Ireland, Poland, Spain: a week-end that can change Europe

The last week end was exceptionally important for Europe, even if it wasn't perceived like that from everybody.

This is a period of elections and referendum all over Europe. And one week ago three important consultations took place in Ireland, Spain and Poland.

The referendum in Ireland was organized to modify the Constitution and to allow the same-sex marriage. In Spain there were important administrative elections. In Poland finally, the was the second run for the Presidential Elections.

Although the nature of the consultations were different, the results will be deeply change Europe.

Ireland will be the first Country in the world to allow the same-sex marriage in the Constitution. That could have a positive effect also in other Countries and, at the same time, the Church will have to accept that the something is changing in the society.

In Spain, Podemos broke the traditional bipartisan political system, winning in both Madrid and Barcelona. The Popular Party is still the first force, but this is an important signal for the political elections in November.

Poland surprised everybody with the election of the Eurosceptic Andrzej Duda as new President of the Republic. Even if Warsaw is considered the emerging economic power in Europe, also thanks to the Eu funds, a huge part of the Country has not yet touched by the wealth and is asking for a change.

It is interesting to notice that the immobility of the European establishment is going to be overtaken by the choice of the electorate, in a sense or in another. We don't live in a perfect world, but democracy can still amaze us.

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Can Mustafa Akıncı be a new beginning for Cyprus?

Few weeks ago the Presidential Elections were held in the Turkish part of Cyprus. The winner has been Mustafa Akinci (68), former Major of the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia and Member of the Parliament.

Mustafa Akinci

Akinci is a "leftist moderate", as he described himself. During the electoral campaign, he promoted a fraternal but not submissive relation with Turkey (that contributes for one third of Northern Cyprus public balance) and a stronger collaboration with the Greek part of the Island.

Cyprus is currently divided in two parts by the "Green Line",  a demilitarized zone, patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), that was established in 1974 following the Turkish invasion of the Country.

Cyprus is part of European Union since 2004 (at least the Greek part). And the capital, Nicosia, is the last city diveded by a wall in Europe. It is hard to believe that the Akinci election will bring to the reunification of the island. But let's be optimistic: it can be a new beginning for the Country, based on good relations between North and South.

We will see how Greece and Turkey will influence those relations.

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Who is Magdalena Ogórek?

The 10th of May the Presidential Elections will take place in Poland. The favorite candidate is the current President, Bronisław Komorowski, member of the liberal Party Platforma Obywatelska, the same of Mr. Donald Tusk. The major competitor will be Andrzej Duda, official candidate of Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, party leaded by the former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

There are other candidates, with low possibility to pass the first round of the elections. Among them, media concentrated their attention to the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Madgalena Ogórek.

Magdalena Ogorek

Who is she?

Magdalena Ogórek (36) is an historian with a Phd got at the University of Opole. She worked at the University of Warsaw and in the highest political offices. She has also collaborated with the National Polish Bank and she has been anchorwoman in a financial show. She has also had a career as actress, participating in some Polish movies and Tv-series, around 10 years ago. She was candidate and lost the Parliament Elections in 2011.

Miss Ogórek received many critics regarding her candidature by the Polish Media. She was attacked for her low political experience. Media also made jokes about her surname, that in Polish means cucumber. 

The campaign against her is covered by a trace of misogyny. Even if she doesn't have a strong political background, from some experts she could become a real new element in the polish political landscape. But she looks beautiful, she has also a past in Tv. And that seems enough to attack her above normal.

This case represents just an example of how empty can be the words used during the International Women's Day, when the general climate remains the same as always. 

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