The populist tide that swept the world over the past decade may finally be receding. History will record the last two decades as an era of democratic self-harm. Across the globe, voters turned with remarkable regularity to a particular type of leader: the strongman-populist. They spoke the language of grievance, promised easy answers to complex […]
Reckoning
A National Reckoning Awaits in Bihar
Bihar Elections are round the corner, and the state has become the epicentre of India’s shifting political mood. Once a bastion of the Modi wave, Bihar now reflects the growing disillusionment with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) reliance on rhetoric over results. What is being billed as the “mother of all elections” by the Election […]
Moment of Reckoning
Investors are back in Islamabad, and this time it feels real. The Saudi delegation, led by Deputy Investment Minister Ibrahim Al Mubarak, has not come to offer pleasantries. It has come to see whether Pakistan can finally deliver. Riyadh’s $5 billion commitment is on the table, alongside Europe’s review of GSP+ access and Malaysia’s push […]