When it comes to(谈到，就……而言) Europe’s economy or its peace and security, it is obvious that decision-making has to be done largely at the European level to be meaningful. Yet electoral politics is still conducted mostly at the national level. The silver lining(一线希望，黑暗中的光明) of this mismatch(错位，不匹配) is that from country to country in Europe we have governments with different political priorities and leanings(倾向，偏向). Unlike in the US, where one presidential election can radically change the entire country’s course, as we have seen so vividly under Donald Trump’s leadership, the same drama has not so far unfolded in Europe.(与美国不同——一场总统选举就能彻底改变整个国家的走向，正如特朗普执政期间我们生动目睹的那样——同样的剧情迄今尚未在欧洲上演。) This may be about to change.
就欧洲的经济、和平与安全而言，决策显然必须在欧洲层面做出才有意义。然而，选举政治却仍主要在国家层面进行。这种错位带来的一线希望是，欧洲各国政府有着不同的政治优先事项和倾向。在美国，一场总统选举就能彻底改变整个国家的走向——特朗普执政期间我们已经生动地看到了这一点——而在欧洲，同样的剧情迄今尚未上演。但这种情况可能即将改变。
Pedro Sánchez rolled the dice(掷骰子，冒险一搏) in Spain last week, calling a snap election(提前大选，临时选举) for next month after an unholy alliance(邪恶联盟，不神圣的结盟) of the conservative People’s party (PP), the far-right Vox and Catalan pro-independence party Junts blocked his big housing reform package in parliament. If the socialist prime minister, hailed by progressives globally but demonised by Europe’s right and Trump’s US, loses his election gamble, Spain could fall into the hands of a conservative/far-right coalition, which is currently ahead in the polls.(如果这位在全球进步派中备受赞誉、却被欧洲右翼和特朗普治下的美国妖魔化的社会主义首相输掉这场选举豪赌，西班牙可能落入目前民调领先的保守派/极右翼联盟手中。)
上周，佩德罗·桑切斯在西班牙掷下骰子，宣布下月提前举行大选。此前，保守派人民党（PP）、极右翼呼声党（Vox）和加泰罗尼亚独立派政党“一起为了加泰罗尼亚”（Junts）组成的“邪恶联盟”在议会否决了他提出的大规模住房改革方案。这位社会主义首相在全球进步派中备受赞誉，却被欧洲右翼和特朗普治下的美国妖魔化。如果他这场选举豪赌失败，西班牙可能落入目前民调领先的保守派/极右翼联盟手中。
In addition to Spain, France, Italy, Poland, Finland, Greece, Estonia and Slovakia will all head to the polls(前往投票站，参加选举) in the coming year. The four largest of these, France, Italy, Poland and Spain, could see far-right or nationalist populist(民粹主义的，民粹派) parties either confirmed in power (Italy), returned to it (Poland) or elected for the first time (France and Spain). This could dramatically change the face of Europe.
除西班牙外，法国、意大利、波兰、芬兰、希腊、爱沙尼亚和斯洛伐克都将在未来一年内走向投票站。其中最大的四个国家——法国、意大利、波兰和西班牙——可能见证极右翼或民族主义民粹政党要么巩固权力（意大利），要么重新掌权（波兰），要么首次当选（法国和西班牙）。这可能会彻底改变欧洲的面貌。