CDE News - The Dispatch - Election Watch

Faced with criticism, Le Pen allies tone down rhetoric on hijab ban

A planned hijab ban if French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is elected would come "little by little" and be determined by lawmakers, her allies said on Monday, marking a…

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Poverty, education levels draw battle lines in French election

PARIS, (Reuters) - As French President Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen head into a presidential run-off on April 24 promising to tackle high inflation, an analysis of first-round voting data shows…

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‘Neither Macron nor Le Pen’, the rallying cry of disillusioned French students

French students protested outside the Sorbonne in Paris and other universities on Thursday, expressing their disillusionment with the choice on offer at the presidential election, shouting "Neither Macron nor Le…

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Victory has never been closer, Le Pen tells enthusiastic supporters

Victory has never been closer, far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen told an election rally on Thursday to frequent interruptions from an enthusiastic crowd chanting "We're going to win!"…

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Poll shows gap between Le Pen, Macron as turnout is seen at historic low

France's far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is closing the gap with President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the second round of the country's presidential election, a poll showed as forecast voter…

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Macron says no deal with former President Sarkozy to endorse campaign

PARIS, April 13 (Reuters) - There was no wider political agreement between French President Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking re-election, and former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy over his endorsement, Macron said on…

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Australian election campaign kicks off with opposition ahead in polls

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government could lose the federal election to be held on May 21, according to polls on Monday, even as they showed him consolidating his position as the country's…

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France’s Macron and Le Pen head for cliffhanger April 24 election runoff

French leader Emmanuel Macron and challenger Marine Le Pen qualified on Sunday for what promises to be a very tightly fought presidential election runoff on April 24, pitting a pro-European economic liberal…

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Explainer: What’s at stake in France’s presidential election?

The French vote on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election that will determine who runs the European Union's second-largest economy, and its only member with a permanent…

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SCENARIOS-Who might upset Macron’s bid for a second term in office?

PARIS, (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron is the favourite to win re-election in a two-round ballot on April 10 and 24. But after a first term mired in social unrest -…

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France’s Macron makes last-minute appeal to voters as Le Pen reaches all-time high in poll

PARIS, (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday appealed to younger, progressive-leaning voters in his last scheduled interview before Sunday's first-round presidential vote while his forecast lead over far-right candidate Marine…

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UPDATED: France’s Macron says he entered presidential race later than he wished

PARIS, April 8 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday accused his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen of lying to voters about her campaign platform as he sought to rally support…

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Le Pen shrugs off ‘doom-mongering’ by markets over Sunday’s election

PARIS, April 7 (Reuters) - French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen shrugged off market jitters triggered by her good ratings ahead of Sunday's first round of the presidential election, saying her "serious"…

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Philippine election front runner Marcos Jr sees lead trimmed in poll

MANILA, April 6 (Reuters) - Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr has retained a clear lead in a survey ahead of the May 9 election, though his lead has narrowed after Vice…

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French election poll: Macron to beat Le Pen but Le Pen gains ground

PARIS, April 6 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron would beat Marine Le Pen in the country's presidential election later this month, though Le Pen has gained ground in recent weeks, showed…

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Le Pen narrows gap with Macron ahead of Sunday’s presidential election

Opinion polls see French President Emmanuel Macron winning a second term in a two-round presidential election on April 10 and 24, but far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is narrowing the gap. French…

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Macron warns against Brexit-like election upset at mass campaign rally

French President Emmanuel Macron warned of the risk of a Brexit-style election upset in his only campaign rally before the first round of the presidential election, in a bid to…

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Serbians go to polls to pick president, parliament amid Ukraine war

BELGRADE, April 3 (Reuters) - Serbians will vote on Sunday in presidential and parliamentary elections that pit incumbent President Aleksandar Vucic and his Progressive Party (SNS) against an opposition pledging to fight…

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Orban seeks re-election for fourth consecutive term, War in Ukraine has upset campaign

BUDAPEST, April 3 (Reuters) - The odds are slightly in favour of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of Europe's longest-serving leaders, extending his 12-year rule in an election on Sunday,…

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French oppose Macron’s proposed later retirement, poll shows as election looms

(Reuters) - A large majority of French oppose raising the legal retirement age, an opinion poll published by Les Echos newspaper showed, which could be an issue for President Emmanuel Macron, who…

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Orban’s dream of two decades in power hangs in the balance in Hungarian ballot

After his third consecutive landslide victory in 2018, Hungary's Viktor Orban said his strong new mandate allowed him to plan for 12 years ahead, aiming for an unbroken two-decade spell…

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Bolsonaro reduces Lula’s advantage for Brazil election -Datafolha

BRASILIA, (Reuters) - Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has gained ground on favourite Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of the October election, but is still trailing the leftist leader by 17…

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Orban’s Fidesz extends lead over Hungary opposition to two percentage points – poll

BUDAPEST, March 23 (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz party extended its lead to two percentage points over an opposition alliance in a mid-March survey ahead of…

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East Timor, Asia’s youngest nation, goes to the polls

East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, will hold its fifth presidential election on Saturday, with Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, incumbent leader Francisco "Lu Olo" Guterres, and 14 other candidates…

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Colombians vote in presidential primaries, legislative contest

BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombians were voting on Sunday to elect members of congress and participate in one of three presidential primaries for candidates from right, left and centrist coalitions. Seats in…

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Macron launches re-election bid to protect French from ‘world’s disorders’

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he would run for a second term in April's elections, seeking a mandate to steer the euro zone's second-largest economy through the…

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Portuguese voters abroad to recast ballots after election mess-up

Thousands of Portuguese voters living across Europe will be asked to cast their ballots for a second time in March, the National Electoral Commission (CNE) has announced, delaying the swearing…

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Lula’s lead over Bolsonaro narrows ahead of Brazil’s October election -poll

BRASILIA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's lead has narrowed to 9 points from 14 in one month, but he would still win a second-round runoff…

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After defections, Le Pen’s French presidency bid hit by leaks to rival

PARIS, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Marine Le Pen, whose bid for the the French presidency was already in difficulty after a wave of defections, suffered a further blow after her…

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Orban’s Fidesz leads opposition by two points ahead of Hungarian April election

Hungary's governing Fidesz party gained a two-point lead this month over the united opposition in the campaign for the April 3 election, according to an opinion poll by Zavecz Research…

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UPDATED: Spain’s far-right Vox poised for first share of power

MADRID, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The far-right Vox party is on the verge of securing a share of power for the first time in Spain after a snap election in…

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Swiss to vote on becoming first country to ban animal testing

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland votes on Sunday whether to become the first country to completely ban medical testing on animals, after animal rights campaigners gathered enough support to stage a…

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French conservative contender Pecresse woos Sarkozy to save campaign

The conservative contender in the French presidential election, Valerie Pecresse, is fighting to keep her campaign afloat after a string of defections from her camp to President Emmanuel Macron and…

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Slovenia to hold April 24 parliamentary vote

Slovenia’s president formally scheduled a parliamentary election for April 24. The vote will test the popularity of right-wing Prime Minister Janez Jansa amid political divisions in the small European Union…

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Ex-president heads into Costa Rica run-off, ex-finance minister likely awaits

SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Former president Jose Maria Figueres comfortably led the preliminary vote count in Sunday's Costa Rican presidential election, with former finance minister Rodrigo Chaves poised to defy…

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Portugal’s PM Costa stuns with majority win in snap election

LISBON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Defying all odds, Portugal's centre-left Socialists won an outright parliamentary majority in Sunday's snap general election, securing a strong new mandate for Prime Minister Antonio…

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Portuguese go to polls in snap election marked by COVID, uncertainty

LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese will be marking ballots on Sunday in a snap parliamentary election with no clear winner in sight and uncertainty increased by potentially low turnout amid record…

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Portuguese parties wrap up campaign; Sunday election wide open

LISBON, ( (Reuters) - Waving colourful flags and shouting political slogans, hundreds of people took to Lisbon's streets on Friday to support candidates as they wrapped up two weeks of…

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Portugal’s Sunday election wide open as Socialists’ lead narrows

LISBON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Portugal's ruling Socialists have lost more of their lead to the main opposition party, the centre-right Social Democrats (PSD), in two opinion polls released on…

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Portugal’s centre-right opposition clinches lead in poll days before election

Portugal's main opposition party, the centre-right Social Democrats (PSD), secured a marginal lead over the ruling Socialist party after surging in opinion polls just days before a snap election, a…

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Francois Hollande says he’s ready for political comeback

François Hollande has dropped a loaded hint he may be considering another run at the French presidency given the parlous state of the French Left, none of whose growing list…

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Finland’s opposition come first, nationalists hammered in midterm regional vote

HELSINKI, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Finland's main opposition party, the centre-right National Coalition, outperformed the ruling centre-left coalition in a midterm regional election, while the nationalist Finns Party took a…

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Hungary opposition leader flags tax cuts for poor as Orban’s party gains ground

Hungary's opposition plans to lower the tax burden on the poor while ensuring fiscal discipline to put the country on track to adopting the euro should a six-party alliance win…

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Voting starts in Portugal’s snap election

Early voting began in Portugal on Sunday for a snap general election, with polls showing the incumbent Socialists still ahead though with their lead over the nearest centre-right rivals narrowing.…

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French EU lawmaker Collard joins far-right presidential candidate Zemmour

European Parliament member Gilbert Collard said on Saturday he is leaving Marine Le Pen's National Rally to join rival far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, becoming the third Le Pen ally…

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Portuguese Socialists’ lead for Jan. 30 election narrows, poll shows

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's centre-left ruling Socialists lost ground in an opinion poll published that left it with the narrowest lead in all recent surveys, keeping the ballot wide open…

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Lula could win Brazil’s October election in first round – poll

BRASILIA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is pulling ahead of his likely rival, far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, and could win outright in the…

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Two Le Pen allies defect to join Zemmour’s presidential bid

A senior EU lawmaker and a parliamentary assistant to another deputy have quit Marine Le Pen's National Rally to join rival far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, saying they considered Le…

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Hungary’s opposition says, if it wins elections, will work for the adoption of the euro

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's opposition alliance, if it wins elections on April 3, will put the economy on track for the adoption of the euro within five years, the opposition's…

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Marcos Jr. wins ruling on eligibility to run in Philippine poll

MANILA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The Philippines' election commission on Monday rejected a complaint seeking to block the presidential bid of the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, ruling…

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Portugal’s ruling Socialists lead polls ahead of election but lack majority

Portugal's ruling Socialists extended their lead in a new opinion poll ahead of a Jan. 30 snap election but remained short of a majority, while another survey showed the main…

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Lula holds big lead in Brazil as voters worry about inflation, COVID-19

BRASILIA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva retains a clear lead for this year's presidential election in Brazil, where inflation and the resurgence of…

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Second round of French election could see conservative Pecresse level with Macron -poll

PARIS, Jan 12 (Reuters) - French conservative right-wing politician Valerie Pecresse is seen tying with President Emmanuel Macron in a second round of the 2022 presidential election, according to a…

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Hungary sets April 3 election

Hungary will hold an election on April 3 where nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of Europe's longest-serving leaders and a foe of immigration, will face a close race against…

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Valerie Pecresse, the conservative who could become France’s first woman president

Fifteen years ago, Valerie Pecresse quelled a student uprising over her university reforms with the same blend of consensus-building politics and reformist mettle that she believes will now propel her…

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French conservative lawmaker defects to Zemmour’s presidential bid

PARIS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A conservative lawmaker who until last year was No. 2 in the centre-right Les Republicains party on Sunday said he was defecting to join the…

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Cyprus foreign minister quits in presidential succession battle

NICOSIA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday he had tendered his resignation, in an internal power struggle within the ruling right-wing conservatives on their…

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