Rarely have midterm elections in the United States been so crucial to the overall economic and political direction of the country. The nation remains deeply divided, as the electorate becomes increasingly intolerant, of viewpoints outside their own political affiliation. Centrists on the left and the right, are being sidelined, by party purists. This is the biggest voter turnout for a midterm election, since 1966. Already 34 million people have voted. Nationally, Republicans were leading by 2%. It is usually Democrats, who win […]
Global Investing Blog
The Political Endgame Has Finally Arrived For German Chancellor Angela Merkel
It was not the way German Chancellor Angela Merkel thought she would be spending, the beginning of her fourth term in office. After 13 years in power, her political coalition is unraveling and there is little that can be done, to reverse the downward spiral. As head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 2000, there are those within her own party, that believe the political endgame for Merkel has finally arrived. Germany is doing financially well, the federal budget has a […]
Brazil Moves To The Political Right With Strong Support For Jair Bolsonaro
Brazil, the economic giant of South America and 8th largest globally, has been cursed with poor governance for decades. The electorate has responded to the irresponsible siren call of government largesse, for most of the 21st century. The negative and sometimes freewheeling role, that public officials have played in the economy, has reduced overall growth and made the entire country poorer. The Brazilian left-wing socialist Workers Party (PT) in power from 2003 to 2016, provided short term rewards at the expense of […]
The American Economy Comes Roaring Back Under United States President Trump
The American economy had been growing rather slowly, since the economic recovery beginning in 2009. Many pundits and politicians claimed a growth rate of 2%, was the new norm for an advanced economy, like the United States. The election of President Trump in the November elections of 2016, has changed that paradigm, as the domestic economy comes roaring back. The Trump growth agenda was relying on two basic principles. These were business deregulation and a massive tax reform, which would end up […]
Elections in Italy Lead To More Political And Financial Uncertainty For Europe
The March elections in Italy, saw a center-right coalition take first place, but failed to achieve a majority. The upstart anti-establishment 5 Star Movement (M5S), is now the largest political party in the legislature, taking over 30% of the total. That created a hung legislature, which necessitated the building of new political alliances in Italy. Italy is the 3rd largest economy in the Eurozone, 9th largest globally, with a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of $1.934 trillion USD (United States Dollar). Ongoing political […]
Argentina: Macri Struggles To Overcome Years Of Disastrous Economic And Financial Mismanagement
The center right government of Argentine President Mauricio Macri, in power since December 2015, has been struggling to reverse 12 years of financial and economic mismanagement, under the former left-wing populists President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her husband Nestor Kirchner. Argentina, once the wealthiest country in the region,remains the third largest economy in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico. However, it is quite evident that Colombia will slowly close the gap, unless Argentina adopts a more long term pro-growth model. Although […]
Mexico Facing A Crucial Election And Fundamental Change
Mexico is now facing one of the most crucial elections in decades. It is the largest one in the country’s history, with more than 18,000 seats being contested at the local, state and federal level. Depending on the outcome, voters will either endorse fundamental and dramatic change or support continuity. In addition to the presidency, the 88 million Mexicans eligible to vote, will be choosing 128 senators, 500 deputies in Congress, 9 governors, 1,600 mayors and who will occupy thousands of local […]
Kyrgyzstan: Central Asia’s Only Democracy Under Siege
Kyrgyzstan remains the only Central Asian country, that retains a functioning democracy. In the 27 years since the end of the Soviet Union, democratic institutions have been under siege in the region. As the smallest of the former Soviet Republics, Kyrgyzstan at just 6.1 million, held a competitive election last October. It may well be the last one. Since independence, Kyrgyzstan has officially been a unitary parliamentary republic. It has continued to be one, despite ethnic conflicts, a number of revolts, transitional […]
In South Africa: The Zuma Presidency Finally Comes To A Definitive Close
After repeated attempts of removal and growing controversy, the Zuma Presidency has now come to an end. The allegations of corruption and the ongoing criminal investigations, have eroded the base within his own political party. The ceaseless chaos within the ruling African National Congress (ANC), has seriously impacted the financial stability and economy of South Africa. On the 13th of February, the national executive committee of the ANC, announced it had recalled President Zuma. This had occurred after the President had ignored […]
The Twilight Of The Merkel Era And Post-Reunification Germany
Germany, the leading economy in Europe, has been without a government since last September. Although the conservatives under Chancellor Angela Merkel remain the largest party, they cannot create a government without finding partners to form a coalition. Months have passed, where various aggregations and political comprises have failed, which was raising the specter of either a minority government or new legislative elections. Germany has been in danger of joining the group of European nations, with relatively weak or minority governments like Italy, […]