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] There is a high risk of targeting by Democratic People's Republic of Korea linked hackers and information technology workers, including attempts to steal or launder cryptoassets. JD Supra
• [New] The Kremlin has begun a campaign to sway the parliamentary election in Moldova in what could become a new model of election interference online. The New York Times
• [New] With elections taking place in 2025 in more than 50 countries, comprising half the world's population, there are concerns that deepfakes could significantly compromise election integrity. SpringerLink
• [New] The French National Assembly is expected to hold a vote of confidence on the centrist Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's unpopular austerity budget proposal later today. Just Security
• [New] Germany's costly green hydrogen stalls its transition, a bribery scandal endangers Argentina's President Milei, China's semiconductors lag in lithography, Japan's PM Ishiba resigns post-election loss, and Red Sea cable cuts disrupt Asia-Mideast internet. GeopoliticsUnplugged Substack
• [New] If the agreement between Anutin and the People's Party holds, Thailand could see some movement towards constitutional reform, followed by a new election. The Conversation
• [New] As political violence becomes a growing threat and reality, New Jersey's election watchdog has moved to officially allow candidates to use campaign money to pay for security services and devices. State and Federal Communications
• [New] Results from India's election - where Prime Minister Narendra Modi won significantly fewer seats than expected - caused the Indian rupee to tumble against currencies like the euro. Statista
• [New] Tyranny at home becomes far more possible and the American far right fascination with revolution and civil war and risk to America's democratic system becomes far more possible. Frontiers
• [New] Beneath the veneer of moral cleansing, India's proposed 130th Constitutional Amendment creates a legal framework for the central government to topple elected opponents, threatening the world's largest democracy with a de facto one-party state. Eurasia Review
• [New] Regardless of the outcome of the September election, it is unlikely that there will be dramatic shift in Norwegian foreign and defence policy. Over the Circle
• [New] Quebec says it will ban prayer in public, a move that civil rights groups described as an alarming measure that targets religious minority groups and would infringe on basic democratic freedoms. The Guardian
• [New] The surge in eurozone government bond yields was triggered by political turmoil in France, where Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called for a vote of confidence on the 2026 budget plan, which includes EUR 44 billion in cuts for 2026 and is facing strong opposition from the main parties. Morningstar, Inc.
• [New] Restricting mail voting could silence rural voices in elections and undermine democratic participation across Kansas. RuralOrganizing
• [New] Foreign intervention and military rule are faltering in the Middle East, while governments everywhere appear incapable of addressing the crises that threaten to end the age of carbon democracy - the disappearance of cheap energy and the carbon-fuelled collapse of the ecological order. SAGE
• [New] Bolsonaro is already banned from running for re-election in Brazil's next elections in 2026 after using social media and state television to cast doubt on Brazil's electoral system and electronic voting machines without evidence. Dictionary.com
• [New] The way harsh US tariffs have pushed India, the world's biggest democracy, so quickly into the warm embrace of China, the world's biggest autocracy, will be of concern. Dictionary.com
• [New] In the United States, partisanship constrains gender affinity, such that women voters will rarely cross party lines to vote for a woman. Cambridge Core
• [New] Many US allies in Europe and Asia view China as a serious threat to fair trade, democracy, and regional stability. UNN
• [New] Technocracy stands ready with a plan to salvage American civilization, if and when democracy, as now functioning, can no longer cope with the inherent disruptive forces. Novum Newsletter

Last updated: 14 September 2025