In political science, a snap election is any poll that takes place before the end of the normal term of the legislature. But some snap elections are snappier than others. And sometimes they backfire on the party that forces them.
Europe is in the throes of a wave of snap elections this year due to the collapse of shaky coalitions in Bulgaria, Montenegro, Slovakia and the Netherlands, and due to a political gamble by the prime minister in Spain.
Snap elections are most often triggered when a government loses its majority in parliament due to defections, by-elections or scandals, or because parties in a ruling coalition no longer agree on key policies. In some countries such as the UK, France, Spain, Canada or Australia, the prime minister or president has the power to trigger an election at will when the political circumstances seem advantageous, or to limit losses when the government is facing headwinds.
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