Yesterday, Bloomberg News featured a great article on 2024 being a year full of elections. By their count, 40 countries will be holding elections next year, representing 21% of the world's countries, 41% of its population, and 42% of its GDP (these percentages are even larger if you consider only countries that are democratic). In particular, the US, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the UK (among others) will be holding elections.
The article surveys the landscape in a way that would be typical of a Global Trends class session. There are opportunities to witness the ebb and flow of populism in places like the US and India. Some countries holding elections, like Taiwan or Pakistan, are geopolitical hotspots, and the stakes are high there too. Recent conflicts in Ukraine and in the Middle East may scramble some expert predictions. Uncertainty is running high at a time of rising tensions both within and between countries, making it all the more essential to carefully study global trends next year.
One important election that I will be following closely will be the Indian general election, where Prime Minister Modi will be running for a third 5-year term. Polls suggest that his coalition would win the election, and that he would therefore continue on as Prime Minister but the opposition has recently formed a broad coalition (called the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. or INDIA - clever!) so things could shift. The India Immersion Class will visit India a few months before the election (which should happen in April or May of 2024), so politics will certainly be in the background of our company visits and discussions.