Right-wing populist, leftist leader advance to Colombian presidential runoff
Far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella won the first round of Colombia’s presidential election yesterday with 43.7%, besting left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda, who finished with 40.9%. Because neither cleared the 50% threshold, the two will lock horns in a head-to-head runoff on June 21 to decide who will succeed the country’s first left-wing leader, Gustavo Petro. Until a few weeks ago, de la Espriella had been expected to finish third (and thus miss the runoff), but his sharp focus on security amid the country’s surging levels of violence, as well as his online theatrics — which helped him gain a far larger social media following than his rivals — propelled him to a first-round win. He’s now well-positioned to help Latin America’s right maintain its winning streak. Expect a heated three weeks ahead: Cepeda questioned the first-round results, while Petro outright rejected them.
As unrest grows, not all Ethiopians will have a say in today’s election
Voters in Ethiopia head to the polls today, though many in Africa’s second-most populous country will be barred from participating. With unrest still simmering in the northern region of Tigray – the center of a two‑year civil war that ended in 2022 and left an estimated 600,000 people dead – the government has canceled voting in the area, citing “unfavorable conditions.” Critics argue that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, widely predicted to win, is using this election to tighten his hold on national politics, calling it one of the least competitive in the country’s history. Abiy was once celebrated internationally: he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for ending Ethiopia’s long standoff with Eritrea. But his reputation has suffered after the military offensive in Tigray and his oppression of regional political parties and journalists. Today’s vote could continue to deepen regional tensions and unrest.
The hottest word in German politics right now
Kanzlerwechsel. It means “a change of Chancellor” – in this case, current Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose approval rating after a year in office is at a limp 20%. Merz, who governs via an unwieldy establishment coalition, uniting his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), has struggled to address concerns about Germany’s moribund economy, and his blunt, headstrong style has alienated many Germans. Rumors are swirling that the CDU could try to replace him with a younger alternative, possibly Hendrik Wüst, the popular leader of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s industrial heartland. Experts say that’s unlikely for now, but unless Merz can right the ship with a planned package of reforms this summer, the clock could start ticking. Waiting in the wings, meanwhile, is the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which currently leads in national polls and is looking ahead to state elections in two of its strongholds this fall.
