As South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces impeachment proceedings in the National Assembly, recent trends show that leaders in major advanced economies struggle to address voter discontent, leading to a sharp decline in approval ratings. Analysts note that 2024, often dubbed the year of elections, has seen strong calls for leadership changes in many advanced nations.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that one key takeaway from this year’s global elections is that voters in advanced economies are increasingly dissatisfied and ready to replace unpopular leaders. This growing discontent makes it more difficult for incumbent politicians to implement reform agendas. According to the WSJ, negative public sentiment toward political leaders in advanced economies is unprecedented.
A recent survey by polling firm Morning Consult, released on December 3, shows that among 25 industrialized countries, Switzerland is the only nation where a leader’s positive approval rating (56%) exceeds their negative rating. Other approval ratings include 37% for U.S. President Joe Biden, 26% for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 19% for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and 19% for French President Emmanuel Macron.
In contrast, the three most popular leaders in the survey are Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Argentinian President Javier Milei, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum—highlighting that the highest approval ratings belong to leaders from developing nations. South Korea’s Yoon scored the lowest approval rating at just 15% among the 25 countries surveyed. This survey was conducted before the impeachment controversy erupted.
Analysts suggest that voters in developed countries are expressing anger over years of accumulated uncertainties, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war, high inflation, stagnant real wages, and increased immigration. Leaders in these nations face significant challenges in addressing these issues, constrained by slowing economic growth, high interest rates, and rising national debt. Moreover, problems such as aging populations and economic slowdowns are compounding in developed countries.
In Europe, unpopular leaders desperately try to unite ideologically diverse parties. However, their inability to pass meaningful legislation has unmet voters’ demands. In France, a recent parliamentary vote of no confidence resulted in the collapse of the coalition government, prompting Macron to appoint a new prime minister. Scholz’s coalition is on the verge of breaking down in Germany, with early general elections likely to be held in February next year. Many predict that such political turbulence will only intensify.
Furthermore, the grace period for new leaders is shrinking. For instance, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s approval rating fell to 30% within only five months of his tenure. Seema Shah from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance observed that people are unhappy with their quality of life, and the institutions they rely on for support are faltering. She added that this trend poses challenges for the future of liberal democracies.
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