BRAZIL
Jair Bolsonaro shuns Lula’s return
Like his model Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro did not attend the handover ceremony in Brasilia on January 1. The outgoing president preferred to fly to Miami, Florida, for an indefinite period. “Lula returns to the presidency in a troubled and divided Brazil”, notes the Jornal do Brasil about the 77-year-old head of state, narrowly elected in October. Already president from 2003 to 2010, the former trade unionist will have the challenge of reviving a stagnant economy while reconciling with himself this highly polarized country for at least a decade.
VATICAN
Benedict XVI, farewell to a controversial pope
The first pope in modern history to step down, Joseph Ratzinger died on December 31 at the age of 95. Elected in 2005, the first German pontiff in history has had the title of “pope emeritus” since 2013. “During his pontificate, Benedict pursued the conservative agenda of his predecessor [Jean-Paul II], says the Süddeutsche Zeitung. He resisted any modernization of the Church, which earned him much criticism and tarnished the initial enthusiasm of the Germans. Above all, his mandate has been overshadowed by the sexual abuse cases which have plunged the Catholic Church into a deep crisis.
ISRAEL
A far-right government
To return to power, Binyamin Netanyahu joined forces with Jewish supremacists and ultra-Orthodox. His new government, with several ministers known for their racism and homophobia, was confirmed by the Knesset on December 29. “This is the most extremist government in the history of Israel, underlines the center-left daily Ha’aretz. If a few of the thousands of draconian measures set out in the coalition agreement are implemented, Israel will never be the same country again, and its founders’ dream of building a liberal democracy will cease to exist.” The goal of accelerating colonization in the West Bank is already creating serious tensions with the Palestinians.
CROATIA
Zagreb adopts the euro and joins Schengen
A historic date for Zagreb. At midnight on January 1, 2023, Croatia said goodbye to the kuna, its national currency, to become the twentieth European country to adopt the euro. At the same time, it also joined the Schengen area, an area bringing together 27 countries, where travelers can move freely without border controls. Two events which, for the FinancialTimesrepresent “a symbolic boost for European unity, just as Russia tries to quell opposition from the European bloc to its war in Ukraine.”
SWEDEN
Stockholm takes over EU Presidency
Since January 1, Sweden has held the rotating presidency of the European Union. Its priorities: to strengthen the competitiveness of the Old Continent and maintain the unity of the Twenty-Seven. “Sweden has many plans for its six-month leadership in the Council of the European Union, but what it can do will probably be determined by the scale of Russia’s war in Ukraine,” the radio said. German Deutsche Welle. The Swedish government will also have to overcome the questions that its alliance with the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) party raises about its ability to govern.
VENEZUELA
Juan Guaido dropped by the opposition
A scuttling to break the political deadlock and try to bounce back. The Venezuelan opposition put an end, on December 30, to the “interim” government of its former champion, Juan Guaido, self-proclaimed president four years ago, but without real power. “The decision to turn the page responds to the search for a new strategy”, observes the Spanish daily El País. The opposition has already announced the forthcoming organization of primaries to appoint a single candidate for the 2024 presidential election. He will have the heavy task of facing the all-powerful outgoing head of state, Chavista Nicolas Maduro.
CHINA
Xi invited to Moscow by Putin
“We are waiting for you, dear Mr. President, dear friend, we are waiting for you next spring for a State visit”: on December 30, Vladimir Putin invited Xi Jinping to Moscow by video to show “the strength of Russian-Chinese links on key issues”. However, China’s state-run CCTV made “no mention” of a future visit, notes Reutersadding that Xi remained, during his meeting with Putin, moderate in his criticism of Western countries, “China’s main export market”.