2026 in politics
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The following political events have occurred or are scheduled to occur in 2026.
Events
January
- January 1
- Bulgaria adopted the Euro, becoming the 21st member of the Eurozone.[1]
- Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and first Asian American to hold the office.[2]
- January 3 – US forces arrested president of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores following American airstrikes on military sites in northern Venezuela.[3]
- January 7 – Protests spread across the United States following the killing of Renée Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.[4]
- January 8 – Thongloun Sisoulith was re-elected as General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the most powerful position in the one-party state.[5]
- January 9 – A majority of EU member states voted in favour of a free trade agreement with Mercosur.[6]
- January 15 – The 2026 Ugandan general election was held, with incumbent Yoweri Museveni winning a seventh consecutive term and deadly protests breaking out over the result.[7]
- January 17 – Protests occur throughout Greenland and Denmark over US president Donald Trump's threats to annex the territory.[8]
- January 18 – The first round of the 2026 Portuguese presidential election was held.[9]
- January 22 – The United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization.[10]
- January 23
- Tô Lâm was re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the most powerful position in the one-party state.[11]
- Iliana Iotova was sworn is as president of Bulgaria following the resignation of Rumen Radev, becoming the first woman to hold the post.[12][13]
- January 24 – The killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis fuels further protests across the United States.[14]
- January 27 – India and the European Union announced a trade deal after nearly 20 years of talks.[15]
- January 29 – The European Union designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.[16]
February
- February 1
- Former British Ambassador to the United States and cabinet member Peter Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party over links to Jeffrey Epstein.[17] Mandelson was later reported to the Metropolitan Police and resigned from the House of Lords over accusations he forwarded internal government emails to Epstein.[18]
- Laura Fernández Delgado was elected president in the first round of the 2026 Costa Rican general election.[19]
- February 5 – The New START Treaty between the United States and Russia expired.
- February 8
- The Liberal Democratic Party won a supermajority in the 2026 Japanese general election.[20]
- A general election and a constitutional referendum were held in Thailand, with conservative populist party Bhumjaithai winning the largest number of seats and the adoption of a new constitution being approved.[21]
- The second round of the 2026 Portuguese presidential election was held, resulting in a victory for António José Seguro.[22]
- February 9 - Israeli president Isaac Herzog began an official visit to Australia.[23][24][25]
- February 11 – The Barbados Labour Party won every seat in the 2026 Barbadian general election.[26]
- February 12 – The 2026 Bangladeshi general election was held, with the Bangladesh National Party winning a landslide victory.[27]
- February 13 – Sussan Ley, the first female leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, was ousted by Angus Taylor.[28]
- February 17 – Peruvian president José Jerí was censured by Congress and replaced by José María Balcázar.[29]
- February 22
- Kim Jong Un was re-elected as General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, the most powerful position in the one-party state.[30]
- The 2026 Laotian parliamentary election was held.
- February 23 – Rob Jetten was sworn in as prime minister of the Netherlands, becoming both the youngest and first openly gay prime minister in Dutch history.[31]
- February 26
- Jersey approved the legalisation of assisted dying in a landslide vote.[32]
- The 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election was held, resulting in a victory for Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer.[33]
- 28 February – The 2026 Iran war broke out following co-ordinated airstrikes by the United States and Israel, and the assassination of Ali Khamenei.[34]
March
- March 5 – The 2026 Nepalese general election was held, with the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party winning the most seats.[35]
- March 8
- The 2026 Colombian parliamentary election was held.
- Mojtaba Khamenei was announced as Supreme Leader of Iran following his father's assassination.[36]
- March 13 - President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel entered negotiations with the Trump administration in an effort to end the United States embargo against Cuba.[37]
- March 15
- The first round of the 2026 French municipal elections was held, with right-wing and centrist parties making notable gains.[38]
- The 2026 Kazakh constitutional referendum was held, with nearly 90% of voters in favour.[39]
- The 2026 North Korean parliamentary election was held.
- The 2026 Republic of the Congo presidential election was held, with incumbent president Denis Sassou Nguesso winning a fifth consecutive term.[40]
- The 2026 Vietnamese legislative election was held.
- March 22 – The 2026 Slovenian parliamentary election was held, resulting in the ruling Freedom Movement losing their majority.[41]
- March 24 – The 2026 Danish general election was held, with neither political bloc winning a majority.[42]
April
- April 10 – The 2026 Djiboutian presidential election was held.
- April 12
- The 2026 Beninese presidential election was held, with independent candidate Romuald Wadagni winning with over 94% of the vote.
- The 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election was held, with the opposition Tisza Party winning a two-thirds majority and ousting Viktor Orbán after 16 years.
- April 12–13 – The first round of the 2026 Peruvian general election was held.
- April 19 – The 2026 Bulgarian parliamentary election.
- April 21 – Japan lifts its arms-export ban.[43]
Predicted and scheduled events
- April 30 – 2026 Antiguan general election
- May 12 – 2026 Bahamian general election
- May 17 – The 2026 Cape Verdean parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
- May 24 – 2026 Cypriot legislative election
- May 31 – The 2026 Colombian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
- June 1 – The 2026 Ethiopian general election is scheduled to be held.
- June 3 – The 2026 South Korean local elections will be held.
- June 7
- The 2026 Armenian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
- The second round of the 2026 Peruvian general election is scheduled to be held.
- July 2 – The 2026 Algerian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
- July 4 – United States Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary)
- July 19 – The 2026 São Toméan presidential election is scheduled to be held.
- August 13 – The 2026 Zambian general election is scheduled to be held.
- August 30 – The 2026 Estonian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
- September 13 – The 2026 Swedish general election is scheduled to be held.
- September 20 – The 2026 Russian legislative election is scheduled to be held.
- September 23 – The 2026 Moroccan general election is scheduled to be held.
- September 27 – The 2026 São Toméan parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
- October 3 – The 2026 Latvian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
- October 4 – The 2026 Brazilian general election is scheduled to be held.
- October 4 – The 2026 Bosnian general election is scheduled to be held.
- October 27 – If not triggered earlier, the 2026 Israeli legislative election will be held no later than this date.
- November 2 – The 2026 South African municipal elections will begin.
- November 3 – The United States midterm elections are scheduled to be held.
- November 7 – The 2026 New Zealand general election is scheduled to be held.
- December 5 – The 2026 Gambian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
- December 22 – The 2026 South Sudanese general election is scheduled to be held, the first since the country's independence in 2011.[44]
Date unknown
- The 2026 Bulgarian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
References
- ↑ Thorpe, Nick (31 December 2025). "Bulgaria joins the euro after rocky path to new currency". BBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
- ↑ Izaguirre, Anthony (1 January 2026). "Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City mayor at historic subway station". Associated Press. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
- ↑ Spivey, Matt (3 January 2025). "Trump says US has 'captured' Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife in 'large scale strike'". BBC News. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
- ↑ Inal, Kerem; Kofsky, Jared; Margolin, Josh (9 January 2026). "Minneapolis ICE shooting: A minute-by-minute timeline of how Renee Nicole Good died". ABC News. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ↑ Strangio, Sebastian (9 January 2026). "Lao Communist Party Chief Reappointed For Second Term at National Congress". The Diplomat. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ↑ Hooker, Lucy; Clun, Rachel (9 January 2026). "EU reaches South America trade deal after 25 years of talks". BBC News. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ↑ Mumo Nzilani, Vincent; Winning, Alexander (16 January 2026). "Ugandan opposition leader 'forcibly taken,' party says, as President Museveni nears reelection". Reuters. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ↑ Sprunt, Barbara (17 January 2026). "'Not for sale': massive protest in Copenhagen against Trump's desire to acquire Greenland". NPR. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ↑ Khalip, Andrei; Goncalves, Sergio (19 January 2026). "Socialist, far-right candidate head for Portugal's presidential runoff". Reuters. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ↑ Edwards, Erika; Jett, Jennifer (22 January 2026). "U.S. severs ties with WHO, raising concerns about flu epidemics". NBC News. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ↑ Head, Jonathan; Nguyen, Sen (23 January 2026). "Vietnam's leader returns to power with bold promises. Can he deliver?". BBC News. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ↑ "Румен Радев вече не е президент, държаве глава е Илиана Йотова" [Rumen Radev is no longer president, Iliana Iotova is the head of state] (in Bulgarian). 24 Chasa. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.Category:CS1 Bulgarian-language sources (bg)
- ↑ Karagyazov, Konstantin; Trifonov, Nikolay (23 January 2026). "Updated – Iliana Iotova Becomes Bulgaria's President after Constitutional Court Ruling". Bulgarian News Agency. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ↑ Wilson, Tabby; Faguy, Ana (26 January 2026). "Trump says administration 'reviewing everything' after fatal shooting of Minneapolis nurse". BBC News. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ↑ Acharya, Shivangi; Kumar, Manoj; Blenkinsop, Philip (27 January 2026). "India, EU reach landmark trade deal, tariffs to be slashed on most goods". Reuters. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ↑ Aikman, Ian; Hatton, Ben (29 January 2026). "EU adds Iran's Revolutionary Guards to terrorist list". BBC News. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ↑ Whitehead, Jamie (1 February 2026). "Lord Mandelson resigns from Labour Party over Epstein links". BBC News. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ↑ Hatton, Ben; Smith, Alex (3 February 2026). "Mandelson to quit House of Lords as PM says he 'let country down' over alleged leaks to Epstein". BBC News. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ↑ Buschschlüter, Vanessa (2 February 2026). "Candidate tough on crime wins Costa Rica presidential election". BBC News. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ↑ Tewari, Suranjana (9 February 2026). "Japan has given Takaichi a landslide win - but can she bring back the economy?". BBC News. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ↑ Head, Jonathan (9 February 2026). "Thailand election: The result the polls never saw coming". BBC News. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ↑ Aikman, Ian (8 February 2026). "Centre-left candidate poised to comfortably win Portuguese presidency". BBC News. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ↑ "Israeli president Isaac Herzog lays wreath at Bondi at start of controversial visit". www.bbc.com. 9 February 2026.
- ↑ "Live: Isaac Herzog lays wreath at Bondi to commemorate victims of antisemitic attack". ABC News. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ↑ "Pro-Palestine protest planned in Sydney against Israeli President Herzog's visit". Reuters. 2026-02-08. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
- ↑ Clarke, Sherrylyn (12 February 2026). "Mottley cements legacy with third successive 30-0 victory in Barbados". NationNews. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ↑ Guinto, Joel; Limaye, Yogita; Moshiri, Azadeh (13 February 2026). "Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins landslide majority in first election since Gen Z uprising". BBC News. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ↑ Turnbull, Tiffanie (13 February 2026). "Sussan Ley and the glass cliff: Does Australian politics still have a problem with women?". BBC News. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ↑ Villegas, Alexander; Morland, Sarah (17 February 2026). "Peru Congress ousts President Jeri because of China-linked secret meetings". Reuters. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ↑ Koh, Ewe (23 February 2026). "Kim Jong Un re-appointed leader of North Korea's ruling party". BBC News. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ Rhoden-Paul, André; Holligan, Anna (23 February 2026). "Rob Jetten becomes Netherlands' youngest ever PM". BBC News. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ Ebrahim, Ammar; Walsh, Fergus (26 February 2026). "Jersey approves assisted dying law". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ "Parliamentary Gorton and Denton by-election". 26 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ↑ Sullivan, Helen; Lapham, Jake; Bachega, Hugo (28 February 2026). "Trump says 'there will likely be more' US deaths as Iran strikes to continue until 'all' goals achieved". BBC News. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ Mackintosh, Thomas; Ireland, Olivia (7 March 2026). "Rapper-politician Balendra Shah unseats Nepal's ex-PM as he heads for victory". BBC News. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ BBC Persian (8 March 2026). "Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader?". BBC News. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ↑ Cursino, Malu (13 March 2025). "Cuba confirms negotiations with US as country faces effects of oil blockade". BBC News. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ↑ Schofield, Hugh (22 March 2026). "France's Socialists hold on to power in major cities in election boost for mainstream". BBC News. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Light, Felix; Gordeyeva, Mariya; Vaal, Tamara (15 March 2026). "Kazakhstan approves new constitution in referendum, exit polls say". Reuters. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Okamba, Louis (17 March 2026). "Denis Sassou N'Guesso reelected president of Congo with 94.8% of the vote, extending 42-year rule". Associated Press. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Zerdin, Ali (22 March 2026). "Slovenia's liberals and populists neck and neck, preliminary results show". Associated Press. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Murray, Adrienne (25 March 2026). "Danish PM fails to secure majority in party's weakest election showing since 1903". BBC News. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Rowlands, Lyndal. "Japan lifts ban on lethal weapons exports in major shift of pacifist policy". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ "South Sudan postpones December elections by 2 years citing incomplete preparations". Associated Press News. 14 September 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
External links
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