This year has been called the "super year" for elections because in many countries around the world nearly 70 in total held elections, affecting half of the global population. Voters in both left- and right-wing governments have been unhappy, leading to strong opposition and setbacks for incumbent parties.

One major reason for this dissatisfaction is the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. People are still dealing with its economic fallout, such as high prices, struggling businesses, limited government funds, and increased migration. These issues have created frustration, which has led to a wave of discontent and a shift in political power in many places.

For example, in the U.S., the election of Donald Trump contributed to a series of political upsets around the world. Richard Wike, from the Pew Research Center, said that many people are frustrated with political leaders, feeling they are out of touch, no matter if they are on the left or right. A poll in 24 countries showed that more and more people are losing faith in democracy because they are facing economic struggles and don’t feel that any political party truly represents them.

Shift in western democracies

According to Steven Levitsky, a political scientist at Harvard University, in Western democracies, incumbents have lost 40 out of 54 elections since the pandemic began in 2020, marking a significant incumbent disadvantage.

If we look at the graph of the UK, the Conservatives have faced the worst result since 1832 in the July election, as a result, the centre-left Labour Party returned to power after 14 years. Across the English Channel, the far right made big gains in the June European Parliament elections, challenging the ruling parties in France and Germany, the two biggest and most powerful countries in the EU.

The results of the European Parliament elections in France caused concern about the growing influence of the far-right, particularly the National Rally party, which is known for its anti-immigration stance. In response, President Emmanuel Macron called a parliamentary election to try to limit the far-right's power.

In the first round of the election, the National Rally received the most votes, showing its strong support. However, in the second round, other political parties formed alliances and voters made strategic choices to prevent National Rally from winning. As a result, the National Rally finished in third place.

Asia’s Political shift

In Asia, during April’s parliamentary elections, South Korea’s liberal opposition parties led by the Democratic Party won over the ruling government. Meanwhile in India despite PM Modi’s expected win, the Bharatiya Janata party has faced a setback in June by losing the parliamentary majority. But it remained in power with the support of its allies. 

Japan also faced a similar setback with the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party facing a strong rebuke from the voters in October’s election.