In 2017, the inauguration of the new leaders of the United States and France attracted the attention of the whole world. In 2018, there was no such hype around the change of helmsmen in other countries - new appointments might not seem so important. However, according to experts, it is worth a closer look at a number of new leaders.

“In 2018, at first glance, there were no such number of changes of power in key states as in the previous one. To some extent, it is even more important that the former leaders remained at the helm even where their power is constantly reeling, ”said Assistant Professor at the Faculty of International Relations of the Nizhny Novgorod State University. Lobachy Maxim Medovarov. “Nevertheless, a number of large countries demonstrated impressive changes in the outgoing year.”

Course continuers

In the spring of 2018, as a result of mass protests, power was replaced in Armenia. After changing the constitutional form of government in the republic (from presidential to parliamentary), former President Serzh Sargsyan attempted to become head of state again as prime minister. However, this led to mass protests of the opposition. As a result, Sargsyan was forced to concede, and on May 8, Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the opposition Yelk faction, took over the post of Prime Minister.

In the early December 10 parliamentary elections, his “My Step” bloc won a landslide victory, receiving over 70% of the vote. One of the pillars of the campaign Pashinyan made the fight against corruption.

Pashinyan announces the continuation of the course on Eurasian integration.

“At the moment there are no problem issues. Russia and Armenia are sovereign countries. I think in many respects the interests of our countries correspond to each other, but there may be some nuances where they may not correspond. The main thing is the atmosphere in which we will discuss all these issues. I think we will be able to reach agreement, ”said Pashinyan in an exclusive interview with RT.

Replaced as president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, February 15, 2018 Cyril Ramaposa formally did not represent the opposition. However, his coming to power was preceded by a political crisis. As a result of pressure from the ruling African National Congress, Zuma resigned, and Ramaposa as vice president took his place.

  • South African President Cyril Ramaposa
  • Reuters
  • © Sumaya Hisham

Ally of Nelson Mandela during the anti-apartheid years, the union leader of Ramapos is one of the richest people on the African continent, closely associated with transnational business, the owner of the South African McDonald's network and a member of the board of directors of the local The Coca-Cola Company. Despite the fact that a number of experts expected him to slow down cooperation within the framework of the BRICS, in June 2018, Ramaposa held a quite successful summit of this association in South Africa.

As Vladimir Kireev, an expert of the People's Diplomacy Foundation, noted in an interview with RT, the trend when leaders who came against the backdrop of protests or protest voting largely follow the policy of their predecessors is not new.

“This could also include Teresa May or Donald Trump,” the political analyst emphasized. - Request for change, the populist wave is becoming a global trend. However, the new leaders who come to power do not know what kind of changes are needed, and are often forced to follow the policies of previous governments. ”

New turns

In Spain, the coming to power of the left government of Pedro Sanchez awakened hopes for change. The young (46 years old) head of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party took office on June 2, 2018 as a result of the government crisis. On the basis of a vote of no-confidence by Prime Minister Mariano Rahoi from the Right People’s Party, King Philip VI gave the mandate to form a government to the leader of the second largest faction in parliament - the socialists. Sanchez was the first prime minister in modern Spanish history, who did not use the Bible when taking the oath, because he was an atheist.

  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
  • RIA News
  • © John Thys

Inherit Sanchez got economic problems and active attempts by the leadership of Catalonia to declare independence. The prime minister continued, like his predecessor, to implement the EU’s economic policy recommendations and opposed the Catalans' attempts to establish independence, but also made some concessions.

Thus, in negotiations with the head of the Catalan government, Kim Torroy Sanchez, he agreed to conduct a dialogue on the future of Catalonia.

In the field of foreign policy, Spain under Pedro Sanchez went for a partial improvement in relations with the Russian Federation and lifted the ban on calls to the ports of Russian ships, introduced by the government of Rahoy in 2016.

However, a number of initiatives by the current head of government, in particular, attempts to remove the ashes of dictator Francisco Franco from the memorial "Valley of the Fallen" and the policy of accepting African migrants, provoked a protest from the right side of society. As a result, in the December 2 elections in Andalusia - the stronghold of the socialists - the ultra-right Vox party for the first time passed to the regional parliament. And the party of Sanchez lost the opportunity to create a regional government under its control.

Brazil in 2018, by contrast, made a lurch to the right. In the presidential election on October 28, Zhair Bolsonar, who was advancing from the right-wing Social-Liberal Party, won. He will take office on January 1st.

The former military man is accused of racist, sexist and homophobic views. According to his critics, he justifies the repression of the times of the military dictatorship.

The politician is in favor of strengthening ties with the United States and Israel, the transfer of the Brazilian embassy in the Jewish state to Jerusalem. In addition, he has already promised that he will pursue a policy of pressure against the left governments of Latin America: Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia.

“On the agenda of Bolsonar, globalist moments are combined with a certain right-wing conservatism,” said Daria Platonova, an expert in the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, in an interview with RT. “This is a classic supporter of right-wing liberal ideology.”

Chances for change

“In 2018, independent forces came to the leadership of four of the most important countries after global decades of governing globalist leaders,” says Maxim Medovarov. - In Italy, this is a right-left coalition, of which Matteo Salvini is the real inspiration (although key posts are given to Conte and Di Mayo). In Pakistan, it is Imran Khan; in Mexico, Manuel Lopez Obrador; Finally, in Malaysia, the rescue of the country was decided to seek in the return to power of 93-year-old Mahathir Mohamad. ”

On June 1, 2018, the government of Giuseppe Conte was sworn in Italy. Thus ended the government crisis that lasted from the moment of the March 4 elections. After long negotiations, the government was formed according to the most unexpected scenario for external observers: the left association of the Five Stars Movement, headed by Luigi Di Mayo, agreed with the right of the League of the North Matteo Salvini. The latter took the post of Minister of the Interior and became the de facto leader of the state. At least, 58% of Italians thought so according to the November survey of the La Repubblica newspaper.

The new government has stopped accepting ships with migrants from Africa, has simplified the process of deportation of illegal immigrants and push through, despite the resistance of the EU, a socially-oriented budget. Matteo Salvini topped the list of politicians who, according to the version of the Politico.eu publication, will "shape political life in Europe" in 2019.

“Matteo Salvini can certainly be called the man of the year because he and the current government of Italy have done the impossible: they united left-wing populists with the right,” Daria Platonova notes. “And this is only the first stage, and then this trend can be repeated in other regions of Europe.”

According to experts, Salvini and other new leaders are like Mexico’s President Manuel Lopez Obrador, who advocates a more independent policy from the United States, but at the same time is ready to negotiate with Trump, Pakistani Prime Minister, former captain of the national cricket team, also supporting more equal relations with Washington. Finally, Mahathir Mohamad, the father of a Malaysian economic miracle, served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003.

  • Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
  • Reuters
  • © Issei Kato

In May 2018, in the wake of anti-corruption protests, he stood at the head of the opposition, won the parliamentary elections and returned to ruling the country after a 15-year hiatus.

“All these leaders managed to actually begin a series of socially oriented reforms in the interests of the masses of their countries,” notes Maxim Medovarov. - The example of these four countries can be inspiring for the whole globe. Of course, we must not forget that the new leaders have already faced and will still face considerable difficulties, but all four are from that breed of politicians who want and are able to overcome the resistance of the old elites. ”