Countries Holding Important Elections in 2012

This is a list of some countries that will be holding presidential elections to keep our eyes on this year. I didn’t mean for it to be a list of only presidential elections, but of important elections. That they’re all for president is just a coincidence. I also don’t claim that this list is exhaustive and I’m sorry for all the wikipedia links.

1. Russia – March 4

According to wikipedia, there are two other candidates for President, but I don’t think there’s much doubt about who will win. However, after the parliamentary elections a few months earlier, there were massive demonstrations against Putin. Will that happen again? Not to mention, this time Putin gets a six-year term and can run for a second, which means he could stay in office until 2024.

2. France – April 22/May 6

The second date is for a runoff election. The main contenders are Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande of the Socialist Party. I don’t think anyone imagines that Europe’s economic troubles will be over by May, so imagine the drastic turn events can take if Merkozy is broken up.

3. Egypt – June 30

All eyes are on Egypt, the country that inspired the world during the Arab Spring (Occupy Wall Street’s tactic of occupation was based on the occupation of Tahrir Square, for example) and where reality is starting to set in.

4. Mexico – July 1

Fewer eyes are on this country, which will be holding it’s election the day after Egypt. But, it’s important to note that the outgoing President, Felipe Calderon, was the one who made the first major commitment to end the drug war in that country. A new President could change the government’s approach towards it.

5. Venezuela – October 7

It was made official who Chavez’s opponent will be just last week. I don’t know how much of a chance Henrique Capriles Radonski, Chavez’s opponent, has of winning, but Chavez has lost referenda in the past, showing that his regime may not be as oppressive as it’s sometimes made out to be. At the same time, if Radonski did win, would it change in any significant way the relationship betweeen Venezuela and the US?

6. United States – November 6

Finally. The Big One. Enough has already and is yet to be said about it, so I won’t bother putting anything here.

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Tags: election, election 2012, Europe, france, Merkozy, mexico, Putin, Russia, Sarkozy, united station, US, Venezuela