Politics
Macron Lost One Election and Immediately Called Another. The Gamble Is Whether Giving Voters More Power Can Cost Him His Own.
France is heading towards an election almost nobody expected to be taking place this summer. After Marine Le Pen’s National Rally won roughly 32% of the French vote in the European Parliament election on 9…
The G7 Is Lending Ukraine $50 Billion Against Profits From Frozen Russian Assets. That Sounds Technical. It Is Actually a Major Change in How Economic Power Is Used in War.
The G7 agreed this week to provide Ukraine with roughly $50 billion in new financing, using the future profits generated by frozen Russian sovereign assets as the economic foundation for repayment. Most of Russia’s immobilised…
Narendra Modi Won a Third Term. Indian Voters Also Took Away His Party’s Majority. Both Facts Matter.
Narendra Modi was sworn in today for a third consecutive term as prime minister of India, but he begins that term under a political structure very different from the one that governed India for the…
The ANC Liberated South Africa. Thirty Years Later, Voters Have Told It That History Is Not a Permanent Mandate.
South Africa has just crossed one of the most important political thresholds since the end of apartheid. In the 29 May general election, the African National Congress fell to roughly 40% of the national vote,…
Taiwan Has a New President. China Answered With War Games. The Real Contest Is Over Whether Pressure Changes Political Identity or Hardens It.
Taiwan inaugurated Lai Ching-te as president on 20 May after his victory in January’s election, extending the Democratic Progressive Party’s control of the presidency into a third consecutive term. Four days later, China concluded two…
Iran’s President Has Died. The More Important Question Is Why the Political System Can Continue Without Him.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials were aboard a helicopter that crashed today in mountainous northwestern Iran while returning from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan. As of…
Georgia Says Its New Law Is About Transparency. Protesters Think It Is About Controlling Who Gets to Challenge the Government.
Georgia is experiencing one of the largest political confrontations in its recent history over a proposed “foreign influence” law that would require media organisations and non-commercial groups receiving more than 20% of their funding from…
American Universities Are Being Tested by Gaza Protests. The Hardest Question Is Not Whether Protest Should Be Allowed, but When Institutions Should Stop It.
American universities have become one of the most visible political arenas of the Gaza war. During the past two weeks, pro-Palestinian encampments have spread across campuses demanding ceasefires, divestment from companies linked to Israel and…
China Built Electric Cars the West Wants. Now the Argument Is Whether Being Too Competitive Has Become a Trade Problem.
China’s rise in electric vehicles is becoming one of the clearest tests of whether the global economy is moving away from the free-trade consensus that shaped much of the last three decades. Chinese manufacturers such…
Nearly One Billion Indians Can Vote. The More Important Question Is Whether the World’s Largest Election Is Also Becoming a Fairer One.
India began voting this week in what is, by scale, the largest democratic exercise in human history. Nearly 970 million people are eligible to vote across a seven-phase election running from 19 April to 1…
Iran Just Attacked Israel Directly for the First Time. The Most Dangerous Part Is That Both Sides May Believe They Can Control What Happens Next.
Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles towards Israel overnight on 13–14 April, marking an extraordinary escalation from the decades-long shadow conflict between the two states into direct military confrontation. Israel…
Seven Aid Workers Were Killed in Gaza. The Larger Failure Is That Humanitarian Work Has Become This Dangerous.
Seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen were killed in Gaza on 1 April after their convoy was struck by Israeli forces while travelling in vehicles marked with the organisation’s logo. The group included citizens…
