System needs more citizen participation

Some current news about coalition governments.

Norway. The Christian Democrats opened talks on teaming up with the opposition Labour Party to defeat the Conservative-led government. Prime minister intervened, offering to discuss tightening abortion rules.

Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu is asked by coalition members to hold a snap election after the resignation of the defence minister, who quit over what he described as the government’s too-soft policy on an upsurge of cross-border violence with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

Sweden. The election on Sept. 9 delivered a hung parliament with the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats holding the balance of power. Neither the centre-left nor centre-right bloc is willing to do a deal with them. Parliament vote in November failed to decide a government.

Germany. It took Angela Merkel more than five months to form a coalition government after the September 2017 federal election. Her conservatives settled a row over migration that threatened to topple her fragile governing coalition after talks with her rebellious interior minister led him to drop his threat to resign.

Italy. After 88 days of negotiations and several impasses, law professor Guiseppe Conte was appointed as prime minister with support from the League and the Five Star Movement, even though he never ran for the Italian parliament, forming the 66th Italian government since 1945.

Great Britain. Theresa May’s coalition government at risk of falling over the Brexit agreement.

Proportional representation will not improve our governance. The active participation of informed citizens will.

Don Cal Victoria