Leadership

Why Putin Reduced Presidential Powers in Russia

On January 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a slew of changes to the country’s constitution. A few hours later, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and the government resigned to allow the president to make the necessary changes. Mikhail Mishustin was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Russia. Changes in Russia “Under the new ...

Jack Roberts

Vladimir Putin.

The Implications of Taiwan’s Presidential Election

On the evening of January 11, Taiwan’s presidential election came to an end. Incumbent Tsai Ing-wen collected 8.17 million votes, a record in the country’s history, resulting in her being re-elected as president. The United States, Britain, and the EU all congratulated her on her victory. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) intervention in Taiwan failed. ...

Max Lu

The Taiwanese flag.

Tsai Ing-wen Wins Taiwanese Elections

The Taiwanese election results are in and it is something that Beijing won’t be too happy about. Tsai Ing-wen, the current president and a vocal advocate of Taiwan’s democracy, has secured a second term as the leader of the country. She secured about 57 percent of the vote, which put her far ahead of pro-China ...

Max Lu

President Tsai Ing-wen.

Analysis: How Tsai Ing-wen Won the Taiwanese Election (Again)

The results of the recent Taiwanese elections came on like a heart attack for Beijing as pro-democracy candidate Tsai Ing-wen won with a massive 57 percent vote share. This is the biggest election victory for a candidate since presidential elections began in 1996. While Tsai Ing-wen secured over 8 million votes, her closest rival, pro-Beijing ...

Max Lu

Tsai Ing-wen waving to supporters.

British PM Advisor Posts Job Ad Calling for ‘Weirdos’

Dominic Cummings, the advisor to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, recently posted a job advertisement that invited applications from mathematicians, scientists, and “weirdos.” Their task will be to help the Prime Minister attain “rapid progress with long-term problems.” Hiring ‘weirdos’ “We need some true wild cards, artists, people who never went to university and fought ...

Jack Roberts

Dominic Cummings.

How Did Boris Johnson Become Prime Minister of the UK?

After Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party emerged the winner of the December general elections in the UK, many on the left were aghast. The opposition Labour party’s vote share fell by 7 percent when compared to the 2017 election, with the party getting the smallest number of relative Parliamentary seats in more than 80 years. So ...

Jack Roberts

Boris Johnson.

Heated Elections: Taiwan Gets Serious About Fighting Chinese Disinformation

The presidential election in Taiwan is scheduled to be held next month. And China is furiously trying to manipulate it through disinformation so that the pro-Beijing camp can win and lay the foundation for the “One China” plan, where Taiwan reunites with the mainland under communist rule. However, the Taiwanese government has taken measures to ...

Max Lu

Taiwan's Liberty Square Arch.

Why Bolivians Are Still Protesting After Indigenous President Removed

When Bolivia’s 2019 general election results were announced on October 20, existing President Evo Morales from the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party came out as the clear winner, beating his rival by a significant margin. Huge protests erupted on suspicion that the elections had been rigged. Though Morales eventually stepped down in November due to ...

Jack Roberts

A sign for Evo Morales.

Lone Fighter: Slovakian President Criticizes China’s Human Rights Violations

Zuzana Čaputová, the Slovakian president, has recently criticized China for suppressing free speech and religious faiths in the country. Sworn in last month, 45-year-old Čaputová is the first female to become president of Slovakia and is also the country’s youngest president. Slovakian president standing up to China Most Eastern European nations have been silent on ...

Jack Roberts

Zuzana Čaputová billboard.

A Trembling Merkel Has Everyone Concerned

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been making headlines the past few weeks for all the wrong reasons. The 64-year-old has publicly trembled in a most violent fashion on two different occasions. While the incidents have led to questions about whether Merkel is healthy enough to continue in her current post, some have asked that she ...

Jack Roberts

Angela Merkel.