2019 Weranian federal election
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All 545 seats to the Volkstag 273 seats are needed for a majority in the Volkstag | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 36,689,803 (78.95%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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General elections were held in the Lands of the Weranic Crown for the Volkstag (the lower house of the Reichstag) on the 31st May 2019. All 545 members of the Volkstag were elected under a single non-transferable vote system in multi-member electoral districts. The election was held in conjunction with elections for the Euclean Parliament.
The election saw the incumbent SRPO-PMZ-SDT coalition lose decisively with the NKP winning by a landslide and gaining the most seats. This was the highest increase in the NKP vote and seat count in their history compared to a prior election and their best result since 1975. The Greens also saw large gains narrowly being beaten by the SRPO who got the worst result in their history.
Electoral process
Werania has since 1908 used an single non-transferable vote in multi-member districts to send 545 representatives to the Volkstag. The current electoral boundaries were approved in 2010 by the Electoral Board, with boundaries being decided every 10 years based on census data. Should a party have 273 or more representative in the Volkstag, it has an absolute majority and could thus govern autonomously, without a coalition partner. The constitution can be amended with a supermajority of two-thirds, or 360 deputies.
Voters have to registrar to vote by the 28 April. In order to be eligible to vote one must be over the age of 18, be a citizen of Werania, have a permanent address in Werania and not be currently in prison.
Background
At the last election the coalition government of the centre-left Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania (SRPO) and the liberal Modern Centre Party (PMZ) lost its majority. The opposition National Consolidation Party (NKP) lost a handful of seats with the major gains being made by third parties such as the Greens, Democratic Alternative (DA) and the Weranic Section of the Workers' International (OSAI). A three-way coalition government was subsequently formed between the SRPO, PMZ and the Sotirian Democratic Homeland (SDT), a small centre-right party that runs exclusively in Ruttland. Chancellor Viktor Oberhauser unveiled a new cabinet on the 14th July 2015 with PMZ leader Veronika Althammer being reappointed Minister of Finance and SDT leader Remigijus Balčiūnas becoming Minister of Regional Development.
Following the election the NKP's leader Günter Schaefer resigned. His successor, former Defence Minister Otto von Hösslin, reorientated the party to the populist right advocating hard-line anti-immigration policies, rises in welfare spending, tax cuts and Euclescepticism. Following von Hösslin's election the NKP rose in the polls especially as the government lost popularity.
The SRPO lost popularity following the RotHaus scandal, when the government was accused of having during the 2015 election have given favourable breaks to construction company RotHaus Construction in return for political donations. Combined with continued austerity policies this led to a decline in support for the SRPO and PMZ and rise in support for the NKP and the Greens.
In the run-up to the election, the NKP grew in popularity as did the Greens whilst the SRPO fell into infighting. In 2018 there was a movement by the right-wing of the SRPO to install foreign minister Klaus Barchmann as Chancellor to replace Oberhauser who was increasingly seen as out-of-touch and unpopular with the electorate. However this plot fell through after the PMZ reasserted their confidence in Oberhauser as Chancellor of a coalition cabinet.
Timetable
29 March | Chancellor Viktor Oberhauser announced his intention to dissolve the Volkstag and hold an election for the 31st May. |
1 April | Kaiserin Charlotte II approves of the Chancellor's request to hold an election. |
4 April | Formal dissolution of the Volkstag; start of campaign period. |
28 April | Last day members of the public could register to vote. |
1 May | Last day in which members of the public could apply for proxy voting or postal voting. |
18 May | Last day for candidates to file nomination papers. |
31 May | Polling day |
7 May | New Volkstag Assembled |
Parties
Campaign
Endorsements
Opinion polls
Exit polls
Parties | Seats | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
National Consolidation Party | 247 | 120 | |
Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania | 87 | 70 | |
Green Party | 78 | 31 | |
Modern Centre Party | 35 | 53 | |
Democratic Alternative | 31 | 3 | |
National Coalition for Independence | 25 | 15 | |
Weranic Section of the Workers' International | 24 | 4 | |
Weranic Völkisch Freedom Party | 9 | 6 | |
Sotirian Democratic Homeland | 6 | 24 | |
Aldman People's Party | 3 | 1 |
Results
Party | Votes | % | Seats | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Consolidation Party | 13,057,365 | 35.57 | 244 | 117 | |
Social Democratic Radical Party | 6,254,682 | 17.04 | 85 | 72 | |
Green Party | 6,204,684 | 16.90 | 80 | 33 | |
Modern Centre Party | 2,385,936 | 6.50 | 32 | 56 | |
Democratic Alternative | 2,205,736 | 6.01 | 32 | 4 | |
National Coalition for Independence | 1,158,372 | 3.16 | 30 | 20 | |
Weranic Section of the Workers' International | 2,157,395 | 5.88 | 22 | 6 | |
Sotirian Democratic Homeland | 539,583 | 1.47 | 10 | 20 | |
Weranic Völkisch Freedom Party | 1,094,821 | 2.98 | 8 | 7 | |
Aldman People's Party | 472,849 | 1.29 | 2 | 2 | |
Others | 504,857 | 1.38 | 0 | 0 | |
Invalid/blank votes | 653,523 | – | – | – | |
Total | 36,689,803 | 100 | 545 | 0 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 46,474,226 | 78.95 | – | – |