Danish Social Democrats suffer worst election result in a century
Amid rising costs of living, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s center-left party won just 22% of the vote in yesterday’s nationwide election, marking the Social Democrats’ worst result since 1903. The left-wing Socialist Party and right-wing Danish People’s Party were the beneficiaries, undermining the notion that Frederiksen had somehow cracked the code for halting the rise of populists. And yet, the PM could retain her position – and she may have US President Donald Trump to thank. Frederiksen was something of a bulwark against Trump when he threatened to seize Greenland earlier this year, boosting her standing at home and ensuring that left-leaning parties won more seats than right-leaning ones on Tuesday. As such, the PM has a viable – if difficult – path to building another coalition government.
Israel plans to create and control “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon
As the “war within a war” between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah drives on, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said his military would take control of parts of southern Lebanon as part of its efforts to destroy its Iran-backed opponent. Hundreds of thousands of residents in southern Lebanon have already fled their homes, and Katz said they won’t be able to return until northern Israel is safe. The proposed “buffer zone” wouldn’t be the first time Israel has occupied Lebanese land. Its army set up a similar stretch of land – for security purposes – in 1985, but it retreated 15 years later as images of dead Israeli soldiers being flown back home fostered domestic opposition to the policy. With Hezbollah weakened, will this buffer zone function better than the last?
Democratic presidential hopefuls distance themselves from AIPAC
Israel has been a fault line for Democrats ever since the war in Gaza, and it looks like it will continue to be in the 2028 presidential primary. Several White House hopefuls are now distancing themselves from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Despite AIPAC-aligned super PACs pouring $22 million into Illinois primaries last week, backing Lieutenant Gov. Juliana Stratton’s successful Senate primary, several once Israel-friendly Democrats are swearing off accepting funds. The retreat, which includes Sen. Cory Booker and, most recently, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, shows how quickly AIPAC has increasingly become a political bogeyman on the left. Polling shows that favorable views of Israel on the left are plummeting, and these Democrats are betting that this shift lasts.
