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MENASource

May 26, 2014

Filling the Gaps in the Sisi Campaign

By Sarah El Sirgany

“Is Sisi coming?” women in the back rows of a Shubra El-Kheima hall ask each other enthusiastically. They have gathered for a rally for presidential candidate and former defense minister Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. The female residents of the middle-income and rural parts of the Qalubiya province are prepared with posters and songs.

Elections North Africa

MENASource

May 26, 2014

Searching for Nasserism in Egypt’s Elections

By Amr Kotb

Are Egypt’s presidential elections a contest between Gamal Abdel Nasser and Gamal Abdel Nasser? Egypt’s two presidential candidates, former defense minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Nasserist politician, Hamdeen Sabbahi have both been likened to Egypt’s second president.

Elections North Africa

MENASource

May 26, 2014

Sisinomics: Is Egypt about to Witness a New Wave of Austerity?

By Tom Rollins

Egyptians are already in the process of voting for their next president, although few are in doubt about who’s going to win. Just in time did Abdel Fattah al-Sisi flesh out plans for his future economic policies, a policy platform which was, until the end of last week, left open to speculation.

North Africa
REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Early Challenges for Ukraine’s Next President: Corruption and Russian-led Insurrection

By New Atlanticist

Ukraine’s Poroshenko ‘is His Own Think Tank,’ Confident in Making Decisions As business magnate and former foreign and economy minister Petro Poroshenko claimed victory in Ukraine’s presidential election, Atlantic Council analysts Adrian Karatnycky and Sabine Freizer offered early thoughts on his road ahead. Freizer, a senior fellow at the Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, wrote […]

Russia Ukraine

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Europe’s Election: The Roots and the Message of the Anti-EU Vote

By Stefano Stefanini

 The 2014 vote for the European Parliament reflects a European Union at a critical juncture. The voter turnout, at about 43 percent, is the same as in 2009, thus halting its long decline. The traditional parties, the European People’s Party, the Social Democrats, the Liberals, will hold the largest number of seats. Outside the mainstream, […]

Elections Europe & Eurasia
Presidential candidate Petro Poroshenko (left) and Kyiv mayoral candidate Vitali Klitschko celebrate after claiming victory in the May 25 elections. Klitschko withdrew from the presidential race and allied his UDAR party (the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform) with Poroshenko’s candidacy. Both men are seen as centrists. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Ukraine’s Voters Give a Chance to Poroshenko and Klitschko

By Damon Wilson

Businessman and Boxer Now Must Show They Can Fight Corruption and Govern Effectively Despite the Russian-led separatists’ efforts to disrupt Ukraine’s elections, Ukrainians went to the polls in large numbers and decisively elected Petro Poroshenko as president. Residents of Kyiv decisively elected Vitaliy Klitschko as mayor. These victories are significant for Ukraine’s European prospects. Specifically, […]

Russia Ukraine
AFP

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

A Hollow Victory for Europe’s Center Right

By Fran Burwell

‘This election … should be a wake-up call for national leaders’ of Europe The establishment parties in the European Union are patting themselves on the back, claiming they have reversed the trend toward low participation and that the main parties have retained their dominance of the European Parliament. These facts are true – but barely. […]

Elections Europe & Eurasia
Former economy and foreign minister Petro Poroshenko speaks to supporters in front of a display of exit poll results for himself and other candidates in Ukraine’s presidential election, May 25. Poroshenko claimed victory after exit polls gave him an absolute majority in the vote. REUTERS/Stringer

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Ukraine’s Election is a Step Toward Normalcy; The Next Move is Russia’s

By John Herbst

If Moscow Keeps Backing Rebels in Southeast Ukraine, Kyiv Must Rely on its Army Ukraine took a major step toward normalcyand political stability with an orderly and largely peaceful vote in the May 25 presidential election.  Turnout was at least adequate, despite the strenuous efforts by Russian-led insurgents in the East to disrupt the vote.   […]

Russia Ukraine

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

European Parliament Elections Strengthen Far-Right Parties and Russia

By Damon Wilson

Despite the Headlines, the Center Holds in the EU Legislature Europe’s political establishment is reeling from the earthquake of victories by anti-European Union parties of the far right and left. These have come in the United Kingdom (UK Independence Party, or UKIP), France (Front National), Greece (Syrzia), Austria (Freedom Party) and Denmark (although the People’s […]

Economy & Business Elections

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Europe’s Elections May Complicate Efforts to Confront Russia and Complete a Transatlantic Trade Pact

By Erik Brattberg

Even before the votes were counted in this election to the European Parliament, it was clear that some of the biggest winners are Euroskeptic political parties throughout the continent. Elected on their promises to stop further centralization of the European Union, to devolve power back to member states and to cut EU bureaucracy, these new […]

Economy & Business Elections