United States: Trump’s second term

Date first published: 07/11/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: civil unrest; political polarisation Risk development Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump regained the White House with a stunning victory in the 5 November presidential election. At the time of writing, Trump, who was president from early 2017 to early 2021, looks set to win […]
Georgia: A beacon of autocracy

Date first published: 31/10/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: political instability; civil unrest; geopolitical tensions; corruption Risk development On 27 October the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party won the 26 October general elections with 54 per cent of support. Election observers reported widespread irregularities, including vote buying, ballot stuffing and intimidation. Four opposition parties passed […]
Indonesia: Too wide to work?

Date first published: 29/10/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: political impasse; governability; policy uncertainty; corruption Risk development On 20 October former defence minister Prabowo Subianto was inaugurated as Indonesia’s eighth president and its first new president in ten years. Subianto took over from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and on 21 October officially swore in one of […]
Moldova: At the crossroad

Date first published: 22/10/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: political stability; civil unrest Risk outlook On 20 October Moldovans voted to elect a new president and decide whether the country should enshrine in its constitution the goal of joining the European Union (EU). While President Maia Sandu won the presidential election with approximately 42 per cent […]
Kazakhstan: From cold winter to nuclear winter

Date first published: 16/10/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: energy insecurity; environmental damage; geopolitical interests Risk development On 6 October the Central Election Commission announced that citizens overwhelmingly approved the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant since 1995, with 71 per cent voting in favour. The plant would be built in the village of Ulken […]
Mali: All that glitters isn’t gold

Date first published: 08/10/2024 Key sectors: mining Key risks: political instability; economic risks; frustration of process Risk development On 28 September four senior Malian employees at Barrick Gold were arrested over alleged financial crimes. The arrests came amid tensions between Barrick Gold and Bamako over the government’s stake in the Loulo-Gountako mining complex, Kayes region. […]
Iran-Russia: United in isolation

Date first published: 26/09/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: war-on-land; regional escalation; geopolitical tensions Risk development On 10 September Washington accused Tehran of supplying Moscow with ballistic missiles, stating that Russia had received the deliveries and would likely deploy them in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine within weeks. In response, Washington imposed sanctions on nine Russian-flagged vessels […]
Iraq: Elections set in Kurdistan

Date first published: 19/09/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: political stability Risk development On 20 October the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is set to have regional elections for the first time since 2018. The elections were delayed by two years and are the first under a new electoral system. To continue reading, become a member of AKE […]
Senegal: Opportunity from chaos

Date first published: 17/09/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: political continuity; political instability; civil unrest Risk development On 12 September President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and scheduled new legislative elections for 17 November. This came amid growing tensions between the ruling African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and […]
Mexico: AMLO’s institutionalisation of democratic backsliding

Date first published: 05/09/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: democratic backsliding; governability Risk development On 4 September the lower house of the newly-elected Congress – sworn in on 1 September – overwhelmingly approved, with 357 votes in favour and 130 against, a controversial judicial overhaul that would introduce elections for all judges. a move supported […]
Thailand: Democracy deferred

Date first published: 29/08/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: political instability; policy uncertainty; civil unrest; economic risks Risk development On 16 August Paetongtarn Shinawatra was elected prime minister in a parliamentary vote after she was nominated by the Pheu Thai Party (PTP)-led 11-party coalition. The appointment of the 38-year-old daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra […]
Iran-Iraq: Waiting for the Iranian response

Date first published: 27/08/2024 Key sectors: all Key risks: war; regional escalation Risk development On 31 July Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a suspected Israeli operation in Tehran, while he was attending the inauguration of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The attack caused a significant escalation of regional tensions. Both Tehran and […]