Global Scans · Democracy · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Society is expressing its discontent with current democratic processes that leave the elites struggling to convince their voters of their good intentions and competencies. Read on to see how democracy is offering both great opportunities and risks while this period of volatility shakes out.

• [New] Illicit finance poses a global threat; undermining economies, weakening democratic institutions, and destabilising the rules-based international order. Department of Home Affairs Website
• [New] While India aimed to be a secular liberal democracy for all of its citizens, Pakistan's leaders believed that its citizens could only be secure in a Muslim-majority state. Vox
• [New] The coming years will determine whether the 2026 election marks a period of stabilization - or the beginning of another cycle of constitutional contestation and protest rallies. / Thailand The Diplomat
• [New] Amendments that appear to touch Thailand's 'democracy with the monarchy as head of state' formula, as the debate over lese majeste reform showed, could trigger litigation from Thailand's self-appointed defenders of tutelary democracy. East Asia Forum
• [New] Asset managers exert influence through direct and indirect engagement, including through the implementation of proxy voting policies and policy-based voting; as a result, Canadian institutional investors have generally reviewed their voting and engagement policies to increase the focus on ESG risks. JD Supra
• Kansas lawmakers could transform elections with a series of bills that squeeze advanced voting timelines, stamp out rare instances of noncitizen voting, and tinker with some candidate filing and advocacy rules. State and Federal Communications
• Authoritarian unification would destroy Taiwan's democratic system; formal independence would institutionalize confrontation and risk escalation between major powers. Global Policy Journal
• By linking cross-Strait peace to democratic conditionality rather than deterrence alone, Europe could exercise distinctive normative leverage in shaping long-term stability in East Asia. Global Policy Journal
• A transition beginning in 2027 from uniform policy models to AI enabled, customizable voting frameworks that better reflect client specific strategies. BDO
• Iranian military leaders could prove more pragmatic around some the currently divisive cultural policies (e.g., the imposition of mandatory hijabs), but they are unlikely to embrace the West or implement any meaningful economic or democratic reforms. Council on Foreign Relations
• Familiar risks will re-emerge in the second half of 2026 as a new round of budget negotiations get underway and the 2027 presidential election cycle brings fresh political uncertainty. / Germany Natixis - Natixis CIB
• As generative systems flood the world with content, democratic societies face risks from deepfakes and disinformation. The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com
• Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is laying the groundwork for a dynastic succession - and disposing of democratic institutions that might obstruct it. The National Interest
• Implementation, transparency in releases and broader reforms will determine its lasting impact on Venezuela's pursuit of peace and democratic coexistence. CNN
• Europe's liberal democratic order is under threat and admitted fears over how leaders would react if Russia stormed Nato territory. The US Sun
• The European Commission has launched a €785,000 pilot call for proposals to strengthen social cohesion and improve understanding of online political polarization, recognizing the growing threat that digitally amplified division poses to democratic resilience in the European Union. CRC
• Washington's framing of Taiwan is moving from democratic partner to strategic liability, driven by fears that Taiwan's chip concentration is a single point of failure for the global economy. The Asia Cable
• As the world's largest democracy, India has the opportunity to deploy AI widely while also shaping how it is governed. VND
• Despite the devastation and disruptions caused by Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's democratic regime has endured. CEPA
• The United States faces a critical moment as Trump's push to federalize elections threatens both constitutional norms and election security. WJXT News4JAX
• China's intensifying authoritarian expansionism not only directly threatens Taiwan's security and democratic system but also poses significant challenges to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world. The Bullet
• Ukraine's democratic trajectory stands at a critical crossroads that will define not only its own future but the broader architecture of European security and democratic governance in the 21st century. CEPA

Last updated: 08 March 2026