Over the weekend of Oct. 25 – Oct. 27, 2024, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Lithuania held parliamentary elections and Japan – general elections. The results bring little to no certainty of political stability in all countries.

In Japan, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called for general elections in late September. The snap elections were organized as a result of Ishiba being voted in as prime minister after the resignation of his predecessor Fumio Kishida and the subsequent early dissolution of the House of Representatives. While estimates for the results early on were projecting a smooth win over the lower house of the Japanese parliament for Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the popularity it had regained after Ishiba’s victory did not hold on Oct. 27. Exit polls reported by the broadcaster NHK show that LDP had lost the confidence of the electorate and was to suffer a severe blow. The party will struggle to hold its majority and reach its goal of achieving an “absolute majority” of 261 seats. There is a felt rise of uncertainty over the makeup of the Japanese government.

Georgia held parliamentary elections on Saturday, Oct. 26. The ruling Georgian Dream party won with 54% of the vote, but the results are contested by its opposition and the public. The pro-European Union (EU) opposition has already announced protests in response to the Georgian Dream victory. The pro-Russian leader of the parliament is said to put the talks of Georgia becoming an EU member on hold. International observers have said the results hold clear evidence of “democratic backsliding” in the conduct of the elections. Far-right European leaders voiced their support to Georgian Dream, most notably the pro-Russian Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, who congratulated Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze on the platform X, saying that the “people of Georgia know what is best for their country, and made their voice heard today!”. Observers noted that Orban posted his congratulations way ahead of the conclusion of the counting of the votes, alluding to an unfair election process. In Lithuania, voters headed back to the polls for the run-off election on Sunday, Oct. 27. The first round, held on Oct. 13, saw the Social Democrats (SD) party lead ahead of the current ruling conservative Homeland Union party. The run-off elections are expected to cement their victory. Lithuanians voted with the threat of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which was supported by Lithuania’s neighbor and avid Russian ally Belarus, in mind. SD won the favor of the electorate with its promise to tackle the growing inequality in the country by imposing higher taxes on the wealthier Lithuanians and to ensure the national security and welfare of Lithuania.

Bulgarians went into their seventh snap elections in the last three years on Sunday as well. The elections were called after the failure of the parties elected in the last elections on June 9, 2024, to form a government. Voting stations have seen significant drops in the turnout with each subsequent election, with only 10% of Bulgarians reporting being trusting of the electoral and democratic processes, compared to the European average of 62%. As of exit polls at 7 p.m. of the election day, the polls saw a 33% turnout and no change in the leading parties from the previous election. Bulgaria’s internal political problems are stalling the country’s full entry into the Schengen zone and the eurozone, and the rise of far-right pro-Russian parties is creating greater uncertainty and division in terms of the direction the government is going to lead the country. International media, like AP, Le Monde and Reuters among others, report low confidence in Bulgaria’s ability to escape the “political deadlock” it finds itself in. Yana Peeva is Editor-in-Chief. Email them at feedback@thegazelle.com.