Ballot to Talk About

This week's episode looks back at the last week in British politics which has resulted in Rishi Sunak replacing Liz Truss as Prime Minister. It also looks ahead to the upcoming midterms in the United States, focussing on the House of Representatives. After just 50 days, Liz Truss has left Office and has been replaced by her former leadership rival Rishi Sunak. What led to her downfall? How did the contest to replace her end up uncontested? And what are the notable appointment in Sunak’s Cabinet?

In the US, the race for control of the House is nearing its end and Republicans look well-placed to take control of the Chamber from the Democrats in just under two weeks’ time. Sam and Chern discuss the topics that have dominated the campaign and take a look at some of the more consequential and interesting districts. Will the economy or abortion play a bigger role in motivating voters ahead of the midterm elections nationally? Were the Democrats always going to struggle to defend such a narrow House majority? Where is control of the House going to be won and lost? And what are some of the most interesting races taking place? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week's episode looks back at the results from last weekend’s state election in Lower Saxony (Germany) and previews the upcoming snap General Election in Denmark. In Lower Saxony, despite a slight fall in their vote, Stephan Weil’s SPD looks likely to begin a third time in Office, but this time with the Greens. In the midst of Scholz’s struggling federal approval ratings, how were the SPD able to pull off this win? How will the FDP react to yet another disappointing state election result? And how might these result affect the coalition on the federal level?

In Denmark, as Mette Frederiksen prepares to face the voters again, Sam and Chern unpack how this election came about and how the main contenders are faring. After the Social Liberals forced this snap election in the first place, will they benefit from that decision, and will they remain aligned with the Red Bloc after polling day? For the Blue Bloc, are the Liberals still the main opposition contender for the premiership, or is Søren Pape Poulsen positioning the Conservatives well to challenge them? And what role with former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen play after election day? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week's episode looks back the results from two elections last weekend – the state election in Quebec and the General Election in Latvia. In Quebec, Francois Legault’s Coalition Avenir Quebec has won a second majority, increasing their seat count in the National Assembly. How did his party achieve such a dominant victory? What next for the Liberals and Parti Quebecois after a disappointing night? Will Quebec Solidaire be disappointed not to have achieved official Opposition status? And how did the Conservatives fail to win a single seat despite a big increase in vote share?

In Latvia, Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš looks set to retain the premiership after his New Unity party won the most seats in the Saeima. Sam and Chern unpack the results and discuss the potential government partners for his second term. How did the New Unity party increase their seat count so significantly? Who are the most likely coalition partners – United List or the Progressives? And what happened to the pro-Russian minority Harmony party who will now sit outside of Parliament? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week's episode looks back at the results from last weekend’s snap General Election in Italy which has likely resulted in their first female Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. As Italy prepares for a new right-wing government, Sam and Chern discuss the dynamics of the race and the performance of the main blocs. How were the right able to dominate the election in both Chambers? What demographics propelled the Brothers of Italy to first place? What is next for the Enrico Letta’s Democratic Party as they head back into Opposition? And was this election a disappointment for the Five Star Movement? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week's episode looks ahead to two upcoming elections in the Americas – the National Assembly election in the Canadian state of Quebec, and the General Election in Brazil. In Quebec, Francois Legault is heading for a second term of majority Government for his Coalition Avenir Quebec party. What has been the key to the party’s rapid rise prior to 2018 and stability since? Why have the Liberals and Party Qeuebcois faded as significant challengers? And why has the Conservative Party been able to emerge as a big factor in this cycle despite never gaining a single seat before?

In Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro is attempting to win a second term as a President, but is facing tough opposition from former President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva. Sam and Chern unpack the two main contenders and discuss the dynamics of the race. What have been the main campaign issues? Why has Lula been such an effective candidate to run against the incumbent President? What motivated Bolsonaro’s original rise in 2018? And why is it looking likely he will be defeated this time? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week's episode dissects the results of last weekend’s Swedish General Election and looks ahead to the upcoming parliamentary election in Latvia. In Sweden, Magdalena Andersson has resigned as Prime Minister and it is expected that a new centre-right Government will be forming after their narrow win. What will the eventual government look like, and will the Swedish Democrats be a formal part of it? What went wrong for the Social Democrats? Will Andersson remain as party leader? And where did the surge in Swedish Democrat voters come from?

In Latvia, as voters prepare to elect the 100 members of the new Saeima, Sam and Chern preview the parties competing for the seats and the potential contenders for the new government. Despite hailing from the smallest party in the outgoing Government, will Arthurs Karins continue as Prime Minister after this poll? Why has there been such a high turnover of political parties in recent years? What has been the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on this Baltic State? And why has left-wing politics until recently been limited to Russian minority groups? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week's episode examines Liz Truss’s election as Conservative Party leader and her new Cabinet, as well as previewing the upcoming the Italian General Election. As the UK mourns the loss of Her Majesty the Queen, they are also experiencing the first week of the Liz Truss premiership after she defeated former Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Who are some of the notable Cabinet appointments? What do the Cabinet appointments suggest about how her Government will differ from Boris Johnson’s? And how will the seismic royal news in the last week affect her Government agenda?

In Italy, voters will be heading to the polls in a few weeks time for a snap election after the collapse of the technocratic Draghi Government. Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party look set to win the election and form a right-wing government with their alliance partners, but Sam and Chern analyse the campaign and other involved parties. What has been behind the meteoric rise of the Brothers of Italy? And was this at the expense of The League? Why are the Five Star Movement projected to fall to fourth after winning the 2018 General Election? And why are the centre-left not a big factor this time? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week's episode looks ahead to this weekend’s Swedish General Election where Magdalena Andersson is hoping to lead her Social Democratic Party to a third term. Sam and Chern assess the chances and campaigns of each of the major parties and discuss what form the eventual government may take after the results come in. Has Andersson been able to revive the fortunes of the once-dominant Social Democrats? Are relations between the left-wing parties cordial enough to form a government and block out the centre-right? Why have the Moderate Party fallen backwards since 2018? And are we about to see the entry of the far-right Swedish Democrats into Government in Sweden for the first time? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week's episode looks at the ongoing political crisis in Sri Lanka, and takes a closer look at how the race to replace Boris Johnson as UK Prime Minister has unfolded. In Sri Lanka, Gotobaya Rajapaska has resigned but the political and economic unrest continues. Can Ranil Wickremesinghe restore trust in the political system and begin to solve their economic woes? What were the origins of these crises and what does the future hold for Sri Lanka? Are there lessons that can be drawn from countries with similar experiences?

In the UK, the race to replace Boris Johnson is entering its final stages as Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak face the verdict of Conservative Party members. Sam and Chern unpack the MP ballots and discuss how we got to this face-off. Why did we end up with Truss vs Sunak, and was it always the inevitable final chapter of this contest? Who were the biggest surprises and greatest disappointments in the MP ballots? What issues have defined the Truss-Sunak head-to-head? And which of the former leadership contenders do we expect to feature in the victor’s new Cabinet? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

This week's very special face-to-face episode looks back at last weekend’s Upper House elections in Japan and the downfall of Boris Johnson ahead of his pending resignation as Prime Minister. In Japan, amidst the fallout from Shinzo Abe’s assassination, Fumio Kishida’s LDP and allies now hold super majorities in both houses. Was the assassination a major factor in explaining Kishida’s big triumph? Will Kishida feel emboldened to distance the government from Abenomics? And with these supermajorities, will the LDP now move to amend Japan’s pacifist constitution?

In the UK, Boris Johnson has announced his intention to resign, and the starting gun has been fired on the race to replace him as Prime Minister and Conservative leader. As the race unfolds, Sam and Chern look back on Boris Johnson’s legacy and what led to his removal from office despite his big 2019 election win. What was the straw that broke the camel’s back in terms of Johnson’s premiership coming to an end? Will his legacy in the Conservative Party be positive? Can the Conservative party recover from this dip in the polls and series of by-election defeats? How is the contest to replace Johnson shaping up so far ahead of the members ballot? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.