Urszula Gacek, the mission has already deployed a core team of 11 international experts based in Astana and 30 long-term observers, who will travel to the remotest parts of Kazakhstan in 15 two-person teams. The ODIHR also plans to request 300 short-term observers arrive several days before the election day. Meanwhile the election campaignb has started in earnest. The winner will serve for one seven year term and will not be eligible for re-election, according to constitutional changes proposed by president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, that were adopted recently.

There was a sigh of relief across Europe on the news of the victory of Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the French presidential elections held on Sunday (24 April), thwarting an attempt to unseat him by far right candidate Marie Le Pen. Many in Europe are describing the outcome as a win for the European Union.  "Bravo Emanuel", European Council president Charles Michel wrote on twitter. “In this turbulent period, we need a solid Europe and a France totally committed to a more sovereign and more strategic European Union.” Whilst Macron was always the favorite to win, European countries watched anxiously as his lead in opinion polls narrowed in the days before the ballot. A victory for Le Pen, a deeply eurosceptic politician who has professed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, would have had huge implications for the stability of the EU. Le Pen had long flirted with the idea of leaving the bloc, although she insisted during her campaign that she had no “secret agenda” this time for quitting the group or the euro single currency.