Elections

Bulgaria's Parliament will hold an extraordinary sitting on a proposal for a referendum on election rules on Tuesday.

Parliament Speaker Mihail Mikov scheduled the extraordinary sitting for Tuesday at 2 pm.

The referendum proposal was initiated by Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and was backed by an initiative committee.

Bulgaria's Parliament is to convene on Tuesday, with a proposal to hold a referendum on voting rules set a single issue on the agenda.

Lawmakers were initially poised to discuss on Thursday a referendum petition allowing citizens to have their say on majority elections system, mandatory voting, and e-voting, but lack of quorum hindered the session.

Co-ruling Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS)'s leader Lyutvi Mestan described compulsory voting as a "cynical" idea that would bring harm to Bulgarian politics.

"Mandatory voting will hurt the DPS. It also hurt the political system and will not treat, but only deepen its defects," private channel bTV quoted Mestan as saying before entering Parliament Thursday.

The right-wing campaigning group that pushed successfully last year for a referendum outlawing the possibility of gay marriage is now turning its attention to electoral reform.

On Wednesday, Zeljka Markic, a member of In the Name of the Family, announced that they were collecting signatures for the referendum on the way people vote.

Bulgarian MPs are to discuss two proposals for a national referendum.

Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Mihail Mikov has promised that the referendum on voting rules proposed January is to be put onto MPs' agenda this week.

His announcement comes nearly five months after President Rosen Plevneliev suggested that a national poll should be held on three key issues: the introduction of a majority election system, mandatory voting, and e-voting.

Communication may improve voter interest in EU elections, analysts say

Analysts debate what the Union can do to engage Balkan voters.

Turnout in EU Parliament elections can be increased through better communication with citizens, analysts said, after statistics showed that most voters chose not to cast ballots last month.

Macedonian leaders are contemplating holding new elections for seats vacated by the opposition in parliament.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski who is holding talks on forming a new government, on Tuesday said that after the opposition MPs resigned, parliament "has no choice but to verify those resignations at the next session and call fresh elections for the vacant seats".

Thousands of Spaniards gathered in the capital Madrid to call for a referendum on the future of the monarchy.

In total, more than 60 rallies were staged across the country, shortly after King Juan Carlos, who had ruled since 1975, announced his decision to abdicate. Demonstrators waved republican flags and shouted slogans against the monarchy.

A major military exercise was conducted last week. During the exercise, which the prime minister also watched, Chief of General Staff Necdet Özel delivered a speech: