Double Carpet’s Xmas International Quiz
Following in the footsteps of StJohn’s crossword and Rod Crosby’s UK political quiz, please see below an international quiz which should hopefully get a few heads scratched. I won’t be around to comment on answers as they come through, but will aim to be back on later this evening when I’ll present a full set of results. There are no prizes, but as Peter Snow used to say, “it’s just a bit of fun…”
1. Which book features canine characters based on members of Harold Wilson’s Cabinet?
2. Which country limits its politicians to a single term only?
3. Before Merkel, who was the last German Chancellor to preside over a Grand Coalition?
4. What is the “donkey vote” and where would you find it?
5. “So dumb he can’t fart and chew gum at the same time” was whose unflattering assessment of whom?
6. Name the French PMs to have served during periods of cohabitation during the Fifth Republic.
7. Electoral maps from which country include an area shaded grey representing a monastic enclave?
8. What is the electoral threshold to secure representation in a) the Knesset b) the Dutch Tweede Kamer?
9. Convergence and Union is the name of the main nationalist party in which region?10. In which country in the last 10 years did a party finishing third in the popular vote go on to provide the next head of government?
11. Which US state has parishes instead of counties?
12. Who is the only PM to have served longer than Berlusconi since the founding of the Italian Republic?
13. Which party is represented on ballots by a hand?
14. In which country does the translation of the Liberals’ name literally mean “Left”, although they are now a party of the centre-right?
15. In which established democracy is there currently a coalition government despite the fact that a single-party government would have a comfortable majority?
16. In which country are both main party leaders relatives of former PMs?
17. The current leader of which country has been likened to Harry Potter?
18. What is the connection between Cavan-Monaghan, Lozère, Schiermonnikoog, and Vorarlberg?
19. Which country has a new President every year and had the same party composition of the Cabinet from 1959-2003?
20. Not at all in the spirit of Christmas, who described whom, his predecessor as party leader, as “a lying c*** with a limited future”?
21. Where a) did the current president succeed their spouse in office and b) are the presidential election results generally available abroad first?
All the best for 2009.
Gaza coverage:
Double Carpet