elections

  Elections are supposed to change things. And in one sense, they do: when a populist government loses power, the rhetoric changes almost overnight. The speeches shift in tone, the enemy-of-the-people framing disappears, and international observers breathe a collective sigh of relief. But rhetoric is not policy. And policy, it turns out, is far stickier […]

  Hungary’s April 12 election, which delivered a landslide victory for the opposition Tisza party, reflects deep economic dissatisfaction. Tisza’s leader, Peter Magyar, proved an effective campaigner. Yet ideologically, the divide is less stark than often portrayed – both major camps are rooted in Christian-conservative traditions. The transition going smoothly: Prime Minister Viktor Orban congratulated his successor. The […]

  In early 2025, revelations emerged that Argentine President Javier Milei had promoted $LIBRA, a cryptocurrency that subsequently collapsed and left thousands of investors with significant losses. The evidence that came to light over the last few days points to a knowingly and voluntarily participation by the president and his closest staff. For many outside observers, the […]

  Germany’s third-largest state, Baden-Wurttemberg, held its election on March 8, 2026. Baden-Wurttemberg is the only German state where the Greens have been the leading party for the past 15 years, under their popular prime minister, Winfried Kretschmann. Although Mr. Kretschmann – who did not seek reelection – was known for disciplined pragmatism rather than […]

  In Berlin, the Social Democratic Party, which took a drubbing in recent elections, dominates the governing program of the coming four years. Policies that were rejected by the majority of voters will continue with some lukewarm adjustments. Likewise, in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron, having lost center and left voters in the last French national […]