General elections were held in Denmark on 8 September 1987. The Social Democratic Party remained the largest in the Folketing with 54 of the 179 seats. The Conservative People's Party-led coalition government lost its majority, but since the parties on the left did not have a majority to form their own government, the incumbent government was able to continue as a minority coalition government. Voter turnout was 87% in Denmark proper, 69% in the Faroe Islands and 45% in Greenland.
General elections were held in Denmark on 10 January 1984, after the opposition voted against the centre-right four-party government's state budget bill. Although the Social Democratic Party remained the largest in the Folketing with 56 of the 179 seats, the Conservative People's Party achieved its best-ever result, gaining 16 seats. The coalition partners Venstre and the Christian People's Party also increased their representation, although the fourth government party, the Centre Democrats, lost seven of their 15 seats. Overall the coalition government won three more seats, and Poul Schlüter continued as prime minister.
General elections were held in Denmark on 8 December 1981. The election was followed by a two-week crisis over the formation of a new government before the Social Democratic Party resumed its minority government.
Early parliamentary elections were held in Austria on 23 November 1986. They were called by Chancellor Franz Vranitzky of the Socialist Party (SPÖ), as he was not prepared to continue the coalition government with new Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Jörg Haider, who had ousted Norbert Steger at the party convention.
Parliamentary elections were held in Austria on 24 April 1983. The result was a victory for the Socialist Party, which won 90 of the 183 seats. However, the Socialists lost the outright majority they had held since 1971, prompting Bruno Kreisky to stand down as SPÖ leader and Chancellor in favour of Fred Sinowatz. The SPÖ stayed in office by entering into a coalition government with the Freedom Party of Austria, which at this point was a liberal party. Voter turnout was 93%.
General elections were held in Sweden on 19 September 1982. They saw the return of the Swedish Social Democratic Party to power after six years in opposition, the longest period in opposition by the Social Democrats since the 1910s. The center-right coalition of Thorbjörn Fälldin had earlier suffered a loss upon the breakup of the government in 1981, the year before the election, when the rightist Moderate Party chose to withdraw from the government, protesting against the centrist tax policies of the Fälldin government. After regaining power, Social Democratic leader Olof Palme succeeded in being elected Prime Minister again, having earlier held power between 1969 and 1976.
General elections were held in Sweden on 15 September 1985. The Swedish Social Democratic Party remained the largest party in the Riksdag, winning 159 of the 349 seats. Incumbent prime minister Olof Palme of the Social Democrats was able form a minority government with support from the Left Party Communists. However, Palme was assassinated in 1986.
Early presidential elections were held in Ukraine on 26 June 1994, with a second round on 10 July. They were held ahead of schedule following a compromise between President Leonid Kravchuk and the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament. The elections saw Kravchuk defeated by his former Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma. They were the first presidential elections in the Commonwealth of Independent States in which the incumbent was defeated.
Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 17 March 1991, the first time a Finnish parliamentary election had been held on a single day. For the first time since 1962 the Social Democratic Party was displaced as the largest party in the Eduskunta, with the Centre Party winning 55 seats and forming the first centre-right, non-social democratic government since 1964, with Esko Aho as Prime Minister.
A referendum on the enlargement of the European Communities (EC) was held in France on 23 April 1972. Voters were asked whether they approved of Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom joining the EC, although Norway later voted in its own referendum not to join. The proposals were approved by 68.3% of voters, with a turnout of 60.2%.
General elections were held in Belgium on 8 November 1981. Voter turnout was 94.5% in the Chamber election and 94.6% in the Senate election. Elections were also held for the nine provincial councils and for the Council of the German Cultural Community. They were the first elections after the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. This contributed to the success of the socialist parties and the green parties.
A referendum on joining the Eurozone was held in Denmark on 28 September 2000. It was rejected by 53.2% of voters with a turnout of 87.6%.
A referendum on the Amsterdam Treaty was held in Denmark on 28 May 1998. It was approved by 55.1% of voters with a turnout of 76.2%. The treaty subsequently came into effect on 1 May 1999.
Parliamentary elections were held in Hungary on 8 May 1994, with a second round of voting in 174 of the 176 single member constituencies on 29 May. They resulted in the return to power of the Hungarian Socialist Party, the former Communist party, under the leadership of Gyula Horn, who became prime minister. The Socialists achieved a remarkable revival, winning an overall majority of 209 seats out of 386, up from 33 in 1990.
General elections were held in Malta on 9 May 1987. The Nationalist Party won a majority of votes and won a one-seat majority in the unicameral legislature. Although the Nationalist Party received the most votes, the Malta Labour Party won a majority of seats. However, in accordance with the modifications made to the electoral system following a similar outcome in the 1981 elections, the Nationalist Party was awarded an extra four seats in order to give them a parliamentary majority.
A referendum on the Spanish NATO membership was held in Spain on Wednesday, 12 March 1986. Voters were asked whether they ratified the national Government's proposal for the country remaining a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which it had joined in 1982.
Supreme Soviet elections were held in the Soviet Union on 4 March 1984. The elections were called on December 16, 1983. The elections were not free and fair, as there was no genuine competition and no meaningful choice for voters to make.
A referendum to restore the sliding wage scale was held in Italy on 9 June 1985.
A referendum on the use of nuclear power was held in Austria on 5 November 1978. Voters were asked whether they approved a law allowing the peaceful use of nuclear power, particularly relating to the start-up of the Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant. Voters narrowly rejected it, with 50.5% voting against. As a result, although the Power Plant was finished, it never operated and has been repurposed for various projects over the years.
Parliamentary elections were held in Cyprus on 8 December 1985. The result was a victory for the Democratic Rally, which won 19 of the 56 seats. Voter turnout was 95%.
