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15 June 2021 Peru
After all the votes had been counted in the presidential run-off ballot of 6 June, left-wing candidate Pedro Castillo’s lead over rival Keiko Fujimori of the right-wing Fuerza Popular had narrowed to fewer than 45,000 votes. Castillo of the Perú Libre party secured 50.1% of the valid votes cast, while Fujimori garnered 49.9%. Although the Jurado Nacional de Elecciones had yet to officially declare a winner, Castillo proclaimed himself President-elect. Meanwhile Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), refused to concede and alleged that fraud had taken place.
14 June 2021 Curacao
A new Government composed of members of the Movementu Futuro Kòrsou (MFK) and the Partido Nashonal di Pueblo (PNP) was sworn into office. The previous coalition had collapsed after the ruling Partido Antía Restrukturá lost its majority. No party won a majority of seats in the general election held on 19 March, but the MFK, led by Gilmar Pisas, and the PNP entered into negotiations to form a new coalition, overseen by formateur Chester Peterson. Pisas was appointed Prime Minister while PNP leader Ruthmilda Larmonie-Cecilia became Minister of Social Development, Labour and Welfare, as well as acting Minister of Economic Development.
14 June 2021 NATO
A summit of NATO heads of state and of government, convened in Brussels, Belgium, determined to open a new chapter in transatlantic relations, and endorsed a new NATO 2030 agenda. The following were designated by the summit as ongoing threats to Euro-Atlantic security: challenges to the rules-based international order posed by state and non-state actors; cyber, hybrid, and other asymmetric threats (such as disinformation campaigns), and the malicious use of disruptive technologies; terrorism; aggressive actions by Russia; challenges posed by the growing influence and the international policies of the People’s Republic of China; instability in the wider world that was prompting irregular migration flows and human trafficking; the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and advances in the space domain. A new Comprehensive Cyber Defence Policy was endorsed, and it was noted that the North Atlantic Council could decide to invoke Article 5 of the Washington Treaty in response to cases of hybrid warfare, as well as in response to an armed attack. The meeting determined to convene a regular NATO climate and security dialogue to address climate change, which was designated as a general threat multiplier.
13 June 2021 Israel
Naftali Bennett took office as Prime Minister, having narrowly secured parliamentary approval for his coalition government. The coalition comprised some eight parties, including Bennett’s Yemina, Yesh Atid, Kahol Lavan, Labour, Israel Beytenu, New Hope and Meretz. The Government also enjoyed support in the Knesset (parliament) from the United Arab List (Ra‘am), although Ra‘am did not take any ministerial posts. According to the terms of the coalition agreement, Bennett was to serve as Prime Minister until 23 August 2023, upon which date Yair Lapid, the leader of Yesh Atid, was to gain the premiership. Lapid was appointed Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Most notably among the other members of the new Cabinet, Benny Gantz of Kahol Lavan and Gideon Sa’ar of New Hope both took the title of Deputy Prime Minister, with Gantz additionally named as Minister of Defence and Sa’ar as Minister of Justice. Avigdor Lieberman of Israel Beytenu became Minister of Finance and Yemina’s Ayalet Shaked Minister of the Interior.
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11-13 June 2021 G7
The UK hosted the 2021 summit of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, with additional participation by the European Commission, Australia, India, the Republic of Korea and South Africa. The meeting issued the Carbis Bay Declaration, which included pledges to secure a further 1,000m. COVID-19 vaccine doses over the next year for low- and middle-income countries (either by allocating funds to the COVAX scheme, or by donating surplus doses); to engage constructively at the WTO on the issue of introducing temporary intellectual property waivers for COVID-19 vaccine patents; to support the strengthening of the global health system, including global surveillance for potentially dangerous diseases; to ensure that by 2026 40m. more girls are receiving education; and to support the reopening of travel and tourism. The G7 leaders endorsed the proposed global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% which had been agreed on 5 June by a meeting of G7 finance ministers and backed an initiative by the IMF to raise a new $650,000m. general allocation of special drawing rights. The grouping reaffirmed commitment to pursuing the goal of phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 and to co-operate with China on matters including addressing climate change, while urging that country to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially in relation to Xianjiang and Hong Kong.
9 June 2021 Albania
At an extraordinary session of the national legislature, parliamentarians voted to impeach the Albanian President, Ilir Meta. Meta had been accused of violating the Constitution by threatening national unity, owing to his criticism, prior to legislative elections on 25 April 2021, of the ruling Albanian Socialist Party, led by Edi Rama. The party had, nevertheless, been re-elected with some 48.7% of the votes cast and a majority of seats (74 of the 140 available) in the elections. Impeachment was supported by 104 votes in the legislature, exceeding the 93-vote threshold required to remove Meta from office. A final decision on the impeachment was to be made by the Constitutional Court within three months.
9 June 2021 Mongolia
At a presidential election Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, the Chairman of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), secured an overwhelming victory, winning 67.7% of the votes cast, while his opponents Dangaasuren Enkhbat of the Right Person Electorate Coalition and Sodnomzundui Erdene of the Democratic Party won 20.3% and 5.9% of the votes, respectively. Khurelsukh had resigned as Prime Minister in January 2021 following protests over the treatment of a patient with coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which grew to include more general concerns about governance. The election of Khurelsukh to the presidency consolidated the power of the MPP. The outgoing President Khaltmaa Battulga was unable to contest the election following controversial constitutional changes limiting the President to one term of office.
6 June 2021 Mexico
The ruling Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena), led by left-wing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, lost its supermajority in the Federal Chamber of Deputies following mid-term congressional elections, according to preliminary results. Although Morena remained the largest party in the lower house, it would lack the two-thirds’ majority needed to approve constitutional amendments. Nevertheless, the party performed well in concurrently-held local elections, increasing its control of governorships and state legislatures across the country, although it lost dominance in Mexico City, a traditional stronghold. President López Obrador pledged that his Government would press ahead with wide-ranging reforms, notably increasing state control of the energy sector.
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