Since Liberal Democracy defeated Communism in the 1990s, the idea that elected leaders govern the country is considered the heart of any modern state. And when speaking of modern states, one automatically pictures Europe in mind. But if we take a look at the recent European governmental timeline, the red flags infixed there might change our idea of democratically run governments.
During the last 10 years, many European countries have gone through a months-long phase without any functional government. Here, we have compiled a list of 6 countries that managed to survive without any government.
1. Italy:
Italians, who humorously coined the term “you’re better off the government,” went through 58 days without a government. Following the march 2018 elections, Matteo Salvini of Lega Nord and Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement agreed to form a coalition of government.
However, due to the problem of the Minister of the Economy and Finance, this did not happen until nearly 3 months later. Both parties had proposed Paolo Savona as minister of the economy who was in favour of Italy quitting the Euro.
When Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella flatly refused, they finally gave in and replaced Savona as Minister of European Affairs.
2. Belgium:
Belgium, the cockpit of Europe leads this list as it underwent 541 consecutive days without a Government. Between 2010 and 2011, the historic tensions between the Flemish and Walloons and the highly fragmented parliament of Belgium resulted in a year and a half of a political deadlock.
Finally, socialists, liberals and Christian democrats, both Flemish and Walloon, agreed to appoint Elio Di Rupo as Prime Minister.
During this period without a government, although market insecurity and risk premiums skyrocketed, against all odds unemployment and deficit fell whereas minimum wage and GDP increased.
Recently, Belgium once again broke its own record for the longest period without a government which continued for 652 days this time. The government led by former Prime Minister Charles Michel collapsed over inter-party tensions on migration in December 2018.
3. Germany:
After surviving the Treaty of Versailles, Fascism and Potsdam Conference, Germany yet again survived 136 days without a government in 2017.
After the 2017 elections, the social democratic party of Germany refused to renew the grand coalition government with Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union. The political crisis left the country without an executive for months.
Finally, after long and extensive negotiations, social democrat Martin Schulz gave in and accepted a government pact.
4. Moldova:
Moldova, an Eastern European country and former Soviet republic has gone through 528 days without a government due to parliamentary fragmentation, defectors, boycotts and corruption scandals.
Since 2019, the country has been going through a political crisis marked by the absence of a president for 3 years and the lack of a government for a year and a half. The situation took a radical turn when pro-Russians and pro-Europeans decided to form a coalition government.
The socialist and pro-Russian president elected in 2016 made a deal with liberal Maia Sandu, now Prime Minister since 2019 but the acting government declared the new executive illegitimate.
All the same, Moldavia went from having no government to having two in parallel. The second government, however, stepped down under international pressure in June 2019, leaving Maia Sandu alone in the office.
5. Spain:
Spain which includes 17 autonomous regions, went through a phase of 315 days without a government.
When Napoleon invaded in 1808, and during 1936 to 1939 civil war split it, Spain had two governments. But never during the past five centuries was it ever without any. Elections failed to give any party the majority needed to form a government and all attempts at a coalition failed.
The crisis began in 2018 when Spain experienced a political deadlock of almost one year until the inauguration of Mariano Rajoy as president.
6. North Ireland:
Northern Ireland has survived over 1000 days without a government. It is part of the United Kingdom, of the European Union, and has a delegated government with power over the region but can be directly ruled by London if a government agreement is not reached.
Northern Ireland has an unusual political system: The Democratic Party and the nationalists Sinn Féin must divide executive functions so that one cannot govern without the other.
The Northern Ireland Assembly was in a period of suspension until January 2020, after it collapsed in January 2017 due to policy disagreements between its power-sharing leadership, particularly following the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal.
In January 2020, the British and Irish governments agreed on a deal to restore the devolved government in Northern Ireland.
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