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Lilith Verstrynge, former party secretary of Podemos, and daughter of a Belgian politician, describes the rise and collapse of Podemos, a popular party in Spain in a coalition duringthe Covid years with the Socialist party in Spain led by Pedro Sanchez. A 31 year old who now teaches in Paris describes Podemos- a social movement based on online support and no organization under Pablo Iglesias which collapses in Spain by 2024. Podemos or translated into Spanish as "We Can" emerged from the 2009 banking speculation caused financial crisis and the years that followed with the Eurozone financial crisis which entangled the economies of Spain, Ireland, UK, Greece, and other nations in the European Union. As he crisis receded and with action taken under Pedro Sanchez's Socialist government in the areas of housing, support services, and the economy, as the economy improved the movement gradually fizzled out. Under Sanchez the Catalonian independence movement also receded with elections in Barcelona and Catalonia brining to power a socialist government. This period in Spanish political upheaval is described by Verstrynge in The Guardian, who retired from politics in her early 30's as a result. She says without any organizational structure to support such online movements once the initial surge in interest is passed there is no way to sustain it. ...

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It is only 10 days from the Thursday July 4 election night and Keir Starmer went to work immediately Here is what he said today: "My new cabinet hit the ground running. We’ve lifted the ban on onshore wind. We’ve created a national wealth fund to invest in and grow our economy. We’ve met NHS bosses to get the 40,000 extra NHS appointments we need each week and 700,000 urgent dental appointments up and running as quickly as possible. The Department for Education is resuming and expanding its recruitment campaign to kickstart our promise to hire 6,500 new teachers. We’re taking emergency measures to pull the justice system back from the brink of collapse. And, on day one, we scrapped the Rwanda gimmick and began setting up a new Border Security Command to smash the people-smuggling gangs for good. Now is the time for politics as public service. A government committed not to its self-preservation but to uniting the country in the shared mission of national renewal. The start of the road back to restoring people’s hope and faith that politics can be a force for good. No more gimmicks, lies and self-serving self-obsession – this government knows we have a duty to the people we are elected to serve." ...

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Annalena Baerbock, 44 years, of the Greens is Germany's nominee for president of UN General Assembly in 2025. She was nominated by chancellor Scholz. As a leader of the Greens and in the coalition government of chancellor Scholz she has tried to show that Germany is a modernizing nation and innovative more than is seen in its political class. As one of the youngest politicians she has presented Germany in a new way as a young face for Europe. DW.com shows the evolution of the Greens as a party since the 1980's. Baerbock joined the Greens at age 25, four years later in 2010 she was head of the Brandenburg state section of the party, becoming a board member of the European Green party. She is still only 44 years old. She studied public law and political science in Hamburg, and gained a Masters degree in international law at the London School of Economics, one of Germany's first leading politicians to study in Britain. She started studies for a Doctorate at the Free University of Berlin, which she left in 2013 as she was elected to the Bundestag. By 2021 Annalena Baerbock was with Robert Habeck co-leader of the party heading into the general election. At one point the Greens were polling 5 months before the 2021 election at 27% with Annalena Baerbock running for chancellor against Armin Laschet of CDU and ahead of the CDU by 3 points in Sonntag poll. The Greens came in at 15% of the vote in 2021 dropping slightly to 12% in 2025. This time the Greens will sit in the parliamentary opposition headed by Robert Habeck. ...

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Where are the building blocks of community, democracy, and politics these days? In 1900 there were 24000 weekly and daily newspapers in the US, in 2023 6000 newspapers with more disappearing every week.The local papers in each state covered misuse of funds knowing that these funds could go to a library or school, they also covered who was running for which office making local elections meaningful. They are sorely missed for keeping alive local communities and democratic participation without polarization, says Serge Schmemann in NYT, who started out himself in a local New Jersey newspaper, News Tribune in Woodbridge, NJ. Shown is a map of every state with its number of papers.

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The local elections in Turkey with the AKP winning 46% of the vote, the CHP 28%, after 80% of the votes were counted on March 30, 2014. The AKP retained control of the mayors position in Istanbul where Erdogan made his start in politics. With a little less than half the vote going to opposition parties and the suppression of the media by the Erdogan government, Turkey remains as divided as ever. Turkey's economic boom on which Erdogan stakes his claim to govern has depended on a credit boom based on foreign capital inflows and foreign investment. The crisis in emerging markets has reduced foreign capital inflows, the political divisions have reduced inflows even further, creating serious economic risks for Turkey that Erdogan and AKP appear to be oblivious to.

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The Trump indictment under RICO or racketeer laws draws this reaction in the WSJ. WSJ says the alleged behaviour was rotten, but does it gain credibility by being prosecuted under racketeer laws. It describes the Trump response as more delusional than criminal- that a decisive share of Republicans in suburbs did not want Mr. Trump for four more years. WSJ Editorial Board view is that there is no defending the conduct undermining confidence in the election result in 2020 and it would be a mistake for Republicans to try.

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New York Governor Hochul says "judges should have more authority to set bail and detain dangerous defendants." The rise in crime in New York as a result of a law that eliminated bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies passed 4 years ago, may have cost Democrats several seats in the US House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm election, leading to a virtual tie with Republicans in the House.

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The pent up energy from 4 years in the Opposition and the preparation made in the months before the election for the first days in office are reasons cited for the speed in which executive orders were issued on the first day. Another reason is that the president's popularity is high following the election in November and it is likely to slip in the months ahead leading to possible loss of one or both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the midterms of 2026. The president signed executive orders to declare a national emergency at the US Border, to designate gangs and drug traffickers as terrorist organizations, end birthright citizenship, as actions to deliver for the 87% of people in the Pew Research poll and similar numbers in NYT poll who want the US Border and immigration under control. Other actions were about the fentanyl flows from China, Mexico and Canada, not enough is being done by these countries causing 105,000 deaths in 2023 and 107,000 deaths in 2022 alone. When the Vietnam War led to 60,000 deaths there was a huge outcry, nowadays heads of responding agencies have no serious answers, the nation is not in a uproar as it should be. This is what the tariffs are about and this is why the American people do not see tariffs in the way they were used in beggar thy neighbor policy during the Hoover administration of the 1930's. Cities such as Baltimore are hardest hit. Almost every county in America is hit from Knox County Tennessee, Multnomah Oregon, San Francisco California, Camden NJ, Bronx NY, Bernalillo New Mexico, Jefferson Alabama, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Jefferson Kentucky, Denver Colorado, Milwaukee Wisconsin, Jefferson Alabama, Bernalillo New Mexico, Camden NJ, Bronx NY.   ...

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South Korea prepares for new elections with about a third or quarter of the people strongly supporting Yoon whose impeachment was upheld by the Constitutional Court April 4, 2025. Adjoining BBC Special Report shows how Yoon went astray. The gist also shows how South Korean democracy is only since 1988 compared to India's 1948, and how India's democratic traditions were formed under the Birtish with representation in parliament, first British then Indian, and in state assemblies in the 1930's, under Nehru in 1950's.

Today with the US imposing 25% tariffs on South Korea there is no government to make a response or strategy to deal with this.

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China believes Taiwan is part of one country with different systems, yet president Xi's words to former Taiwan president Ma in Beijing on March 9, 2024 suggest China is moderating its stance with Taiwan, reliant more on persuasion after the air and sea blockades during the pandemic. Xi met Ma in 2015 in Singapore when both affirmed the unity of both countries. Taiwan under the Progressives who now have won for a third time sees itself as a separate country and Xi sees Taiwan as a part of China.  Ma's colleague lost the recent election to  Lai Ching-Te of the Democratic Progressive Party. Issues in the election were cost of housing and the economy.  Xi said the 1992 Consensus still holds for Taiwan, a former Japanese colony just across the straits from mainland China under that consensus it was accepted as one country with different systems. Xi said: “Compatriots on both sides of the strait are Chinese... The difference in systems does not alter the objective fact that the two sides of the strait are of one country and one nation.” ...

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Finland faces a severe shortage of workers with about 60% of positions unfilled in the larger Helsinki area. About 100,000 new tech positions will have to be filled. In other lower wage sectors there is the problem of low wages as there is no minimum wage in Finland with sector by sector negotiation for wages. Far right parties are opposed to immigration. Ukrainian workers have to learn Finnish or English to integrate into the Finnish workplace. Elections will be decided on this issue in 2023.

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Years of failure of politicians in Congress in Brazil, and poor decisions in running the government by the Worker's Party by overspending leaving little money for services, sanitation, health and other priorities, leads to Brazil turning to a former army officer in the 2018 elections. Corruption charges with collusion of politicians and the state owned oil company on contracts known as the Car Wash scandal further damaged the reputation of politicians in the Worker's Party. Jair Bolsonaro was elected to Brazil's Congress in 1990 after a short period in the military at a time when democratic institutions were being restored in Brazil following decades of military dictatorship. By 2014 after two terms in office the Worker's Party led by a former automobile plant worker Da Silva had lost popular support with overspending, failure to upgrade public services and neglect of basic infrastructure such as sanitation, leading to widespread protests. In the 2014 congressional elections Bolsonaro won by nearly 500,000 votes, leading to his bid to run for president from a small party which had the support of Brazil's military. The military played a role in supporting the Getulio Vargas administration from 1930-1945, which pushed industrialization in Brazil and set minimum wage, workers rights. Democracy was restored by 1945 after Brazil sided with the U.S. in the war. In 1964 the administration of Joao Goulart was overthrown in a military coup after popular discontent and protests. Democracy was restored in 1985 with centrist parties playing apart till the election of the Worker's Party under Ignacio Lula in 2008. Six years into his administration by 2014 issues of overspending and poor management of public services led to loss of popular support for the Workers Party as the public looked for alternatives to combat crime, improve public services and address problems of lack of spending on sanitation, public services, health care. The collapse of the commodities pricing boom led to higher unemployment and a shrinking economy leading to unrest and public protests.  ...

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A bill passed in the House and now going to the Senate in the US will put a tax on remittances of 3.5% for people who are not US citizens or nationals. It was at 5% but lowered to 3.5% just before the vote. 

Total remittances from the US in 2023 are  $656 billion, according to the World Bank. Total remittances to Africa from US $12 billion of $92 billion total. DW.com shows a family outside Accra, Ghana depending on these remittances for food, medicine and education.

An out of control migrant problem with tens of millions of migrants flooding the US and Europe became a major issue in the 2024 US election. Voters clearly supported strong action to control migration and human smuggling across borders.

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The political fragility of the government in Greece led by the New Democracy Party. Polls for European parliament elections in 2014 show New Democracy with 19.5% support, Syriza with 20.2%, the new Centrist River Party 8.8% and Pasok down to 5.5%. Few alternatives exist to the Samaras coalition government. Economic progress is still fragile as a return to growth will take time. Both German chancellor Merkel and premier Samaras are sensitive to this situation, not wanting to upset the tangible gains made so far.

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Mr. Newsom's win by a large margin in California's Governor recall election suggests a new approach might work for Democrats in pushing back on Republican challenges. This is to focus on the Covid 19 efforts of government and make Mr. Trump the issue to generate enthusiasm among Democrats. US president Biden says the Newsom victory is a result of voters supporting the approach taken by Democrats for response to the pandemic: "strong vaccine requirements, strong steps to reopen schools safely, and strong plans to distribute real medicines." The California governor recall election results are that 64% voted for Mr. Newsom, more than the 62% who first elected him governor, and close to the 63% who voted for Mr. Biden in 2020 US presidential election. Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one in California yet the results showed this new approach might work for Democrats- working at the grassroots level to build support and energize its voter base, and to follow its own action based approach to Covid 19. ...

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Germany's chancellor Merkel sees Britain as necessary for Europe and the European spirit. This even though she has differences with British prime minister Cameron on how to elect the new president of the EU following EU parliamentary elections in May 2014. She told the German parliament in June 2014- "Britain is really no cozy partner. Yet Germany and Britain share values and interests. I consider it grossly negligent, in fact unacceptable, how easily some people say that it is really all the same whether Britain goes along or not, or more: whether Britain remains a member of the European Union or not."

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UK's Guardian shows Hope Not Hate detailed analysis of 11342 Reform UK 2025 voters split into 5 categories- Working Right 26% Squeezed Stewards 29% Reluctant Reformers 19% Contrarian youth 9% hardline Conservatives 18%. Squeezed Stewards are middle income voters who have lost patience with illegal migration and UK Conservatives and Labour slow to wake up to how it is having a corrosive effect on UK society. They are a crucial swing vote that could decide the next election in UK if a Labour government falters. These voters care about nature, fairness and local control. It also shows how as Lyrarc shows patience is wearing thin in UK on illegal migration when Denmark's Mette Frederiksen of a socialist Nordic party called for an end to illegal migration 10 years back- Wilders in Netherlands 5 years back. The Working Right and Hard line Conservatives form the core 44% of the vote- the part of workers who are conservative and religion conscious, and the part of the Conservative party's core base shifting to Reform UK. ...

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Just 18% of the US population will decide who is the next president of the US. In 2020 even with a lead of 7 million votes Biden could have lost the election without 45,000 votes in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Arizona. Mrs. Clinton with 2.9 million vote lead lost the Electoral College without 80,000 votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The US Electoral College is unique among western countries and is based on a concept that the passions of the "general mass" of the population should be moderated by giving more power to smaller states. The US president is elected not by a direct vote but by a vote cast by state and its electoral college, and the total electoral college votes determines who won and who lost. The focus is on swingable states of which there were 10 in 2020. 

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People of America reflect on what has the most promise for our future?  Critics have focused so much on delivery on one night to forget what was actually said. The president's message to Congress and the American People of last week is all there for everyone to read. It states what was said in the State of the Union in January 2024 on the floor of Congress with vigor not seen since the days of FDR in 1932. Critics could read the actual text of what Biden said in the debate, and they did nothing of that acting in ways that only the uneducated would do and manipulating information about the president's health in dishonorable ways. Polling is an uncertain business and may be all wrong depending onthe sample and what questions are asked. This was proven true in last week's results of the French election. Where are the people relying on polls who predicted RN National Rally on top when it ended up in third place. The pundits have not reflected on the meaning of the French election and the British election where parties that made cost of living action, fighting for working families, and infrastructure investment coming out on top. Who is going to fight for and take climate change action and going delinquent on climate change is that an answer the American people will make? Who has done the most for climate change action, health care and education? How does the US compete with China without investing at home a fight which president has fought with economic theory from the Reagan/Friedman era that let American industry wither while China took the lead in industry after industry?  ...

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Britain turns to Labour as the lead for Labour party increases to 27 points after Sunak announces the general election will be held on July 4, 2024. What would a Starmer administration look like and how will it meet the expectations of Britain for generational change after the failure of Brexit, and 14 years of austerity policies that failed to invest in Britain and failed to deliver on infrastructure and housing? These are questions not easily answered as Britain's finances are left in a bad state by the Tories for Labour. Starmer is taking the right approach to first get a grasp of the tremendous challenges facing Labour in this situation. It was easy for Boris Johnson and the Tories to make the promises that were never kept and left the British people in the lurch.

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The Truss government UK budget in September 2022 does little for the most vulnerable populations in the cost of living crisis. It also fail to take any significant steps to build up energy supplies. Of all the governments in the G-7 countries France, Germany, Italy, Canada, it is the weakest when it comes to promoting social cohesion or taking action to promote both energy supplies and renewable energy for the transition during climate change. Spain has just introduced a wealth tax for the 1%. Nothing like this is seen here, instead the highest tax of 45% is scrapped at a time when the wealthiest are seen by most people in all the G-7 countries as the most able and even willing today after the pandemic to provide help to the vulnerable and weakest parts of the population. It is seen as delusional by some as it does not inspire much confidence in the financial markets and many in the Conservative party itself. It fails the test even Mr. Boris Johnson set himself of leveling up in Britain between the well off and the less well off in society which led to his election and the election of the Truss government with Johnsopn's support. ...

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The anti-corruption bill for creation of a Lokpal agency passed the lower and upper house of the Indian parliament in December 2013. It was stalled for two years after the efforts of political activist Anna Hazare's protest movement for passage of the bill. With national elections approaching in 2014 and the ruling Congress party's image bruised badly in state elections of Dec. 2013, party leaders decided to support the bill. In the elections in the capital Delhi a anti-corruption party, Aaam Aadmi (for the common man), created only recently, won a major part of the seats. In India corruption hurts not only at the national and local level as in China, but affects the daily life of the common man as bribes are required from ordinary people for anything to get done that requires approval from the huge government bureaucracy. In that sense it takes a toll on economic development and affects the quality of services received by the vast majority of people, which is why the party calls itself "common man."...

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Risk is inherent in investing. It just needs to be understood well and grasped. There is a lesson in here that some risk is necessary, depending on one's risk horizon and it does not have to be Argentine bonds. Argentine 100 year bond and US Treasury 30 year bond returns 2017-2025 show quite a surprise.  50% return for 2017-25 on Argentine 100 year bonds vs -10% on US Treasury 30 year bonds. It shows the nature of emerging market risk says the WSJ- political risk. At one point the Argentine bonds showed a 50% loss, yet investors willing to stick through the downturn did better than expected, much better. The recovery did not start till Jan 2024 though, 7 years later. In this case the risk was the pandemic in addition to political risk of Argentine earlier defaults but the recovery took place years after the pandemic declined and with the election of Milieu as president.

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The nearly unanimous support for president Trump in the impeachment inquiry from Republicans in Congress is a result of strong consistent support from a loyal base, strong fund raising in competitive races for members of Congress who supported Trump, and the sense that the whole process was flawed and part of partisan politics. There was also a sense among members of Congress in the House and Senate that the actions in Ukraine did not rise to the level of impeachable offense.  Throughout the process from the beginning Mr. Trump, Mr. Pence, Mr. McCarthy minority leader in the House and Mr. McConnell majority leader in the Senate stayed engaged with individual members keeping together a tight knit community of legislators. As a result unprecedented action was seen in 2019-2020 with every single Democrat voting for impeachment and every single Republican voting against, and prominent members of each side showing outrage at events or how the proceedings were conducted. Each side even seeing the impeachment inquiry as a strategic step towards the presidential election in 2020. Democrats looking for some slight advantage in the midwestern states that moved the election to Trump the last time. Republicans seeing this as a way to rally the base, play to Mr. Trump's strengths in persuasion, and to vigorously defend the economic achievements in international trade agreements and the economy. ...

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Forsythe describes the process by which the Chief Executive is elected in Hong Kong from a group of 1200 individuals mostly pro-business and loyal to Beijing. This was done under the Basic Law drafted in 1990, a mini-constitution that was the basis of transfer from Britain to China in 1997. In 2007 China's People's Congress promised Hong Kong a "one man, one vote" election for 2017. On August 31, 2014 changes were made to this planned election process to limit candidates to persons approved by Beijing, that was considered unacceptable by the protestors from civil society and the universities.