When Yoon Suk Yeol was running for president, he had the word “king” written on his palm. South Koreans dismissed — and ridiculed — it as a shamanistic ritual that reflected his desire for top government office. But after his…
Tag: Democracy (Theory and Philosophy)
Trump Weighs In on Marine Le Pen Conviction
“FREE MARINE LE PEN!” With this blunt call, a strange one in that the French far-right leader is walking the streets of Paris, President Trump has waded into the politics of an ally, condemning her conviction this week on embezzlement…
Le Pen’s Embezzlement Charges and What They Mean for France’s Democracy
Last year, Marine Le Pen spoke menacingly of the possible fallout from her trial on embezzlement charges. “Tomorrow, potentially, millions and millions of French people will see themselves deprived of their candidate for the presidency.” After a court disqualified her…
Marine Le Pen Could Be Banned From France Election if She’s Found Guilty of Embezzlement
Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, has tried and failed three times to become president. Now, even as her popularity rises, she may be barred from taking part in an election to lead France if she is found guilty…
How Trump Is Inspiring Wannabe Authoritarians Everywhere
When President Joseph R. Biden Jr. convened democracy summits at the White House in 2021 and 2023, he pointedly disinvited President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a man he had once described an “autocrat” who deserved to be driven from…
For Some Autocrats, Even Rigged Elections Can Be Too Much of a Threat
Over the last two decades, countries like Turkey, Hungary, Venezuela and India gave the world a lesson on how democracy can erode into “competitive authoritarianism” — a system in which elections are still meaningful, but leaders manipulate the rules to…
Jair Bolsonaro Ordered to Face Trial in Brazil for Attempting a Coup
Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former president, will face trial on charges that he oversaw a vast scheme to cling to power after losing the 2022 elections, including an attempt to overturn the vote and a plot to assassinate the nation’s president-elect,…
In Turkey, Critics of Erdogan See Democracy Eroding After Istanbul Mayor’s Detention
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan entered this year facing a knot of political problems with little precedent in his two decades at the summit of power in Turkey. Voters were angry about persistently high inflation. His political party’s popularity had sunk.…
Power, Money, Territory: How Trump Shook the World in 50 Days
In a span of only 50 days, President Trump has done more than any of his modern predecessors to hollow out the foundations of an international system that the United States painstakingly erected in the 80 years since it emerged…
The Trump Doctrine: The World Is a Zero-Sum Game
What is President Trump up to? This is arguably the most important question in the world right now — and perhaps the toughest to answer. Mr. Trump’s words and actions seem to revolve around a central idea: The world is…