Recent Thai general election youth runners storm
Disantis of the U.S., aiming to kick Taiwanese Wan An
Zelensky-I Melonie also evaluated as ‘stable’
UK Truss and Finland Marine resign amid stigma
In Thailand’s general elections held on the 14th, a progressive party led by 43-year-old Pita Rimjjarenrat caused a sensation, and young politicians around the world are leading the wave of change. In the United States ahead of the presidential election in November next year, jockeys in their 40s are appearing one after another. In Europe and elsewhere, the trend is for the 3040 leadership class to promote novelty, vitality, and friendliness.
In the United States, politicians in their 40s are rapidly leaping forward as leaders in their respective fields. For next year’s presidential election, the ruling Democratic Party President Joe Biden (81) and the opposition Republican Party former President Donald Trump (77) still have the highest approval ratings, but most of the new forces to succeed them are ‘young blood’ born in the 1970s.
In the Biden administration, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (47) is a representative. At the time of nomination in 2020, foreign media such as the Associated Press paid attention as “one of the youngest national security advisers in history.” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (41) also emerged as a rookie in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, winning first place over Senator Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucus, the first gateway to the primary. In 2020, when the conflict between the US and China was intensifying, Catherine Tai, who became the head of the US Trade Representative (USTR), at the age of 45, is also drawing attention from the political world.
In the Republican Party, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (45) has risen rapidly. He is highlighting the image of a ‘young and competent leader’ in a situation where President Biden’s health anomalies continue. He was once called ‘Little Trump’, but he has established himself as a strong competitor that former President Trump openly checks.
In Taiwan, ahead of the presidential elections in January next year, Taipei Mayor Chang Wan-an (蔣萬安, 45), who emerged as the next-generation star of the main opposition Kuomintang party in last year’s local elections, is mentioned as the next runner. As the great-grandson of Taiwan’s first president, Chiang Kai-shek, he ran for the Nationalist Party in the 2022 mayoral election in Taipei, the capital, and won a complete victory with 42.3% of the vote.
Recently, as people in their 30s and 40s have risen from being ‘next-generation runners’ to becoming the country’s top leaders, expectations have emerged that the ‘heyday of young leaders’ will be opened. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (45), who took office in 2019, is evaluated as having succeeded in gaining support from the West through a meticulous international public opinion war following the Russian invasion. Italian Prime Minister Giorza Meloni (46), who took office last year, also softened his far-right image and has a stable approval rating in the 30% range.
However, there are not a few cases in which young heads of state, who started their tenures with domestic and international attention, reveal limitations such as lack of experience in running state affairs, causing even greater disappointment. Chilean President Gabriel Boric (37) won the presidential election in March last year and became the head of state. As it was his first presidential election after the large-scale anti-government movement in 2019, interest in him as a former student movement leader was even greater. However, his approval rating is plummeting due to soaring prices and deteriorating security. A constitutional amendment referendum held after six months in power was also rejected.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (38), who previously took office as the “youngest prime minister” in 2019, failed in the general election last month and was removed from office. Prime Minister Marine made significant achievements such as joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO · NATO), and enjoyed great popularity with young female voters for her flamboyant fashion sense. However, her approval ratings fell as controversy over her private life spread, including leaks of a ‘party video’ of her dancing until dawn last year at a club.
Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss (48) set two records at the same time: Britain’s ‘first 40 Prime Minister’ and ‘shortest-lived Prime Minister’. As soon as he started his term, he had to step down after 44 days in office because of his economic blunders, such as tax cuts for the rich, which caused great chaos.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.