The World Today for October 12, 2023

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Plus ça Change

NEW ZEALAND

The former prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, who served from 2017 through early this year, became a global celebrity after she called for tough firearms laws following a terrorist attack on two mosques in the city of Christchurch, and tough measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. She also became a powerhouse in Kiwi politics. In 2020, when she last ran for election, for instance, her Labour Party won by the most votes in 70 years.

But then Ardern stepped down, saying she was no longer up to the rigors of the job, and handed the reins to her Labour Party colleague Chris Hipkins, who is currently serving as prime minister. Now many of her former friends think they might need to call her back as Hipkins appears to be on the ropes ahead of New Zealand’s general election on Oct. 14, wrote Australian magazine Stuff.

The entire tenor of the political conversation in the country has changed since Ardern last stood for the election, wrote the New York Times. The domestic issues she championed – “pay equity, child poverty, and the prevention of domestic violence and harassment” – are not part of the conversation. Female politicians say they now receive more misogynistic threats.

The political winds have changed, too. The center-right National Party is now forecast to win 36 percent of the vote in contrast to 26 percent for the Labour, reported 1News, a New Zealand-based outlet. An upset is possible, however. Another poll showed, for example, that Hipkins and his main rival, National leader Christopher Luxon, each enjoyed popularity ratings of 29 percent, the New Zealand Herald wrote.

Luxon has been hammering the prime minister on his party’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Ardern imposed nationwide lockdowns and strict border controls, reported the Associated Press. These draconian measures were first praised as taking a zero-tolerance approach to the virus. They initially kept the death toll very low. But, eventually, they became untenable.

The prime minister repealed the last pandemic-related safety measures in August. Soon after, ironically, he contracted the sickness himself only two weeks before the polls opened, further undermining confidence in his reelection efforts. “Bugger!” he wrote on Instagram, according to the Guardian. “After a rough night I woke up this morning feeling pretty unwell and just got this test result.”

If the polls are correct, neither Luxon nor Hipkins will have sufficient votes to form a government without coalition partners, particularly New Zealand First. The populist political party’s leader, Winston Peters, has become a kingmaker who has helped form National as well as Labour governments in the past, explained Radio New Zealand.

Some things never change.

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THE WORLD, BRIEFLY

The Comeback Kid

SLOVAKIA

Slovakia’s former Prime Minister Robert Fico will return to office after his party signed a deal Monday to form a three-party coalition government, a move that has raised concerns about Slovakia’s support of Ukraine and its relations with the European Union, the Associated Press reported.

Already, new aid has been paused, Bloomberg reported.

The agreement comes more than a week after Slovakia’s parliamentary elections saw Fico’s populist Direction – Slovak Social Democracy party (SMER-SSD, or Smer) win nearly 23 percent of the vote, even as it failed to secure a majority in the 150-seat legislature.

The new coalition is made up of Smer, the left-wing Hlas and the pro-Russian Slovak National Party – together holding 79 seats. Under the coalition deal, Smer will appoint the prime minister and six other ministers, opening the way for Fico to return as Slovakia’s head of government for the fourth time.

It’s unclear when President Zuzana Čaputová will swear in the new government.

Fico campaigned on pro-Russian and anti-immigrant messages: He said he would withdraw Slovakia’s military support for Ukraine and protect the country against illegal migration increasing again across Europe.

He added, however, that he wants Slovakia to remain a member of the EU and NATO – but with “full respect” for the country’s sovereignty.

Observers and critics have expressed concerns that Fico’s victory could see Slovakia aligning more closely with Hungary, potentially causing discord with the EU and other Western nations that are seeking unity in supporting Ukraine, according to Reuters.

This shift could further reinforce a broader regional trend of moving away from political liberalism, particularly if Poland’s conservative Law and Justice party wins parliamentary elections this weekend.

A Little Sunlight

SYRIA

The United Nations’ top court held a hearing this week about widespread torture and human rights abuses in Syria, the first time an international tribunal has addressed the brutal methods perpetrated by the Syrian government to crush dissent, the New York Times reported.

The hearing comes a few months after Canada and the Netherlands filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Syria of violating the Convention Against Torture, which all three nations have ratified.

The two Western countries allege that Syria has violated the convention repeatedly and on a “massive scale.” The complaint also cited “abhorrent treatment” of thousands of people held in detention centers, including enforced disappearances and sexual assaults.

It also alleged that the Syrian government has frequently used chemical weapons as a means of torture, to “intimidate and punish the civilian population, resulting in numerous deaths, injuries and severe physical and mental suffering.”

The court will decide whether to issue an emergency ruling demanding that Syria halts its long list of abuses. It does not have the power to prosecute individuals.

However, lawyers and legal analysts explained that a verdict by the ICJ can impact relations between Syria and other countries, such as whether they want to normalize ties with Assad’s government.

It could also influence international financing and aid, as discussions about reconstruction and investment in Syria grow.

Allegations of torture, human rights abuses and the use of chemical weapons on civilians have dogged the Syrian government since the start of the civil war in 2011. Around 14,000 people are estimated to have died in prisons and detention centers operated by Syrian security or intelligence officials.

About 130,000 others remain missing.

Syria has not sent any representative to the court and the government has previously rejected the accusations. Assad has blamed “terrorists” for the violence – an umbrella term used to refer to all critics of the regime and groups that fought against the government during the war.

The Squeeze

ANDORRA

Andorra introduced a temporary ban on foreigners buying property, as the diminutive European country experiences a surge in real estate prices that has made housing scarce for its residents, Euronews reported.

Lawmakers recently passed a three-month ban on foreign investment that will bar non-residents from investing in real estate in the principality nestled between France and Spain. The new rules will later institute a tax on all foreign property purchases.

The tax revenue will then be used to construct more affordable rental housing for lower-income Andorrans.

Apart from the new ban, prospective buyers and residential permit holders will need to demonstrate basic proficiency in the Catalan language starting next year.

The move comes as the principality – known for its ski resorts, mild climate, and generous tax benefits – has become an attractive destination for wealthy expatriates and Internet celebrities in recent years.

Real estate costs in Andorra have increased by more than 30 percent since mid-2018. Prices saw a 13 percent increase between the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.

With the monthly minimum wage being below $1,400, many poorer locals have been forced to move to neighboring Spain.

However, critics questioned the ban’s effectiveness, noting that the restrictions will only apply to non-residents and may lead to an increase in wealthy foreigners seeking residency permits.

In Andorra, becoming a “passive resident” is relatively straightforward as foreigners are only required to spend 90 days per year in the country. This type of residency prohibits them from being employed by an Andorran-based company, but allows them to receive income from abroad – a lucrative option for digital nomads.

Many passive residents need to invest at least $637,000 in the country, primarily in property, although this requirement can be waived if an individual generates income outside the microstate.

DISCOVERIES

Help From Below

Most gardeners know how important worms are to ensure healthy soil for healthy plants: They help decompose dead plant material to release nutrients for plants to grow, and contribute to the fight against common soil pathogens.

But these days, the invertebrates are under constant threat by modern agricultural techniques and the use of toxic pesticides.

A research team has now studied how important earthworms are to the global production of key crops such as grain and legumes, and found that they play an integral role, prompting scientists to call for better conservation, Agence France-Presse reported.

To arrive at this conclusion, scientists analyzed maps of earthworm populations, soil properties, crop yields and previous papers on plant productivity. Their findings showed that earthworms contribute to around 6.5 percent of the world’s annual grain production, including wheat, rice and maize.

That figure was more than two percent in legumes, which includes peas, soybeans and lentils.

“Their contribution may even be larger,” said co-author Steven Fonte.

Fonte and his team explained that the worms’ role has been deeply underestimated, adding that there is not enough research done on their populations in the global south.

While the study mainly uses data points from Europe and North America, researchers claimed that their findings represent one of the first attempts to quantify the contribution of a beneficial soil organism to global agricultural production.

They hope that more research could alter agricultural and environmental policies to support earthworm populations and soil biodiversity.

“Soils are estimated to contain approximately half of all biodiversity on the planet and are incredibly important for biodiversity conservation efforts,” noted Fonte.

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