February 2nd: Gagauzia highlighting own voice in Moldova

Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia intends to hold a twofold consultative referendum. On the first question, Gagauz authorities will ask voters whether they prefer Moldova to pursue integration into the European Union or in the prospective, Russian-led Eurasian Union. In the second one, citizens will give their opinion on a proposed Gagauzian bill according to which Gagauzia will automatically declare independence if Moldova ever joins Romania.

February 16th: Myriad of pro-independence candidates in Sardinia

Sardinians go to the polls to renew their autonomous Assembly and to elect a new President. Current President Ugo Cappellacci (Italian centre-right) stands for re-election. Contenders include the Democratic Party (Italian center-left) candidate, the 5 Star Movement (Beppe Grillo's party) candidate and several pro-independence leaders. Among them, probably the most prominent one is writer Michela Murgia, who stands in front of Possible Sardinia party. Other pro-independence candidates include Pier Franco Devias (Pro-Independence United Front) and Cristina Puddu (MERIS), and there could be even two more, those fielded by the Party of Sardinians and Independence Republic of Sardinia. There is also a regionalist list, commanded by Franco Pili (former Sardinian President and former member of Berlusconi's People of Freedom).

March 30th: New test for the Kurdish movement

Local elections in Turkey will be again a good barometer to see the Kurdish movement's shape, especially after the process of convergence of the main Kurdish party (BDP) and the party of the Turkish alternative left (HDP). Although the two parties have decided to stand together in the 2015 parliamentary election, they still run separately in 2014: the BDP will field candidates in the manily Kurdish regions, while the HDP will do the same in other areas of Turkey -including Istanbul, where a very large Kurdish community is found.

May 22nd-25th: the great European week

Never before had the citizens of 28 European states been called simultaneously to the polls. The composition of the European Parliament needs to be renewed, and this time it is quite predictable that the resulting make-up of the next Parliament will be more fragmented than now. Polls predict the growth of parties who are critical of the current functioning of the EU, which would reduce the weight of the two largest groups -the Social Democratic and the Popular. In many stateless nations, the election will also be interpreted from a local point of view.

May 25th: Belgium will no longer be the same?

Coincidint with the European election, Belgium will also choose the federal, the regional and the community parliaments, including the Flemish Parliament. The main pro-independence Flemish party, the New Flemish Alliance, understands those elections as a plebiscite on the future of Belgium. The party says its victory -which is predicted by opinion polls- will open the door to a new state reform leading to the establishment of a confederate Belgium.

Spring: an examination for Hungarian nationalism

Although no specific date has been set, Hungarians will be called in Spring to renew their Parliament. It will be a test to rampant Hungarian nationalism,  exhibited both by the ruling rightist Fidesz and by ultranationalist Jobbik, currently the third strongest party in Parliament. It is also to be seen which level of support is able to gather the new Roma Party, which a few weeks ago announced that would field its own candidates.

September 18th: Scotland decides

As agreed by the Scottish and UK governments, Scotland will decide whether to pursue independence or to continue as an autonomous UK country instead. Opinion polls say "no" to independence will win, but also agree that "yes" is slightly narrowing the gap. The Scottish Government says that if "yes" wins, Scotland will remain within the EU and NATO. The UK Government replies that the permanence of Scotland in the EU is not guaranteed.

October 5th: A new portrait of Bosnia

Usually dominated by ethnic Bosniak, Serbian and Croatian parties Bosnian, the political panorama in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be put to a new test through the renewal of its Parliament. The EU insists Bosnian politicians to implement structural reforms to make the country more governable, including an end to discrimination against citizens who do not belong to any of the three major ethnic groups. This demand has not yet found fulfillment.

November 9th: Catalonia's consultative referendum (if possible)

After years of protests by pro-independence civil society organizations, the Catalan Government has agreed to call a consultative referendum on Catalan independence. The referendum will include two questions: the first one will ask citizens whether Catalonia should be a state of its own, and the second one, if that Catalan state should be independent. The Spanish Government, however, insists that the referendum will not be held because it is illegal. Madrid has promised to use all the means at its disposal to prevent it.

November: yet another battle for Moldova

With no precise date, Moldova will probably go to the polls in November to renew its Parliament. The election appears as a new battle over the future of the country, especially after the signing of the Association Agreement between the current Moldovan Government and the European Union. The pro-European coalition that currently rules the country will try to maintain power, while the Communist Party will seek to regain it and to strengthen ties with Russia. In the middle of this, the Transnistrian conflict is still unresolved.

(Picture: a person votes in an election in France / image by Rama.)