International
One European elections, twenty-seven national elections: this is how each EU country votes
What at first glance seem to be a unified election for the European Parliament between this Thursday and Sunday are actually 27 different electoral processes, with their rules, thresholds, constituencies and rarities, in the absence of a unified electoral law in all the countries of the European Union as the European Parliament has insistently requested.
The celebration of these elections on four different days is the first detail that attracts attention: it began this Thursday in the Netherlands and on Friday in Ireland and the Czech Republic, which extends the election day until today, Saturday.
Estonia, for its part, has already started with electronic voting this Monday and is the only country that allows it.
But the Czechs are not the only ones who have two days to go to vote; it is also the case of the Italians, who in turn set the record for the latest closing time of the polling stations at eleven on Sunday night.
Most countries, including Spain, attend their polling stations on Sunday the 9th.
Each country also has its own rules regarding the voting margins necessary to get the first seat in the European Parliament: Spain accompanies thirteen other member states that have no threshold, but nine countries (Czech Republic, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) set it at 5%; in Italy, Austria and Sweden it is 4%; in Greece 3% and in Cyprus 1.8%.
Also the alternatives to vote if a citizen is abroad are very different depending on their country of origin: the Czech Republic, Ireland, Malta and Slovakia do not allow to do so, although most countries do offer voting by mail and/or in an embassy or consulate. France, the Netherlands and Belgium also allow the proxy vote, for an authorized person to vote for the absentee.
On the other hand, it is mandatory to go to vote in Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Belgium and Greece, but not in the rest of the Member States. And in Malta, Austria, Belgium and Germany, citizens from the age of 16 will go to the polls, and 17 in the case of those from Greece.
The electoral law remains a competence mainly assigned to national governments and these, as in so many other areas, do not want to cede their sovereignty when organizing their elections as it suits them best because of their national idiosyncrasy: sometimes such simple issues as a local holiday or rules that are already applied in national elections come into play.
The European Parliament has insisted several times on the need to harmonize a series of minimum concepts, especially with a view to reinforcing the European character of these elections, which until now are excessively marked by the dynamics of each country.
Now two years ago, MEPs proposed, for example, that each European citizen should have two votes in the elections to the European Parliament: one equivalent to the current one, for the national lists, and an additional one for a single European constituency of 28 seats whose head of the list would be the candidate for the presidency of the European Commission.
In this proposal they also included that countries with more than 60 seats (Spain, Italy, France and Germany) had a minimum threshold of 3.5%, on May 9 (Europe Day) as a common voting day in all countries every five years and that the lists are compulsorily in zipper format (alternating a man and a woman successively) or with gender quotas to ensure equal representation.
The few characteristics common to all countries are reflected in the European electoral law of 1976, which protects the right of Europeans residing in another EU country to vote and stand for elections in their place of residence, a maximum threshold of 5%, the system of voting lists or transferable single vote and the incompatibilities to be an MEP
International
Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza
Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.
Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.
“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.
Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”
Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..
“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”
She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.
Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.
International
Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions
Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.
“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.
The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.
Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.
The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
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