This Week in Politics
Trumpian Return
With a four-year period outside the White House, the former President is set for a comeback of the ages. Only President Grover Cleveland managed the same feat over a century ago. The now president-elect secured every swing state, including the formerly Blue Wall, Rust Belt states. Mr Trump won in an Electoral College landslide. Moreover, he reversed the Republican misfortune of losing the popular vote since 1992, spare 2004.
The result marks a starch shift away from the Democratic Party, reflecting discontent with sitting President Biden, presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, and the culmination of 4 years of Democratic governance. Strong issues for the Democrats such as democracy and abortion did not pull ahead of the economy, an area of strength for the Trump-Vance ticket. Mr Trump's policies are at loggerheads with the current administration and his tenure is set to change the course, not least regarding economic plans and climate change.
Whether the Trump Oval Office can heal a deeply polarised and divided nation after a fierce campaign remains to be seen. Yet, the task of doing so is undoubtedly difficult.
A Republican Trifecta
Simultaneously with the presidential election the control of Congress was tested. The GOP managed to restore its majority in the Senate, in part owing to the favourable map. Democratic hopes of competitive races in Texas and Nebraska did not materialise. While West Virginia flipped red following Joe Manchin's departure and Ohio switched from Democratic incumbent to Republican challenger. Interestingly, Arizona (according to estimates), Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin all elected Democrats to the Senate, despite their support for the Trump Campaign, perhaps reflecting less enthusiasts for other GOP candidates. Nevertheless, the Republicans are set to win, thereby totaling 53 Senators. In the House of Representatives, the GOP is positioned to re-secure its slim majority giving the president-elect the means to implement his policy. A political trifecta is when a single party wins the Oval Office and both chambers of Congress.
Kemi Badenoch New Leader of the Conservative Party
After a long leadership contest with surprises, namely James Cleverly not making it to the final round, the Tory base has elected right-winger Kemi Badenoch as its next leader. She faces Nigel Farage's Reform UK from the right and the Labour Party alongside the Liberal Democrats from the left. Her's is the Herculean task of rebuilding the Conservative party, ravaged by internal conflicts after over a decade of government coming to a dramatic end earlier this year. Currently, Mrs Badenoch is assembling her team of Conservative shadow secretaries and allies to help her become the next Prime Minister of Great Britain, whether she can will depend on her ability to rebuild trust and quell the threat of Reform UK.
German Government Collapses
After years of co-governance the German coalition - including the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) - collapsed following intense divergences in economic policy. The SPD is at loggerheads with the FDP's more liberal policy demands. The collapse sets the stage for a no-confidence vote in Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a vote he is more than expected to lose, paving the way for a snap election in months. Polling suggests the oppositional center-right CDU party would be integral in the next government.
