Showing 1 - 10 of 31
Is there new hope for India's democracy?
News, Published on 14/06/2024
» Voters have pulled Indian democracy back from the brink. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a third consecutive term, the failure of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to secure a simple majority in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, will force Mr Modi to rely on several unpredictable allies to promote his legislative agenda.
Hun Sen is Cambodia's de facto FM
News, Published on 14/06/2024
» Who exactly is in charge of foreign affairs in Cambodia? Judging by the last few months, Hun Sen, the former prime minister turned Senate president, appears to be pulling the strings. At least he's now the main mouthpiece.
Macron gambles on investor faith
News, Published on 12/06/2024
» French President Emmanuel Macron has taken a serious gamble in calling early parliamentary elections. The consequences of putting politics above economic stability could be profound. Financial markets don't like unnecessary or unexpected political volatility, especially at the core of the European Union. The electorate only gets to vote at elections; financial markets get to vote every day, and so far, they're giving a thumbs down to Mr Macron's ploy.
Hipster antitrust policy is actually conservative
News, Published on 11/06/2024
» Antitrust policy is having a moment. Led by Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, US President Joe Biden's administration is turning its attention to suspect activity not only in Big Tech and Big Oil, but also in Big Alcohol, Big Hotel and Big Concert. The rationale for this new push, however, is ambiguous: Is antitrust law a tool to protect consumers from higher prices, or to defend small businesses against big ones?
India's election result a surprise for Modi, BJP
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 10/06/2024
» 'Pride goeth before a fall", says the Old Testament, so India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was just begging for humiliation. It duly arrived.
Move Forward case reveals autocracy
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 07/06/2024
» The Constitutional Court's announcement that it will consider the Move Forward Party's (MFP) written defence in its dissolution case on June 12 appears ominous. After several attempts to make its argument that a campaign pledge to amend the lese majeste law against royal insult is not tantamount to "overthrowing Thailand's democratic regime with the King as head of state", the party's time is up. As the biggest election winner in May 2023, the MFP's dissolution is perceived as a foregone conclusion. Such a revelation might risk Thailand being perceived as an autocratic regime based on legal manoeuvres, and power plays that do not derive from voter preferences.
India's exit polls may be more noise than signal
News, Andy Mukherjee, Published on 04/06/2024
» Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set for a landslide victory in India's general election. Or so claims nearly every exit poll released since the end of voting on Saturday evening. Yet, these surveys have proved spectacularly wrong in the past, and they must be read even more cautiously this time around because of the Modi government's outsize sway on the television stations that commission them.
Defeat symbolises normalisation
News, Published on 03/06/2024
» Last Thursday, a television news crew made its way to former South African president Jacob Zuma's homestead, an ugly monstrosity controversially built at a cost of 250 million rand (500 million baht) of taxpayers' money, in his rural village of Nkandla. The crew got to interview Zuma after midnight. At about 2am, the crew watched in amazement as a genial Zuma, aged 82, welcomed a delegation of French diplomats into his living room for a meeting.
Conservatives still wield 'lawfare' axe
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 01/06/2024
» Thai politics is facing a dilemma once again as key parties are being slapped with lawsuits.
Curious case of Sunak's snap election decision
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 01/06/2024
» 'Why did he do it? We were all told it would be the autumn and we were hoping by then we could turn things around. It is very perplexing," said a former cabinet minister after Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a surprise election for July 4.