Global Scans · Democracy · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Society is expressing its discontent with current democratic processes that leave the elites struggling to convince their voters of their good intentions and competencies. Read on to see how democracy is offering both great opportunities and risks while this period of volatility shakes out.

• [New] The Euro area is expected to maintain a low-but-positive growth trajectory, despite uncertainties from the US election and potential tariffs. Invesco
• [New] The World Bank has pledged $1 billion to help revive the long-delayed Inga III hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a crucial phase of the Grand Inga complex, which holds the potential to become the world's largest hydropower facility. Copperbelt Katanga Mining
• [New] The rise of politically motivated crimes and the insidious spread of right-wing radicalization represent an existential threat to liberal democracies worldwide. Global Annal
• [New] Placing clean energy at the heart of the new industrial strategy is a vote of confidence in the enormous economic growth potential of Scotland's renewable energy industry and supply chain. GOV.UK
• [New] Observing countries may hesitate to align with the U.S. on issues concerning human rights and the promotion of democratic governance, fearing that American principles lack authenticity. Muslim World Report
• [New] Savings rates have been falling and, even though the Bank of England voted to hold rates today, the top savings deals will probably continue to disappear over the coming months. MoneyWeek
• [New] Without stronger digital literacy, effective content moderation, and public awareness campaigns, Sri Lanka risks becoming increasingly vulnerable to influence campaigns that exploit uncertainty and fear-threatening not only online discourse but also the foundations of democratic governance itself. Hashtag Generation
• [New] With Trump's focus set on sanctuary cities, it is unclear how other parts of Democratic states may be impacted, or if ICE activity will primarily center on metropolitan areas going forward. New York Post
• [New] With over 700 million internet users, India's vast digital landscape has become a breeding ground for false narratives, threatening the integrity of the world's largest democracy. Poniak Times
• [New] Democratic Republic of the Congo will ratify the BBNJ agreement. Blue Marine Foundation
• Today's social media environment threatens to rip the fabric of democracy and jeopardize self-governance in the United States and around the world. Keough School of Global Affairs
• Without decisive and unified action by EU institutions and Member States, Turkey risks moving even further from democracy and constructive relations with the EU, centred around a shared commitment to human rights and the rule of law. Human Rights Watch
• Threat actors from countries such as North Korea, Iran, and China are deploying tactics including AI-generated deepfakes and disinformation to destabilise democratic processes and evade sanctions, highlighting the need for a broader geopolitical lens in threat assessments. Black Arrow Cyber Consulting
• Hate speech represents a serious threat to the cohesion of democratic societies, to the respect of human rights and to the rule of law. ipn.md
• The Labour government has refused to explain why more than a third of the members of a new steering group that will target the barriers to elected office faced by disabled people have close links to the Conservative party. DPAC
• Geopolitical & Trade Risks: Tariffs or global shocks (U.S. elections, China slowdown) could impact investment sentiment. WBN News
• Rewriting Syria's constitution might take three years, with elections potentially taking place within five years. CNN
• For Japan, which faces an election in the House of Councillors (the upper house of its National Diet) in July 2025, the Lee presidency has the potential to reduce the momentum in bilateral ties and trilateral relations with the United States if historical grievances regain the spotlight. The Diplomat
• Although China-based observers still expect South Korea to follow the lead of the United States in relations with China, they are guardedly optimistic about Lee's election moving South Korea away from Yoon's weaponization of the China threat against domestic opponents. The Diplomat
• The local NZX 50 Index is up 6.4%, while Australia's ASX 200 Index lagged its global peers, up a more modest 2.7%, given weaker-than-expected economic data out of China, and some political uncertainty in the run-up to its federal election, which resulted in a majority win for the Labour government. ANZ Bank New Zealand Ltd
• Israel's opposition parties will try to force a no-confidence vote in a bid to force new elections and push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office. Fulcrum Macro
• The Polish Parliament is likely to hold a no-confidence vote on Prime Minister Donald Tusks government and there is a fairly good chance it will go through, forcing new parliamentary elections. Fulcrum Macro

Last updated: 29 June 2025