It has been a busy month for politics, with national elections taking place in a number of countries around the world. In almost every case, continuity has prevailed, even when leadership has changed.
The recent events in Japan are typical, with the election of Fumio Kishida as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) assuring that the policies of the last decade, or since his party retook power, will remain in place. While stability is important, more will be required of governments at a time of sharp and growing challenges.
Last month, Russia held parliamentary elections that, to the surprise of no one, were won by President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. United Russia claimed 314 seats, which, while a loss of 20 from the previous ballot in 2016, allowed it to maintain its supermajority in parliament.