WEEKLY POLITICAL COMPASS

Voters in Japan will go to the polls. Turkey is heading for a major confrontation with its allies. A Senate report requests the indictment of Brazil’s president. The UK chancellor will present his autumn budget. South Africa is gearing up for municipal elections. The most significant reopening by a Southeast Asian country is ahead in […]
TURKEY: Erdogan’s pyrrhic victory?

Even though the meeting of the Turkish cabinet is still ongoing (a press conference is expected at around 7pm local time), it seems that President Tayyip Erdogan will not follow through on his previous threat to declare ten Western Ambassadors “personae non gratae.” The pro-Justice and Development (AKP) media in Turkey has been in full […]
TURKEY: Expulsion of ten ambassadors not a given despite Erdogan’s threat

President Tayyip Erdogan stated on 23 October that he ordered to declare “persona non grata” the ambassadors of ten Western allies for seeking philanthropist Osman Kavala’s release from prison. Erdogan made these remarks during a rally in the western city of Eskisehir, while speaking without the support of a teleprompter to the supporters of his […]
BRAZIL: Pandemic report less harmful than the economy for Bolsonaro

The 1,178-page report presented on 20 October by the rapporteur of the Senate inquiry (CPI) into the pandemic, Renan Calheiros (PMDB-AL), is unprecedented. Indictments were requested for more than 65 people in relation to 12 crimes. At the top of the indictment list is President Jair Bolsonaro, followed by both his current and previous health […]
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: Debt restructuring talk targets private creditors

While the G20 advocate for a recalibration of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s pandemic management support, reforms and more comprehensive solutions to debt problems remain a medium-term prospect. Yet in the hardest hit countries, pressure on private creditors to partake in debt restructuring negotiations will intensify in the short term. The restructuring case of Chad […]
CHINA: Power shortages lead to durable market reforms

Severe power rationing has led to significant long-term reforms to China’s electricity pricing system that go beyond emergency stop-gap measures. Under the new system, coal-powered generators can pass on higher coal prices to electricity users; the changes also force coal generators into direct competition from lower-priced renewables. Still, the Communist Party’s short-term focus on shoring […]
SOUTH AFRICA: Who will be the biggest winner of the municipal elections?

The African National Congress (ANC) will likely be the biggest loser of the 1 November municipal elections, but its loss will not be the gain of the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA). Smaller parties, not only the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), will make inroads, signaling a more fragmented political picture and protracted coalition-making post-election. The […]
CEE: Economic and political challenges resurface with pandemic resurgence

Countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are struggling to cope with the resurging pandemic amid low vaccination rates and widespread prevalence of the Delta strain. The inevitable return of tough restrictions will hamper economic recovery and could delay fiscal consolidation plans. Pandemic management will require unpopular political decisions, which could heighten social tensions and […]
Sri Lanka: Facing an economic crisis – but IMF is not an option (for now)

Low revenue from tourism, plummeting foreign remittances and legacy debts from the sovereign bond market are pushing Sri Lanka in the general direction of default This is exacerbated by errors in the island’s tea-production strategy However, help from multilateral lending institutions will be the last option for the government because of the conditions these will […]
GERMANY: Weidmann’s resignation and the euro dilemma of the political right

Regardless of who gets to succeed Jens Weidmann as Bundesbank president, it is important to recall that even conservative policymakers like him have not stopped the ECB’s unconventional approach. In contrast with previous resignations, Weidmann did not step down during but ahead of the likely inflation and bond-buying debates ahead in the coming months. The […]