Current Affairs - Politics

Rishi Sunak appointed former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron as the Foreign Secretary, marking a significant move in the political arena.

Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, was elected as the new speaker of the US House of Representatives in October 2023. He is a relatively lesser-known figure, but has earned the nickname "MAGA Mike" among his hard-right colleagues, a reference to Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again".

Robert Fico has become Slovakia's new prime minister for the fourth time. He is a nationalist politician who has promised to prioritize Slovakian interests, reduce military aid to Ukraine, and curb immigration. His election has raised concerns among EU leaders regarding potential obstructionist policies. Fico's victory is a sign of the growing popularity of nationalist sentiment in Slovakia. It is also a reminder of the challenges facing the European Union as it tries to maintain a united front in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Poland's liberal opposition, led by Donald Tusk, achieved a historic parliamentary majority in recent elections, ending eight years of populist rule. The victory was seen as a repudiation of the Law and Justice (PiS) party's conservative and nationalist policies.

As of 2023, there are 31 member countries in NATO. The most recent country to join NATO was Finland in 2023. NATO is a political and military alliance of countries from North America and Europe. It was founded in 1949 in response to the Soviet Union's expansion into Eastern Europe after World War II. NATO's core principle is collective defence, which means that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all member states.