Episoder
-
In this week’s episode, Sam and Chern discuss the surprise results from the snap French legislative election and unpack the Starmer Cabinet in the UK just over a week on from the General Election. How did the New Popular Front pull off a first place finish in this snap election? Why did the National Rally fall far short of expectations? And as talks begin, what kind of Government is possible in this fragmented National Assembly? In the UK, Keir Starmer has begun his time as Labour Prime Minister, but what does his Cabinet say about the first term agenda? Were there any surprises? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
In this 2024 UK General Election special, Sam and Chern discuss the results as they unfolded throughout the night. Sir Keir Starmer has become UK Prime Minister following a landslide victory, but there were so many stories underneath the surface. How did the Labour Party win such a commanding majority? Which seats provided the most interesting stories throughout the night? As the Lib Dems notch up their biggest ever seat count, where in the country did they win? And with the rise of Reform UK, the Greens and Independents, what threats do they pose to the two main parties in the Parliament to come? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Mangler du episoder?
-
Sam and Chern look back at results from South Africa’s General Election, and conclude their preview of the UK General Election, focussing on Northern Ireland and Scotland. In South Africa, the ANC have failed to obtain a majority for the first time since 1994 and have formed a unity coalition with the Democratic Alliance. Why did the ANC choose the DA and not the EFF or Zuma’s MK Party? And is Cyril Ramaphosa’s time as President limited now? In the UK, what are the seats to watch out for in Scotland and Northern Ireland? And as the campaign draws to a close, has anything moved the dial? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look back at results from the giant election for the new European Parliament. In a changing European political landscape, where were the key losses or successes for the party blocs? Did the far-right surge occur as extensively as observers expected? And as the tussle for the European Union top jobs intensifies, who are we likely to see get roles? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look back at results from two recent large General Elections in Mexico and India. In Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum is set to become their first female President, but how was she able to oversee such a commanding victory for the governing Morena Party across the board? Was it a failure of opposition, or was it evidence of the popularity of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador? In India, Narendra Modi’s NDA failed to get the 400 seats they were aiming for and actually fell backwards. Why was it such a polling miss? Why did voters turn away from the BJP? And can Congress/INDIA take credit for a successful campaign? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern preview the upcoming UK General Election, focussing on constituencies and campaigns across England and Wales. What are the seats to watch on election night, and where will this election be won and lost? Why have the polls changed so dramatically in the five years since the 2019 General Election? How will Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer feel after the first full week of campaigning? And which Cabinet Ministers could be contenders for 2024’s ‘Portillo Moment’? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern break down results from three Spanish autonomous communities that have been to the polls in the first half of 2024: Galicia, Basque and Catalonia. As regionalist parties demonstrate their strength, how will these results affect the federal Sanchez government? Why has Catalonia not elected a pro-independence parliament for the first time in over 40 years? Why did the Socialists perform significantly better in Catalonia than Galicia just 3 months prior? What do these elections tell us about the state of Spanish politics? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look back at results from the recent General Elections in Panama and in North Macedonia. In Panama, José Raúl Mulino has won the presidency but has fallen well short of a majority for his Realizing Goals party in the National Assembly. Why did the opposition do so well, and was it more of a vote against the incumbents? In North Macedonia, will the VMRO and Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova victory stall the EU accession negotiations? Why did the opposition perform so well here too? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern dissect the results from the 2024 set of UK local elections in the final electoral test before the expected General Election later this year. The Conservatives suffered almost 500 Council seat losses, and only managed to win one of the mayoralties up for grabs (Tees Valley), so can the party turn it around in the run up to the General Election? As Labour celebrate big wins and a close contest in the West Midlands, can anything stop a Labour majority? And can the Greens and Liberal Democrats convert local successes into seats at Westminster? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look ahead to the mammoth General Election that is already underway in India to elect the 18th Lok Sabha. Narendra Modi looks poised to win a third term as Prime Minister and a third successive majority for his BJP, but what is the key to his enduring electoral appeal? Why has Congress been unable to make any significant inroads into the BJP’s dominance? In which states will this election be won and lost? And is Modi’s 400-seat objective achievable? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look back at results from the recent General Election in Croatia and look ahead to the upcoming electoral contest in South Africa. In Croatia, Andrej Plenković’s HDZ have topped the polls again, but will need to find some allies to remain in Government. Why have the HDZ been so dominant in Croatian politics, and why have they fallen back this time? Why was the SDP and Zoran Milanovic unable to oust the HDZ? And what issues dominated the campaign? In South Africa, why do the ANC look likely to fall short of an overall majority for the first time since the end of Apartheid? What impact will Jacob Zuma have on this contest? And why have the Democratic Alliance so far been unable to capitalise on ANC setbacks? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look back at results from the recent state election in Tasmania, Australia, and the parliamentary election in South Korea. In Tasmania, Jeremy Rockliff’s Liberals won a historic fourth term, but what will be the consequences of losing their overall majority? Did the change in National Assembly make-up make a big difference? Should Labor be disappointed, and was Rebecca White a personal drag on the campaign? In South Korea, will a repeat Democratic Party landslide be a big problem for President Yoon Suk Yeol? How did the Opposition pull off such a big result again? And why were Green Onions such a big campaign feature? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look back at results from Portugal’s General Election and look ahead to next week’s state election in Tasmania, Australia. In Portugal, Luis Montenegro’s Democratic Alliance topped the polls, but have a difficult decision to make in finding a governing partner. What will the eventual government look like, and will Chega play a formal role in it? Did the Socialists overperform, and why did the Democratic Alliance fail to fully capitalise on Socialist dysfunction? In Tasmania, the Liberals are eyeing up a fourth term, but will the change in overall legislative seat count make that a tricky objective? Is it third time lucky for Rebecca White and the Labor Party? And what will be the role of Independents in the election results and government formation? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look back at results from Indonesia’s General Election and look ahead to next week’s snap parliamentary election in Portugal. In Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto has won a commanding victory in one round, but what motivated this big victory? Did Jokowi’s tacit endorsement make the difference? And why was there a disparity between the presidential and legislative election results as things stand? In Portugal, why are voters back at the polls just two years after the Socialist majority was obtained? What will the role of Chega be, and are they heading into government? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look back on results from the contestedGeneral Election in Pakistan and the presidential election in Finland. In Pakistan, despite Imran Khan’s prison sentence and PTI’s legal setbacks, PTI-backed candidates have topped the polls in a plurality of seats. What will the eventual Government look like? What is next for the PTI-backed candidates as they head into Opposition? And will the likely marriage of convenience coalition survive? In Finland, how did comeback kid Alexander Stubb beat Pekka Haavisto? What issues were on the line? And why did the Presidency take on more significance in the wake of Finland’s NATO accession? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern dive into results from the first two primary contests in the US presidential election, and preview the upcoming General Election in Indonesia. In the US, is a Biden-Trump rematch now inevitable, and is the primary season finished before it even really got started? Is there a viable path left for Nikki Haley? And are there any signs for concern for Donald Trump as he emerges from this contested primary? In Indonesia, what is Joko Widodo’s legacy as he vacates the presidency? Why is Prabowo Subianto the favourite heading into the Valentine’s Day poll? And why is Jokowi seemingly backing an opposition candidate above his own party? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look at results from Taiwan’s elections as the first electoral event of 2024, and comment on recent electoral events in Bangladesh. In Taiwan, how did Lai Ching-te win a third consecutive presidential term for the DPP? Given the strength of the third candidate, did the Opposition miss an opportunity to recapture the presidency? Why did Kuomintang do much better in the legislative elections? And given Beijing’s attention on this election, what will be the potential geopolitical consequences? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
This week’s episode looks ahead to the year 2024 in politics and elections, discussing the polls to look out for and the themes we might be talking about as the year rolls on. 2024 is a huge year for democracy, with 75% of the world’s democracies and 50% of the global population going to the ballot box. Amongst others, the US, the UK, India, Mexico, Indonesia and South Africa will all be holding national elections. This week, Sam and Chern preview the electoral calendar, picking out some highlights and previewing some stories that are likely to define the political year region by region. Will 2024 be a year of change as multiple incumbents look vulnerable heading into this cycle?
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
This week’s episode takes a look back at 2023 in politics with Sam and Chern talking through their annual series of awards. What was the most consequential election of the year and the biggest surprise? Did THAT really happen in 2023? Who was the worst politician this year? And which politicians should we be looking out for in 2024 and beyond? All these questions and more answered in this episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support -
Sam and Chern look at results from six Indian state elections from the second half of 2023, including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Which are the most significant results from this year? Why is the BJP strong in the North and Congress better-placed in the Southern states? Have any of these results altered the narrative ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha election? And is Modi on track for a historic third term? All these questions and more answered in this week’s episode.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ballot-to-talk-about/support - Se mer
