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] In 2024, cybersecurity continues a shift from a mere technological concern to a critical business issue thanks to global conflicts, major elections (including that of the White House), looming terrorist threats, and other developments. Blog | TechMagic
• [New] Elections for Europe's parliament which take place in June could see big gains for the far-right and impact policy from support for Ukraine in its war against Russia's full-scale invasion to measures to address climate change. Ariana News
• [New] Conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine, a year of elections around the world, and rising regulatory uncertainty in natural resource sectors, are refocusing attention on political risks in commodity markets. Gilmore
• [New] There are fears Donald Trump could halt military support for Ukraine if he wins November's presidential election, or even withdraw Washington's security guarantee for Europe entirely. The Telegraph
• [New] The aging population and the technological revolution are megatrends that will dominate the investment landscape for years to come regardless of what the Fed does, or GDP in the next few quarters, or whoever gets elected president. Cabot Wealth
• [New] The Kremlin may hope to use pro-Russian political parties in Moldova and the PSB payments to Gagauzia in similar tactics to influence Moldova's upcoming elections, particularly the presidential election in late 2024 and parliamentary elections in the summer of 2025. Critical Threats
• [New] Beyond mere operational enhancements, the true potential of tokenized investments lies in their ability to democratize finance, granting broader access to investment opportunities for the general population through fractionalized investments in global assets. The UCW Newswire
• [New] There are elections to navigate first - in the US, India, and South Korea - that could introduce new uncertainty. Founders Forum Group
• [New] The Biden administration has cited fears about escalation from Russia when it comes to the strikes inside its borders, but the cost of oil is also a sensitive political issue, especially in an election year. KEYE
• [New] Thirty major central banks are expected to cut rates in the second half of 2024, a year when more than seventy nations will have elections, which often means massive increases in government spending. Eurasia Review
• [New] President Biden's campaign, the larger anti-MAGA coalition, and democracy defenders in the United States and around the world could not be more overjoyed. The Washington Post
• [New] China will attempt to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India in 2024 with artificial intelligence-generated content after making a dry run with the presidential poll in Taiwan. The Guardian
• [New] With major elections taking place around the world in 2024, particularly in India, South Korea and the United States, we assess that China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content to benefit its interests. Microsoft on the Issues
• [New] In February, one of six monetary policy committee members voted for a cut in policy rates arguing that real rates in India are too high since inflation is seen easing to an average of 4.5% in 2024-25. News18
• [New] More people will vote than in any previous year, including in major world economies such as the UK, Germany, the US and India. Sustainable Brands
• [New] President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's surprise decision to schedule elections earlier than expected in Algeria is prompting suspicion and appears to be awakening discouraged political parties from a deep lethargy. AP News
• [New] In a calendar year where more than half the world's population will vote in at least 65 different national elections, India's is by far the biggest. Time
• Democratic party identification and liberal ideology will be associated with a higher sense of trust in the WHO while Republican party identification and conservative ideology will be associated with a lower sense of trust. PubMed Central (PMC)
• The revival of the draft Law raises serious concerns and will undermine the whole idea of making Georgia a stronger democratic society. ICNL
• China loomed large at the AAFA summit amid discussions of geopolitical turbulence in a year in which more than half the world's population will hold an election, including the U.S. Supply Chain Dive
• The European Union's dithering has allowed foreign agent laws to spread in Europe and Central Asia, Human Rights Watch says, increasing the risk to civil society organizations that are already under threat from governments who are seeking to stifle democratic institutions and the free press. RFE/RL
• New digital technologies are increasingly a driver of geopolitical competition and barometer of global influence, and are used by foreign actors to threaten the security and integrity of the EU and its Member States, to manipulate the information environment and to interfere in democratic processes. EEAS
• Increased geopolitical hacktivism: Threat actors are expected to launch misinformation campaigns and DDoS attacks against critical infrastructure, capitalising on on-going geopolitical conflicts and a 'super election' year, as five national elections take place across the globe. Intelligent CISO

Last updated: 14 April 2024