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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Benjamin Chadwick — a dual citizen of France and the UK — voted in two national elections this year.</li><li>He writes that in both nations, there's been a shift away from moderate politics toward extremes.</li></ul>I was born and raised in England, but this June marked 10 years since I moved to Paris.I came to France on a student exchange in 2012 and met my now partner. We moved to Paris together in 2014. When the British people voted to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eu-referendum-reasons-and-analysis-on-a-brexit-vote-2016-6">leave the European Union</a> in 2016, I decided I wanted to live in France long-term.I planned to apply for French citizenship as soon as I could. I didn't know exactly how the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brexit-and-boris-johnson-explained-2019-9">Brexit vote</a> would impact me at the time, but I wanted to secure my right to vote in French elections or perhaps move elsewhere in the EU later in life.It took me another three years to meet the residency requirements for citizenship. In the meantime, I began paying closer attention to politics in France. As I wasn't yet a citizen, I couldn't vote in 2017's presidential election, leaving me feeling powerless. But I was relieved about the result.For much of its history, French politics has been dominated by two parties, representing the left and right. But in 2017, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39130072">neither historic party made it to the second round</a>. Emmanuel Macron <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/03/emmanuel-macron-french-presidential-candidate-grassroots-movement">ran with a centrist campaign</a>, while Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, campaigned on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/04/french-presidential-election-how-the-candidates-compare">anti-immigration and nationalist ideals</a>. Her brand of populism had succeeded in the previous year with Trump's election — but failed in France, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emmanuel-macron-wins-french-presidential-election-in-landslide-marine-le-pen-2017-5">Macron defeated her</a>, becoming France's President.By the time the 2024 elections came around in France and the UK, I was a citizen of both countries and eager to exercise my vote. In the UK, I wanted to remove the unpopular governing party, the Conservatives, from office. In France, I wanted to keep Le Pen's party out.In recent years, I've watched moderate ideals lose out to reactionary politics again and again, from Trump to Brexit to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/mapped-europe-far-right-government-power-politics-eu-italy-finalnd-hungary-parties-elections-polling/">success of hard-right parties in Europe</a> and elsewhere. Britain looked to be moving in the opposite direction with a projected victory for the center-left Labour Party, which made me feel optimistic, but France looked to be heading into reactionary territory.Political disagreements are a normal part of any healthy democracy. But increasingly, these disagreements are about our fundamental values and even the nature of truth itself. With a big election still to come this year in the US, I'm concerned about this move toward the extremes.<h2 id="86ebff10-5fe7-40c0-8b40-c666fa355f56">Politics in France and the UK has been turbulent in recent years</h2>My first national French elections as a voter were in 2022 when the National Rally continued its seemingly unstoppable rise — Le Pen came <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/french-presidential-election-results-2022-macron-wins-rcna25555">closer than ever</a> to the French presidency.Le Pen became leader of France's right-wing populist "National Front" party in 2011 and renamed it "National Rally" in 2018. Despite the rebrand, the party continues to focus on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.france24.com/en/france/20240620-how-france-s-far-right-changed-the-debate-on-immigration">drastically reducing migration</a>. France has seen major social unrest in recent years, including protests against <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/08/nuit-debout-protesters-occupy-french-cities-in-a-revolutionary-call-for-change">labor</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50971439">pension</a> reforms, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.france24.com/en/20191116-a-year-of-insurgency-how-yellow-vests-left-indelible-mark-on-french-politics">rising fuel costs, and the cost of living</a>. Le Pen has capitalized on a mistrust of mainstream politics, gaining popularity in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/21/counryside-marine-le-pen-forgotten-france-presidential-election-2017">rural</a> areas where some of these <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/21/how-hi-vis-yellow-vest-became-symbol-of-protest-beyond-france-gilets-jaunes">protest movements</a> have been popular.Across the Channel, the political landscape was no less chaotic. The Brexit vote was a seismic shock, and a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-brexit-deal-startups-limbo-financial-services-data-2020-12">deal with the EU</a> was only reached years later after Boris Johnson, whom Donald Trump rather unflatteringly labeled "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/23/trump-boris-johnson-britain-trump-uk-prime-minister">Britain Trump</a>," came to power in 2019.Johnson's center-right Conservative party had been in power since 2010 and remained so until the July 2024 election. Revelations of<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/partygate-sue-gray-report-details-2022-5"> lockdown-era parties</a> in Johnson's offices forced his resignation in 2022, and life for many Britons kept getting worse under his successors, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.As in many other countries, wages were failing to keep up with a sharp rise in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-living-crisis-uk-people-turn-to-tiktok-2022-11">cost of living</a>. Years of budget cuts meant public services were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/oct/30/uk-public-services-policy-institute-for-government-report">crumbling</a>. Yet despite bold promises, I feel the government <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/65647308">failed to address</a> this and seemed more eager to stoke hatred <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/08/stop-the-boats-sunaks-anti-asylum-slogan-echoes-australia-harsh-policy">against migrants</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68229785">other minorities</a>.One of Rishi Sunak's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64164339">often repeated pledges</a>, both while in office and campaigning for the 2024 election, was his mission to "stop the boats," referencing the illegal immigrants arriving in Britain via small-craft vessels.Back in France, Macron still held the presidency. He initially ran on a centrist platform in 2017, aiming to find <a target="_blank" href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/emmanuel-macrons-la-republique-en-marche-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-french-presidents-groundbreaking-new-party-ahead-of-the-elections-a3563256.html">common ground</a> between the left and right blocs. However, during his seven years in office, he's been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2024/01/12/new-french-cabinet-reflects-macron-s-electorate-shift-to-the-right_6426251_5.html">accused of</a> veering to the right, appointing ministers who deny police <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/10/14/french-ministers-denial-police-abuses-against-migrants-flies-face-facts">brutality</a> toward migrants, and positioning himself <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/france-war-on-woke-laboratoire-de-la-republique/">against "wokism."</a>On June 9, a historic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/european-union-parliament-election-far-right-nationalist-parties-2024-6">European Parliament election</a> took place, with Le Pen's far-right National Rally netting a record 31.4% of French votes, more than twice as many as Macron's centrist alliance. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/le-pens-party-trounces-macrons-eu-vote-exit-polls-2024-06-09/">Claiming the country needed "clarification,"</a> Macron called for a national parliamentary election on June 30 and July 7. Even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2024/06/17/how-macron-threw-his-supporters-into-a-panic-by-calling-snap-elections_6675018_5.html">his own allies</a> didn't understand.In the lead-up to the UK election on July 4, opinion polls <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-election-final-mega-polls-predict-total-tory-annihilation-labour-win/">predicted</a> a huge majority for the center-left Labour Party. In France, I feared the National Rally would capitalize on their European victory and take control of the Assembly. As an immigrant, I didn't want to be ruled by a party that routinely demonizes migrants.<h2 id="59a6f7d6-73eb-4e8f-b47a-503a385d4dc3">The elections have made me concerned about extremism and division in both countries</h2>In the end, Labour did secure a historic majority in the UK, but only with a tiny increase in vote share. Meanwhile, Reform UK, a party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage that campaigned on "freezing" immigration, reneging on net zero climate goals, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/nigel-farage-manifesto-you-dont-have-to/">banning "transgender ideology"</a> in schools, netted more than 14% of the vote. This made them the third-largest party in terms of vote share. I was concerned that so many people were willing to vote for such a reactionary party.On top of this, one of Labour's first challenges in power was to deal with widespread <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arrests-violence-riots-uk-far-right-wing-protests-immigration-2024-8">anti-immigration riots</a> targeting people of color. The protests that spread across the UK this summer were brought about by online disinformation about a stabbing where three young girls were killed.In France, the National Rally failed to get the majority many feared. A "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/politics/article/2024/07/07/french-elections-far-right-s-rise-blocked-by-republican-front_6676995_5.html">republican front</a>", consisting of other parties joining together to counter the far-right threat, worked better than expected, making the National Rally the third-largest group in terms of seats. But they still wound up with a much bigger voice in parliament than before and were by far the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/france-left-wing-marine-le-pen-far-right-national-rally-jordan-bardella-seats-new-popular-front/">largest party in terms of vote share</a>.I feel that France and the UK are dealing with many of the same problems: political polarization, the scapegoating of migrants, and an increasing focus on culture wars.<h2 id="c3bc22d1-7f74-40d0-a217-dc97700fc623">I'm worried history will repeat itself when the US elections come around</h2>This summer's events on both sides of the Channel have shown that as people grow disillusioned with the status quo, the extremes are becoming increasingly attractive.The National Rally continues to progress. I fear this year's vote has merely delayed their arrival in government, rather than preventing it. In the UK, this summer's far-right riots show that even when progressives win at the ballot box, the extremes are never far away.European eyes are now looking across the Atlantic.Donald Trump has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/magazine/trump-rallies-rhetoric.html">embracing conspiracy theories and referencing an "invasion" of migrants "conquering" the USA</a> in his 2024 campaign. His victory could have serious consequences for Americans, especially <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/trump-harris-abortion/">women</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/05/10/trump-promises-rollback-on-trans-rights-heres-what-hes-said/?sh=51549ef4dae0">minorities</a>.In Europe, observers like me are worried about what his leadership would mean for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-signal-us-stop-ukraine-election-russia-volodymyr-zelenskyy-vladimir-putin/">foreign policy</a> in today's turbulent world. Trump's victory would galvanize European politicians like Le Pen and Farage and their supporters. Populist politics may not have won their national elections, but the most powerful nation in the world and its leader are behind them, normalizing their rhetoric.But if he loses, I'm still anxious about what will happen next, given the January 6 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/five-things-we-learned-about-the-insurrection-in-2022-2023-1">capitol riots</a> in 2021.Kamala Harris has reenergized the presidential race and given hope to those who oppose Trump. But even if she wins, the deep divisions in American society won't go away — they haven't in the UK or France.

Voting in the UK and French elections taught me a concerning lesson that Americans should heed when heading to the polls

<keyword id="20483191" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-influencers" source="keywords">AI influencers</keyword> are already taking over social media, often leaving users wondering if they're watching a real person or a digital simulation performing the latest dance trend on their screen. Taking the tech a massive (and a little puzzling) step forward, the world might soon see an <keyword id="22108620" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="AI-candidate" source="keywords">AI candidate</keyword> in a major election. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Meet AI Steve" comment="subhead" text="Meet AI Steve">Meet <keyword id="22110819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-Steve" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="AI Steve" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="AI Steve">AI Steve</keyword></cmsannotation> AI Steve is an <keyword id="107950" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="artificial-intelligence" source="Orion">artificial intelligence</keyword> candidate created by entrepreneur Steve Endacott to run for the Brighton Pavilion constituency in the UK’s <keyword id="19989857" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="general-election" source="keywords">general election</keyword>. Endacott, frustrated with traditional political parties, designed AI Steve to connect directly with constituents and create a more responsive political platform. AI Steve’s campaign leverages <keyword id="19901571" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="technology" source="keywords">technology</keyword> to enable <keyword id="21371057" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="direct-democracy" source="keywords">direct democracy</keyword>. Constituents can interact with the AI to propose and discuss policies, ensuring their voices are heard and their ideas considered. This approach aims to make politics more accessible and representative of the people’s will. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How does it work?" comment="subhead" text="How does it work?">How does it work?</cmsannotation> As per Endacott, there are two main ways to get involved with AI Steve. You either join a team that helps shape new policies by clicking the "Speak to AI Steve" option on the campaign website and interacting with the bot, or you can review and rate policy suggestions on a scale of one to ten. This helps filter out impractical ideas and ensures viable policies are considered. AI Steve only adopts policies that receive more than 50% support from users. This majority rule ensures that the platform reflects the will of the people. However, the final policy decision will require a human hand, and Endacott plans to play that part. If elected, Steve Endacott will attend Parliament physically and vote on policies based on the feedback from the AI platform. This will help directly reflect the opinions and preferences of his constituents, Steve hopes. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Main man Steve" comment="subhead" text="Main man Steve">Main man Steve</cmsannotation> Steve Endacott is an entrepreneur from southern England, who has previously run for political office as a Conservative candidate in Rochdale in 2022. Endacott’s business success has given him the resources to explore innovative political solutions like AI Steve. Endacott was inspired to create AI Steve after growing disillusioned with traditional political parties. He believes that these parties are out of touch with the general population and sees AI Steve as a way to connect directly with constituents and make their voices heard. .AI Steve’s campaign could set a precedent for future elections by demonstrating the potential of technology to enhance democratic engagement. If successful, it may inspire other candidates and political movements to adopt similar approaches, potentially reshaping the political landscape.

The UK might see an “AI candidate” this general election — here’s how that will work

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russian President Vladimir Putin is engaging in a war of attrition in Ukraine.</li><li>Russia has more to gain by prolonging the war, regardless of who wins the US presidential election.</li></ul>Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have starkly different visions of how they'll seek to end one of the gravest security crises in recent decades: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zelenskyy-ukraine-north-korean-troops-preemptively-long-range-strike-restrictions-2024-11">the</a><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zelenskyy-ukraine-north-korean-troops-preemptively-long-range-strike-restrictions-2024-11"> Ukraine war.</a>Harris has pledged to continue the policy of President Joe Biden, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-soldiers-look-up-abrams-tanks-face-new-threats-ukraine-2024-8">arming Ukraine to defend itself </a>against Russia's two-year invasion.Trump, meanwhile, claims he can bring about a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-trump-could-handle-ukraine-war-if-reelected-scenarios-2024-10">rapid end to the conflict </a>through negotiations.Whoever is in charge in the White House come January, analysts believe Putin is likely wagering that he has more to gain by prolonging his war of attrition than ending it.<h2 id="3a744150-ba82-4dfb-b30b-8811820f42fe">Pressure mounts on Ukraine</h2>Russia has, in recent months, been ratcheting up pressure on Ukraine, bringing its larger troop numbers and artillery supplies to bear, and making incremental but important gains on the front lines."There are plans to call up more than 160,000 people," the secretary of Ukraine's National Security Council, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, told parliament last week.North Korea is also believed to have <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-appears-show-north-korean-soldiers-gearing-up-in-russia-2024-10">sent thousands of troops</a> to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, per officials from South Korea, Ukraine, and the US."The key advantage gained by Russia [in prolonging the war] is 'events'" Robert Dover, Professor of Intelligence and National Security at the University of Hull in the UK told Business Insider."Ukraine seems to be highly strained by the conflict, and this is - in part - a product of the numbers Russia is able to throw into the conflict," he said.<div type="image" title="Trump n Putin" height="820" width="1024" msid="114953184" hostid="261" sizebytes="31598"></div><h2 id="712a570c-ce6b-49c6-b90b-0c08b2faeb64">Trump's peace plans could embolden Russia</h2>The terms on which Trump would seek to broker peace in Ukraine are unclear, though he's criticized the aid Biden sent to Ukraine, suggesting it could be used as leverage.He has also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://newrepublic.com/post/185652/trump-sanctions-promise-adviser-charged-russia-media">questioned the effectiveness </a>of the administration's sanctions against Russia.His running mate, JD Vance<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-trump-could-handle-ukraine-war-if-reelected-scenarios-2024-10">, recently outlined a </a><a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/12/vance-trump-ukraine-russia-war-plan/">plan for ending the war in Ukraine</a> under a possible Trump administration, with the establishment of a "demilitarized zone" in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.Both candidates have also questioned US commitments to NATO, the security pact that has been the main bulwark against Russian aggression in Europe.However, in reducing aid to Ukraine and, in effect, handing over swaths of territory to Russia, the US would likely embolden Kremlin aggression, say critics."If Russia knows its territorial revisionism in Ukraine can be permissible by Washington, it is hard to see how Moscow will not see the same elsewhere (or even further in Ukraine, like it did after 2014)," Paul Cormarie, a policy analyst at the RAND Coproration, told BI."Peace in Ukraine in favor of Russia isn't peace, it's a truce."Undermining Western unity by criticizing NATO could have much the same effect.<div type="image" title="Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden shake hands during a joint press conference at the Masseria San Domenico on the sidelines of the G7 Summit hosted by Italy." height="683" width="1024" msid="114953181" hostid="261" sizebytes="29734"></div><h2 id="43d5159f-1892-46df-b087-cadcd5c43edf">Harris pledges to continue backing Ukraine – but it likely won't be enough</h2>Harris, by contrast, has pledged to continue US support for Ukraine, which <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-security-cooperation-with-ukraine/#:~:text=To%20date%2C%20we%20have%20provided,invasion%20of%20Ukraine%20in%202014.">has cost $64.1 billion</a> in military assistance since the 2022 Russian invasion.US aid has played a key role in helping Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion and inflict vast losses on Russia's forces.But the Biden administration has long placed limits on how Ukraine can use the weapons. Ukraine also says US aid often arrives in a piecemeal way.It's part of a US effort to balance support for Ukraine with not provoking Russia and causing a bigger war.But it means that Putin likely believes he can continue to wage his war of attrition against Ukraine with Harris as president as she likely won't provide enough military aid to defeat his forces.It's a war Putin has staked Russia's economic future on, underlining the importance of victory for the Russian leader.One key tool Biden has used to punish Russia is sanctions designed to damage its economy by limiting its capacity to sell oil and gas internationally.However, Russia has managed to open new export markets in major economies including China and India, making the economic damage of the sanctions has been more limited than some experts projected.Economist <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-crisis-ukraine-war-moscow-inflation-sanctions-putin-spending-2024-10">Alexander Mertens recently wrote</a> that Russia would likely suffer economic damage regardless of whether it continues the war or not, meaning there's not a major incentive for Putin to stop now.<div type="image" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping enter the hall for Russian-Chinese talks on May 16, 2024 in Beijing, China." height="760" width="1024" msid="114953186" hostid="261" sizebytes="24578"></div><h2 id="41991dd2-f4c0-4eea-aac2-1fdc873df772">Putin plays the long game</h2>Putin's thinking about the global picture, too said Dover.China is observing the Ukraine conflict closely as it weighs whether to launch an invasion of US-ally Taiwan, say analysts, while the Middle East is engulfed in a conflict that could spiral into a much bigger war.Dover said a major conflict in either region could draw in US resources and energy and distract from Ukraine."A regional conflict in the Middle East will help Russia maintain a conflict in Ukraine, with lower risks," he said, cautioning though that the situation was a "fluid assessment conditioned by events."Overall, Putin's mission is to not just seize Ukraine but also work in tandem with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-china-brink-military-alliance-may-overwhelm-us-putin-xi-2023-12">other authoritarian leaders</a> to damage US global power."In the near-term, Russia and China have embraced a strategy of joint confrontation with the United States and its Allies in Europe and Asia respectively," analyst Jonathan Ward of the Hudson Institute told BI last year.Neither Harris nor Trump are likely to get Putin to change course in his pursuit of victory in Ukraine, and his bigger global ambition."He has taken personal responsibility for achieving that outcome and likely judges it as worth nearly any cost. Trying to coerce him into giving up is a fruitless exercise that just wastes lives and resources," wrote Peter Schroeder, former Principal Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council, for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://archive.is/Y92WB#selection-1479.348-1479.412">Foreign Relations in September.</a>The best course, writes Schroeder, is for the US to play Putin at his own game and outlast him in his war of attrition, waiting for him to die or leave office."Only then will there be a chance for a lasting peace in Ukraine," he said.

Putin is in no hurry to end the Ukraine war, no matter who wins the US election

As the United States heads into a decisive phase in its presidential election, <keyword id="19954681" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sundar-Pichai" source="keywords">Sundar Pichai</keyword>, CEO of Alphabet and <keyword id="19902762" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="google" source="keywords">Google</keyword>, has called on employees to ensure the company maintains its reputation as a reliable information provider. In an internal memo, as per an IANS report, <keyword id="20234972" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pichai" source="keywords">Pichai</keyword> underscored Google’s critical role during this period, saying it is essential for “the products they build” to be a trusted source for people of all backgrounds. "Let’s remember the role we play at work, through the products we build and as a business: to be a trusted source of information to people of every background and belief," he said in the memo. The <keyword id="20239922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-CEO" source="keywords">Google CEO</keyword> also reportedly reminded employees to adhere strictly to Google’s Community Guidelines and Personal Political Activity Policy. Pichai stressed that safeguarding the integrity of the platform is of utmost importance, especially during such a significant event. “We must maintain that trust,” he wrote, saying that it is part of Google’s broader mission to make information accessible and useful. “We will and must maintain that. In that spirit, it’s important that everyone continue to follow our Community Guidelines and Personal Political Activity Policy,” he wrote in the internal memo as reported by IANS. Highlighting the teams’ ongoing efforts, Pichai mentioned that staff across Google and YouTube have been working diligently to provide accurate and reliable information to voters. This commitment is consistent with Google’s approach during elections around the world. In 2024 alone, the tech giant supported major elections in countries like France, India, and the UK, benefiting over a billion voters. Pichai also noted that the outcome of the U.S. election would have far-reaching implications, influencing discussions in homes across the globe. However, he reassured employees that regardless of the result, Google’s mission to organise global information and make it widely accessible would remain steadfast. He highlighted how artificial intelligence continues to play a significant role in driving this mission, contributing to innovation and economic growth. The tech leader’s remarks came in the context of growing scrutiny on how digital platforms manage information during elections. <keyword id="19933162" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Misinformation" source="keywords">Misinformation</keyword> remains a major concern, and tech companies face increased pressure to act responsibly. To address this, Pichai reminded employees of their shared responsibility to uphold the company’s standards. In a related move, Meta, formerly Facebook, extended its ban on new political ads beyond the original November 5 end date, aiming to mitigate potential misinformation and maintain a secure online environment during and after the election period.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai asks team to safeguard trust during US elections, sends internal memo

<ul class="summary-list"><li>October saw Russia hit with its highest average daily casualties since the war in Ukraine began, a UK offical said.</li><li>The UK's Chief of Defence Staff said Russia suffered around 1,500 killed or injured each day.</li></ul>October saw Russia hit with its worst casualty rate since the war in Ukraine began, a senior UK official has said.The UK's Chief of Defence Staff, Tony Radakin, said on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0024vjj/sunday-with-laura-kuenssberg-trumps-victory-ukraine-and-defence-spend">BBC's "Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg"</a> that Russia suffered a daily average of more than 1,500 killed or injured troops in October, which he called "an extraordinary price" for "tiny increments of land."But he added that there was "no doubt that Russia is making tactical, territorial gains" that are putting pressure on Ukraine.In a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/DefenceU/status/1855496002972667979">post</a> on X on Sunday, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense shared figures from the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that put Russian combat losses since the start of the invasion in February 2022 at around 709,000 troops.NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in late October that the number of Russian troops killed or wounded in the war was "over 600,000."Russia has also suffered heavy losses to military vehicles during the war, losing over 9,200 tanks and around 18,700 armored fighting vehicles, per the Ukrainian figures.The Institute for the Study of War said in an update on the conflict on Saturday that Russian forces would not be able to sustain its current loss rates indefinitely, "especially not for such limited gains."<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korean-troops-ukraine-russia-kursk-8000-front-lines-2024-11">Russian forces were bolstered by the arrival of thousands of North Korean soldiers</a> in October, Western officials have said.Reports of Ukrainian and North Korean troops' <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-details-first-ukraine-attack-north-korea-troops-russia-kursk-2024-11">first clashes in Russia's Kursk region</a> emerged earlier this week.<div type="image" title="Kim Jong Un has been an ally to Putin during Russia's war on Ukraine." height="1877" width="2813" msid="115150108" hostid="261" sizebytes="111736"></div>In his interview with Kuenssberg, Radakin also mentioned the mounting pressure on the Russian economy.Russia has been spending big on defense over the course of the war in Ukraine, which has fueled growth but also led to rampant inflation.The Russian central bank raised its key interest rate to a record 21% in October to try to combat inflation it said was "running considerably above" expectations.Russia is probably capable of going for years before it has to confront its overspending, Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, wrote in the Financial Times last month."This is an unpleasant truth for policymakers in Europe and the US," Prokopenko said.Following his election win earlier this week, Donald Trump's team has reportedly been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-advisors-peace-plans-ukraine-demilitarized-zone-no-aid-russia-2024-11">laying out plans for how to end the war in Ukraine</a>.

Russian forces suffered an average of over 1,500 casualties a day in October for 'tiny increments of land,' UK official says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia's hybrid warfare tactics against the US and Europe are reaching new levels.</li><li>The disinformation efforts seek to influence elections and stir chaos in domestic politics.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/front-line-nato-allies-baltics-face-russian-hybrid-threats-2024-6">Russian disinformation and interference</a> — hybrid warfare tactics — are on the rise and again showed up in the US presidential election, but this is a problem for more than just America.Earlier this week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Russia was conducting "an intensifying campaign of hybrid attacks across our allied territories, interfering directly in our democracies, sabotaging industry, and committing violence," echoing long-standing concerns.Russian tactics were on full display in the 2024 US presidential election. On Tuesday, various polling sites in five battleground states were the targets of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-poll-bomb-threats-russia-election-harris-trump-2024-11">hoax bomb threats from Russian email domains</a>, the FBI said, and that was only part of Russian actions.Georgia's Secretary of State accused Moscow of being "up to mischief," saying that "they don't want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory."The Russian embassy in Washington denied the accusations as "malicious slander" and said "Russia has not interfered and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries," including the US, but such activities are well documented.<h2 id="193769f6-1321-4ffb-b08c-2325bce96246">Rising levels of interference</h2><div type="image" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-US President Donald Trump sit in chairs opposite each other, shaking hands." height="3327" width="4889" msid="115115440" hostid="261" sizebytes="445288"></div>Experts and officials began to seriously take note of efforts by Russia and other US adversaries, such as China and Iran, to disrupt US politics in 2016, and it's continually gotten worse."Undoubtedly we've seen an uptick in the scope and scale and, really, the kind of brazenness of Russian election interference in the information environment," Doug Livermore, a member of the US special operations community and the director of engagements at the Irregular Warfare Initiative, told Business Insider.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2024/04/26/russias-hybrid-war-against-the-west/index.html">Hybrid warfare</a> covers a range of tactics, such as assassinations, espionage, cyberattacks, electoral interference, and disinformation, intended to deniably influence or disrupt national security and domestic affairs.2016 saw the rising influence of Russian bot farms and mass disinformation while the 2020 election saw major efforts by Russia and other US foes to stoke violence and unrest, particularly as then-President Donald Trump contested the results and inspired the January 6th insurrection on the US Capitol.A month prior to the 2024 election, the National Intelligence Council released a report <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/NICM-Declassified-Foreign-Threats-to-US-Elections-After-Voting-Ends-in-2024.pdf">warning that Russia, China, and Iran were better equipped to influence the election</a> and undermine confidence in the results due to lessons from 2020; the council cited a range of tactics that could be used, including cyberattacks, artificial intelligence, and encouragement of electoral chaos and violence.<div type="image" title="capitol riot january 6" height="1666" width="2500" msid="115115445" hostid="261" sizebytes="414688"></div>Then, on Monday, the head of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said disinformation was being spread by US adversaries "at a greater level than ever before."The efforts were designed to prompt distrust, fear, and misunderstanding in American voters and raise doubts over the integrity of US democracy. The 2024 presidential election was likely of particular interest to Russia, though, because of what was on the line: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-win-clocking-ticking-on-ukraine-aid-2024-11">US support for Ukraine</a>, of which Trump has been less supportive.<h2 id="a4700f32-0a7c-4d04-93ea-ed4b4b837c59">More than an American problem</h2>This hybrid warfare is a broader problem for other Western countries, too. In recent months, Russia was accused of attempting to undermine Moldova's election in favor of a pro-Moscow candidate, using tactics such as a vote-buying scheme, organizing transportation to get Russians to vote at Moldovan missions in other countries, and cyberattacks and fake bomb threats to out-of-country voting operations.Russia was also recently accused of attempting to interfere in the Republic of Georgia's parliamentary election, as well as elections in France, the UK, Germany, and others. The big difference between <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/the-west-must-respond-to-russias-rapidly-escalating-hybrid-warfare/">how Russia engages in hybrid warfare in the US versus some European democracies</a> comes down to the political systems that exist in those countries, Livermore said. In the US' two party system, Russia's focuses on creating discontent within a certain party or between the parties.<div type="image" title="An older woman puts a paper ballot in a box at a voting location in a basketball gym." height="5119" width="7678" msid="115115442" hostid="261" sizebytes="993200"></div>In European democracies, Russia's focus often appears to be creating cracks within how the various parliamentary parties interact and form coalitions. Pro-European Union or NATO groups or candidates are often targeted, too, as was the case in Moldova's election.Across the board, Russia is opportunistic. "They don't really care about the ideology of the organizations," Livermore said, so long as it "advances the Kremlin's interests."These interference efforts also undermine democracy more generally, working in favor of autocratic governments. In the run-up to the US presidential election, Chinese state media emphasized deep divisions, dysfunction, and fears of violence in the US.The state-run Beijing Daily, for example, wrote: "the US election, once considered a highlight of the so-called 'beacon of democracy,' may now become the starting gun of 'social unrest.'"Livermore said such efforts allow Russia and China to indict democracy in favor of their authoritarian governments. Notably, experts have assessed Russia, China, and Iran are growing increasingly closer in efforts to challenge the US-led world order. North Korea, too, is right there with them.<h2 id="68359602-dfe7-4892-949e-9a8712a6b38f">Weakening the intended effect</h2><div type="image" title="Vice President Kamala Harris stands at a podium delivering her concession speech." height="3182" width="4773" msid="115115448" hostid="261" sizebytes="1578158"></div>After it Trump won the presidency, Vice President Kamala Harris conceded quickly. Her call for a peaceful transfer of power was echoed by President Joe Biden."For over 200 years, America has carried on the greatest experiment in self-government in the history of the world," he said, "where the people, the people vote and choose their own leaders and they do it peacefully. And where in a democracy, the will of the people always prevails."Livermore said that because this election's results, unlike in 2020, aren't being contested, that could mean failure for any hybrid warfare tactics from US adversaries in the months ahead of Inauguration Day. He said Russia, China, and Iran were likely "hoping that they were going to have a couple of months of chaos in the US," but that is now much less likely.US stability in the transition of power can be attributed to lessons learned from 2020, from local and federal governments to law enforcement, on how to maintain trust in the election process and suppress post-election violence.

A worsening kind of Russian warfare was on display in the US presidential election, but it's a much bigger problem

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The reality of AI's impact on elections isn't matching up with the fears.</li><li>Despite the concerns, AI hasn't been a disruptive force in the 2024 race.</li></ul>For months, experts have feared that artificial intelligence could <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-deepfakes-threaten-havoc-with-the-worlds-year-of-elections-2024-1">misinform voters and disrupt elections</a> around the world.But the mass havoc they expected hasn't really come to pass. Instead of deepfakes of political candidates fooling candidates and creating fact-check nightmares, AI has mainly been used by supporters to generate obvious meme art.In fact, AI's biggest impact this year may have been simply <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-trump-fake-images-ai-endorsing-kamala-harris-debate-2024-9">convincing Taylor Swift to endorse Democratic</a> presidential nominee Kamala Harris.In <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_wtAOKOW1z/">an Instagram post</a> announcing her support of Harris on Tuesday, the megastar said her endorsement was influenced in part by an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-could-sue-trump-fake-ai-endorsement-images-lawsuit-2024-8">AI image of her that Trump posted</a> showing the pop megastar in a ridiculous oversized American flag hat with the phrase "Taylor Wants You To Vote For Donald Trump." "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," Swift wrote in her post. "It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."And the AI-wary Swift is in good company — experts and the media have sounded the alarm that AI could <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.voanews.com/a/world-faces-tech-enabled-armageddon-maria-ressa-says-/7256196.html">fuel a "tech-enabled Armageddon,"</a> that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robocalls-deep-fakes-new-era-because-of-ai-experts-say-2024-1">we've only seen the "tip of the iceberg,</a>" and that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/23/ai-deepfake-election-2024-us-india/">"deepfakes threaten to upend global elections."</a>But, while there have been some attempts to use AI to influence voters — like the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/man-who-admitted-to-plotting-biden-robocall-scheme-indicted-2024-5">phony Joe Biden robocall in New Hampshire</a>, or a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-reposted-deepfake-kamala-harris-violate-x-policy-2024">deepfaked Kamala Harris campaign video </a>— they don't really seem to be fooling anyone. Many AI creations have come in the form of fairly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-facebook-ban-ai-slop-images-shrimp-jesus-why-2024-6">obvious memes and satiric videos</a> shared on social media, and fact-checkers — including ones on-platform like X's Community Notes — have quickly shot down any AI content that is remotely convincing.Even the more sinister attempts, in which foreign actors use AI to spread disinformation, may be a bit over-exaggerated. Meta, for example, wrote in its most recent <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.8562-6/455158590_1227906161699704_7318728570685925077_n.pdf?_nc_cat=100&amp;ccb=1-7&amp;_nc_sid=b8d81d&amp;_nc_ohc=4Q2wYsxt95sQ7kNvgGjhoTV&amp;_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&amp;_nc_gid=AHxurnDqQrV5i0xq_R451UN&amp;oh=00_AYAsKyU1jBslqaEbA4wcGMeUP1r54orh5YWSZ6zcDs7CVw&amp;oe=66E7935F">Adversarial Threat Report</a> that while Russian, Chinese, and Iranian disinformation campaigns have tapped into AI, their "GenAI-powered tactics" have provided "only incremental productivity and content-generation gains."And Microsoft, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com/is/content/microsoftcorp/microsoft/final/en-us/microsoft-brand/documents/5bc57431-a7a9-49ad-944d-b93b7d35d0fc.pdf">in its most recent Threat Intelligence Report</a> from August, also threw water on the idea that AI has made foreign influence campaigns more effective.Microsoft writes that in identifying Russian and Chinese influence operations, it found that both "have employed generative AI—but with limited to no impact," adding that another Russian operation, which <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com/is/content/microsoftcorp/microsoft/final/en-us/microsoft-brand/documents/MTAC-East-Asia-Report.pdf">it first reported in April</a>, has "repeatedly utilized generative AI in its campaigns to little effect.""In total," Microsoft continues in its report, "We've seen nearly all actors seek to incorporate AI content in their operations, but more recently many actors have pivoted back to techniques that have proven effective in the past—simple digital manipulations, mischaracterization of content, and use of trusted labels or logos atop false information."And it's not just the US; recent elections around the world haven't been substantially impacted by AI. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which analyzed instances of AI-generated disinformation around the UK's July election, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/ai-disinformation-lessons-from-the-uks-election/">found in a recent report</a> that voters never faced the feared "tsunami of AI fakes targeting political candidates.""The UK saw only a handful of examples of such content going viral during the campaign period," ASPI's researcher Sam Stockwell explained.But, he added that, "While there's no evidence these examples swayed any large number of votes," there were "spikes in online harassment against the people targeted by the fakes" as well as "confusion among audiences over whether the content was authentic."In <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://cetas.turing.ac.uk/publications/ai-enabled-influence-operations-threat-uk-general-election">a study published in May</a>, the UK's Alan Turing Institute found that out of 112 national elections taking place or about to take place since the start of 2023, only 19 of them showed AI interference."Existing examples of AI misuse in elections are scarce, and often amplified through the mainstream media," the paper's authors wrote. "This risks amplifying public anxieties and inflating the perceived threat of AI to electoral processes."But, while the researchers found that the "current impact of AI on specific election results is limited," the threats do "show signs of damaging the broader democratic system."

All AI has done this election is convince Taylor Swift to endorse Harris 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Labour Party has triumphed in the UK general election.</li><li>Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat to the Labour Party chief, Keir Starmer.</li></ul>The Tories are out, and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-teeters-far-right-uk-opposite-keir-starmer-labour-tories-2024-7">Labour Party is back in power in</a> the UK.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/keir-starmer-mentored-barack-obama-uk-election-new-prime-minister-2024-7">Keir Starmer</a> officially became Britain's new prime minister on Friday after a meeting with King Charles at Buckingham Palace.It came hours after <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/john-oliver-right-conservative-party-got-wiped-out-polls-2024-7">Rishi Sunak</a>, the Conservative Party leader, conceded defeat in Thursday's general election."The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," Sunak <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/live-blog/2024-07-04/general-election-2024-uk-live-labour-tories-starmer-sunak-results-exit-poll?cursorId=66876F7D688C0000">told</a> reporters early Friday morning in the UK.<div type="image" title="King Charles speaks with Keir Starmer during an audience at Buckingham Palace." height="3472" width="4900" msid="111516343" hostid="261"></div>"The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight," he added. "There is much to learn and reflect on, and I take responsibility for the loss."Starmer's party obtained a landslide victory against Sunak's, winning at least 412 seats as of press time, per Bloomberg. A party needs to obtain only 326 out of the 650 seats to form a simple majority.The watershed election marks the Labour Party's stunning return to power, as it has been out of government since 2010."A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility," Starmer said in his victory speech. "The fight for trust is the battle that defines our age."Starmer also said in his victory speech that his party planned to govern as a "changed Labour Party.""I don't promise you it will be easy," he said. "Changing a country's not like flicking a switch. It's hard work. Patient work. Determined work. And we will have to get moving immediately."The rise of Reform UK split the rightwing vote, helping Labour to victory. On Truth Social, Former US President Donald Trump congratulated Reform leader Nigel Farage for his "big WIN."<h2 id="39e3481a-44db-441e-8ce5-bb39f0dfe0f9">Starmer spent more than a decade rebuilding Labour and sought advice from Obama</h2>Labour's landslide victory bucks the trend of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-teeters-far-right-uk-opposite-keir-starmer-labour-tories-2024-7">far-right parties sweeping Europe</a>.Starmer, a former lawyer, joined Labour in 2015 and became the party's leader in 2020.He spent more than a decade reshaping the party and seeking guidance from world leaders on how to bring it back to power.One person who had a strong influence on Starmer was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/keir-starmer-mentored-barack-obama-uk-election-new-prime-minister-2024-7">Barack Obama</a>, who served as US president from 2009 until 2017. <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/12/barack-obama-gives-tips-to-keir-starmer-and-david-lammy-on-how-labour-can-regain-winning-ways">The Guardian</a> reported in 2021 that the pair were involved in two hours' worth of private talks where they discussed how to bring center-left parties back to power.Speaking on the "<a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/keir-starmer-international-uk-labour-leader-puts-the/id1202281739?i=1000628653155">Power Play</a>" podcast in September, Starmer said he speaks to Obama frequently and sometimes seeks his political advice."It is always useful to test my ideas on people who won elections, people who've taken difficult decisions in power because that helps me think about how we might approach some of the decisions we might have to take if we do win that election," he said.Starmer also sought Obama's advice during the election campaign. Labour's David Lammy — who is said to have first introduced Obama and Starmer — told Politico's "Power Play" podcast that Obama encouraged Starmer to be more authentic and open up about his family and personal life."In terms of his leadership style, it's had an impact," political journalist Kitty Donaldson told Business Insider."Obama is quite laid back. This campaign has been more laid back than we have seen, and he seemed to enjoy going up and down the country speaking to people."

The Labour Party is back in power in the UK after 14 years

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The UK has voted the Labour Party back in power, smashing the Tories' 14-year majority.</li><li>Meanwhile, the rest of Europe has seen the far-right gaining legitimate power.</li></ul>As the dust settles from the UK's general election, it's clear the Tories have lost big.The results from July 4 were a dramatic rebuke of an incumbent Conservative Party leadership that has governed for 14 years, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's faction losing more than 240 seats as the count wrapped up.Sunak, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-labour-party-back-in-power-rishi-sunak-concede-defeat-2024-7">conceded defeat on Friday morning UK time</a>, will likely be replaced by Labour Party leader <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/keir-starmer-mentored-barack-obama-uk-election-new-prime-minister-2024-7">Keir Starmer.</a>Starmer has spent over a decade trying to reshape his leftist party into a more centrist movement, ejecting its socialist elements, including stalwart Jeremy Corbyn.Often seen as a straight-laced, methodical politician, he's pledged to shore up vulnerabilities in the healthcare system and to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/06/27/keir-starmer-vows-to-re-negotiate-botched-post-brexit-trade-deal-with-the-eu">re-negotiate the UK's Brexit deal with the European Union</a> — which he said had been "botched."To be sure, the defeat of the Tories was partly due to smaller parties — including Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK — siphoning the vote share in scores of conservative constituencies. Farage's party came in second for over 100 seats, while <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/jul/05/eleven-charts-that-show-how-labour-won-by-a-landslide">The Guardian</a> estimates that it may have cost the Tories 180 seats.Despite winning a stunning number of seats, Labour has not enjoyed a meteoric rise in vote share that matches the Tories' spectacular fall.Still, the result has been that power in the UK parliament has shifted emphatically away from conservatives, making it a clear outlier in Europe's political shifts this year.Among the continent's other most prominent nations, the European Parliamentary elections in June have seen far-right factions gain critical mass, and the results are cascading into an unraveling of power long-held by leftist governments there.<h2 id="504f52dc-8c1a-4a5e-88e0-a79b8c44cb6e">Germany's Scholz denies a snap election</h2>Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD), led by Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, overtook Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party in the EU polls despite losing key candidates and fighting a series of scandals.<div type="image" title="Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, co-leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party, celebrate at the AfD election evening gathering following the release of initial election results in European parliamentary elections on June 9, 2024 in Berlin, Germany." height="5255" width="7946" msid="111509194" hostid="261"></div>Now in <a target="_blank" href="https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/germany/">second place with 16%</a> of the German vote, the far-right party has taken the result as a sign of national support shifting in its favor and called for a snap election at home. Scholz, however, has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dw.com/en/eu-elections-2024-afd-germany-cdu-csu/live-69318858">rejected the idea.</a><h2 id="ecac7f5e-92a6-42cb-bced-579472afe08f">France's Macron in peril</h2>It's a different story for France and President Emmanuel Macron, whose Renaissance party won only 14.6% of the vote in the European election.With the National Rally — a far-right faction led by Marine Le Pen — taking first place with 31.3% of the French vote, Macron called for a snap election of his country's national parliament.<div type="image" title="Head of French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) parliamentary group at the National Assembly Marine Le Pen casts her vote in the first round of parliamentary elections in Henin-Beaumont, North of France, on June 30, 2024." height="1603" width="2405" msid="111509197" hostid="261"></div>As the first round of the French election closed on Sunday, results showed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-vote-election-that-could-put-far-right-government-2024-06-30/">Le Pen's faction pulling far ahead </a>of its leftist and centrist opponents.A second round is to come on July 7, and the lead-up has evolved into a chaotic effort to keep the far right from power.<a target="_blank" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/02/europe/french-election-drop-outs-intl-latam/index.html">Hundreds of candidates have withdrawn</a>, trying to avoid splitting the vote between those in the center and left.Meanwhile, Macron, whose approval ratings have plummeted to their lowest in his seven-year tenure as president, is keeping <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-04/macron-has-gone-quiet-ahead-of-a-key-vote-his-group-is-grateful">a low profile.</a><h2 id="a549c11d-e28d-4c62-91c7-a89483641e91">The Brothers of Italy win a show of support</h2>In Italy, the far right has already cemented its power in the form of Prime Minister <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/italian-far-right-leader-giorgia-meloni-ascent-to-power-2022-9">Giorgia Meloni's</a> ultra-conservative Brothers of Italy, which became the ruling party in 2022.<div type="image" title="Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with the Minister for European Affairs, Cohesion Policies and the PNRR, Raffaele Fitto during the Communications of the President of the Council in view of the meeting of the European Council of 27 and 28 June 2024 at the Senate Chamber." height="3648" width="5423" msid="111509199" hostid="261"></div>In a sign of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-09/italy-s-meloni-wins-eu-vote-as-far-right-gains-across-the-block">sustaining support for her party</a>, it won nearly 29% of the national vote in June's European Parliament elections, up from 6% in 2019.The runner-up was the Democratic Party, with 24.1% of the Italian vote.Elsewhere, much of Europe is leaning right. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spains-centre-right-pp-wins-european-election-blow-socialist-pm-2024-06-09/">Spain's People's Party</a>, a center-right faction, gained 34% of the country's vote in the European Parliament, beating the incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's socialist government.Still, the far-right faction there, Vox, struggled to gain a foothold, with only 9.6% of the vote, down from 12.4% in 2019.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1r0xvn0z5o">The Netherlands</a> has also just formed a right-wing government, with its largest component being the anti-immigration and populist Party for Freedom led by Geert Wilders.Meanwhile, the far right is seeing clearer beginnings with Reform UK. While coming in second for many constituencies, it's taken 4 seats after winning nothing in 2019.Farage, who led the Brexit movement, is now finally elected a member of the country's parliament <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/farages-reform-breaks-through-uk-election-with-strong-early-showing-2024-07-04/">with 46% of the vote in Clacton.</a><div type="image" title="Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the crowd as he arrives in a land rover to deliver a stump speech to supporters on July 3, 2024 in Clacton-on-Sea, England." height="2000" width="3000" msid="111509193" hostid="261"></div>The dramatic changes in the polls come amid growing disdain toward the economic challenges faced in many parts of the continent, with a rising cost of living and inflation.Some observers think the shifts are a sign of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/voters-world-elections-against-ruling-parties-analysis-2024-7">pure anti-establishment sentiment</a>, with voters blaming whoever is in power regardless of whether they're on the left or right."There's a lot of dissatisfaction with the way democracy is working," Richard Wike, the director of global attitudes research at the Pew Research Center, said on an episode of <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xt5bXWg8350STWNNNYoLK?si=ba357653f447427b&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=48f6ccf679b646f4">FiveThirtyEight's politics podcast in June.</a>July 5, 2023: This story was updated to reflect further information on the impact of Reform UK's campaigns on the Conservative Party's loss in vote share.

As power in Europe teeters further to the far right, the UK has done the opposite

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Keir Starmer is the UK's new prime minister after his Labour Party won Thursday's election.</li><li>He's had help opening up about his personal story from an unlikely source: Barack Obama.</li></ul>Britons have voted and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-labour-party-back-in-power-rishi-sunak-concede-defeat-2024-7">UK is posed up for a radical change in leadership</a>.The left-wing Labour Party has won more than 400 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, which means its leader, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/keir-starmer-wins-new-labour-party-leader-replaces-jeremy-corbyn-2020-4">Keir Starmer</a>, is to be prime minister and 14 years of Conservative Party rule is over.Starmer declared, "Change begins now," at a rally early Friday morning as results poured in, but his victory came despite the fact he's often described as lacking <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/06/keir-starmer-tony-blair-reform-new-labour-90s">charisma</a>.Jill Rutter, a research fellow at the London research group UK in a Changing Europe, had told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/world/europe/keir-starmer-uk-election.html">The New York Times</a> he "does look relatively prime-ministerial," but added, "He's not going to set hearts racing."Starmer entered politics relatively late, first being elected to the UK's House of Commons at age 52 in 2015. Before that, he was a lawyer who rose to become the chief prosecutor for England and Wales; he had a big public profile but no need to ask the public for votes.As a candidate for high office, Starmer has had no choice but to tell his back story. After becoming Labour leader in 2020, he stressed his humble roots, often describing how his father worked as a toolmaker and his mother a nurse while they raised their children in a "pebble-dash semi," a small home adjoining another property.But Starmer has seemed, at times, ill at ease with the public display of emotion needed to tell his story, despite it being a political asset that offers a stark contrast with the outgoing prime minister <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rishi-sunak-uk-prime-minister-goldman-sachs-banker-hedge-fund-2022-10">Rishi Sunak</a>.Sunak, a former Goldman Sachs banker, is married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of the Indian billionaire and Infosys founder N. R. Narayana Murthy. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list/profile/article/rishi-sunak-and-akshata-murty-net-worth-sunday-times-rich-list-blp6mk660">Sunday Times</a> reported in May that the couple's net worth was £651 million, which is about $830 million.In recent months, Starmer has made a concerted effort to appear more relatable to voters and emphasize that contrast.He's been helped by an unlikely mentor: former US President <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-20-presidents-in-us-history-according-to-historians-2017-2">Barack Obama</a>.<h2 id="cbd8fb6f-43af-4c81-8889-3da7e252cf0d">Obama encouraged Starmer to be vulnerable</h2>In a series of Zoom calls, Obama, who served as US president from 2009 until 2017, encouraged Starmer to become more vulnerable and open with the public and has spoken with the Labour leader about the difficult decisions he made in the Oval Office.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/former-us-president-barack-obama-labour-party-leader-keir-starmer-open-up-be-yourself/">Politico</a> reported that the pair were first introduced by David Lammy, one of Starmer's key lieutenants, who will become his foreign secretary if Labour wins.Speaking on Politico's "Power Play" podcast in March, Lammy said he and Obama had known each other for 20 years since meeting at an event for Black alumni of Harvard University.When <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-68597108">Obama dropped in to meet Sunak in March</a>, he also met Lammy for dinner, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/03/18/barack-obama-rishi-sunak-informal-talks-downing-street/">The Telegraph</a> reported.Lammy said Obama's influence on Starmer was apparent when the Labour leader recently opened up about his family's backstory "much more comfortably than perhaps we saw a few years ago.""And I know that Obama has strong views that Keir should do that," he added.<div type="image" title="David Lammy and Keir Starmer talking." height="683" width="1024" msid="111492696" hostid="261"></div>Lammy was speaking after Starmer gave an extended interview to <a target="_blank" href="https://news.sky.com/story/sir-keir-starmer-wishes-he-addressed-distant-relationship-with-late-father-13092654">Sky News</a>, in which he described how his mother had Still's disease, a rare type of inflammatory arthritis.He said his father spent most of his time looking after her, and this had "squeezed" his "emotional space" and made him more emotionally distant from his children."I probably should have addressed that before he passed, and I wish I had, but I didn't," Starmer added.<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/kitty_donaldson?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Kitty Donaldson</a>, a political journalist in the UK, told Business Insider this interview marked a turning point in Starmer's public display of emotion."Up until that point, Starmer had been very stiff, very practical, very straitlaced," Donaldson said, adding that Obama "unlocked" and "gave permission" for Starmer to open up."In terms of his leadership style, it's had an impact," she said. "Obama is quite laid back. This campaign has been more laid back than we have seen, and he seemed to enjoy going up and down the country speaking to people."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/political-science/research/centre-us-politics-cusp/find-expert/dr-tom-packer">Tom Packer</a>, an honorary research fellow at University College London who specializes in US politics and elections, told BI that Starmer's backstory had become a "theme of the campaign."He said it helped challenge the idea that all UK politicians come from a "posh background" without struggle.<h2 id="1aed6752-c6d7-4a73-9ed2-718373438522">Obama could advise Starmer on how to deal with Trump</h2>Obama's and Starmer's relationship is likely to continue if Starmer wins the election on Thursday.Obama had helped Starmer since at least 2021, when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/12/barack-obama-gives-tips-to-keir-starmer-and-david-lammy-on-how-labour-can-regain-winning-ways">The Guardian</a> reported that they were involved in two hours' worth of private talks with Lammy about how center-left parties could return to power.Speaking on the "<a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/keir-starmer-international-uk-labour-leader-puts-the/id1202281739?i=1000628653155">Power Play</a>" podcast in September, Starmer said Obama was the US president he spoke to "most frequently.""I've spoken to him a number of times, and his analysis on the world is always interesting, his challenges, and just going through with him what he faced, how he rose to the challenges," Starmer said."It is always useful to test my ideas on people who won elections, people who've taken difficult decisions in power because that helps me think about how we might approach some of the decisions we might have to take if we do win that election," he added.Packer said Obama and Starmer's relationship made sense, given the decadeslong ties between the UK's Labour Party and the US Democratic Party.Donaldson meanwhile suggested Starmer might seek advice from Obama on dealing with Donald Trump if the former president is reelected in November.<div type="image" title="Donald Trump and Joe Biden standing behind podiums in a CNN studio." height="683" width="1024" msid="111492698" hostid="261"></div>Trump is leading the polls, and Biden's shaky performance during the first presidential debate on June 27 has led Democrats to panic and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jill-biden-support-joe-could-be-damaging-expert-step-down-2024-7">urge him to step aside for another candidate</a>.Speaking to Politico last September, Starmer said his team had been in talks with Biden, adding, "It's clear what my desired outcome would be."Packer told BI that Starmer and his team wouldn't want to put "their eggs in one basket" and would be eager to secure "some kind of relationship with Trump that works," regardless of their political differences.Trump "finds it hard to be nasty about people that are nice to him," Packer said.He added that if Starmer were "nice," a Labour government could end up with a good relationship with Trump "even if they disagree with him on policy."He noted that Starmer had been careful to avoid making anti-Trump comments during his election campaign.In an interview with BBC Radio 5 last week, Starmer was asked whether he agreed with Lammy's 2018 description of Trump as a "woman-hating neo-Nazi-sympathizing sociopath" and a "profound threat to the international order.""Those aren't words that I've ever used," Starmer responded."I know the job of the person who leads our country is to deal with the leaders of other countries, who are elected by their people. You don't always get to choose the leaders of other countries," he continued.Lammy has also softened his stance. He told a summit in May that Trump's position on European defense was "misunderstood" and he merely "wants Europeans to do more to ensure a better defended Europe," according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-misunderstood-uk-labour-party/">Politico</a>.After <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hush-money-trial-verdict-2024-5">Trump was convicted of paying Stormy Daniels hush money</a>, Starmer called it "unprecedented."But he said, "We will work with whoever is elected," adding, "We have a special relationship with the US that transcends whoever the president is."Correction: July 4, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled N. R. Narayana Murthy's surname as Murty. It also misstated the date of Trump and Biden's first presidential debate. It was on June 27, not June 28.

How Obama mentored the new UK prime minister to help him tell his story

London: Universities and student groups on Tuesday urgently lobbied British Prime Minister <keyword id="19906889" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rishi-Sunak" source="keywords">Rishi Sunak</keyword> to safeguard the country's <keyword id="21659184" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="post-study-visa" source="keywords">post-study visa</keyword> offer, which has been dominated by Indians to gain work experience for around two years at the end of their university degree. Amid reports that Sunak is considering either restricting or ending the <keyword id="20616105" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Graduate-Route" source="keywords">Graduate Route</keyword> to curtail soaring migration statistics ahead of a general election, a group of nearly 30 university vice-chancellors and the <keyword id="21760521" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-indian-students-and-alumni-association" source="keywords">National Indian Students and Alumni Association</keyword> (NISAU) UK have issued detailed letters of appeal to 10 Downing Street. They list a series of factors in favour of keeping the Graduate visa scheme unchanged, including the benefits that international students bring to the UK economy in a competitive global higher education marketplace. "Modelling by consultancy London Economics shows that a single cohort has a net economic benefit of GBP 37 billion to the UK economy; as well as through the soft power that Britain's international graduates generate for the country over time, including through furthering ties of trade and diplomacy," reads the NISAU UK letter addressed to Sunak. "Indeed, 70 per cent of <keyword id="19971660" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-students" source="keywords">Indian students</keyword> have told us that the ability to gain meaningful work experience is a critical element in their decision to choose between competing international destinations, of which the UK is one... the Graduate Route allows the opportunity to gain this work experience for a temporary period. It is non-extendable and does not count towards permanent settlement. This means that neither students nor Graduate visa holders should be considered 'immigrants' in the context of the long-term picture of migration," it notes. Their appeal comes a week after the influential <keyword id="20609895" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Migration-Advisory-Committee" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Migration Advisory Committee" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Migration Advisory Committee">Migration Advisory Committee</keyword> (MAC) advised the government to let the scheme continue as it found no abuse of this post-study work offer. It also confirmed that Indians topped its tally, accounting for 89,200 visas between 2021 and 2023, or 42 per cent of the overall grants, and were likely to be "most affected by any restriction on the Graduate Route". In their letter to Sunak, universities in the north of England — from Sunderland to Sheffield, Leeds to Lancaster, Liverpool to Teesside, Bradford to Huddersfield, and York to Newcastle — said they will all be harmed by the removal or reduction of this visa as it is an "intrinsic part of the educational offer that has made the UK so attractive to brilliant students from all around the world". "The Graduate Visa Route is regarded by students in key markets like India as an integral part of their educational experience. The MAC review made clear that the removal of this route would make the UK less attractive and thus would cause considerable financial detriment to universities around the country," reads their joint letter. "International student tuition fee income has long cross-subsidised underfunded research and has increasingly become critical to cross-subsidise the teaching of UK undergraduate students because of the frozen tuition fee. Universities cannot continue to absorb the costs of teaching UK undergraduates without some form of alternative funding source," they caution. On top of their visa fees, international students who find work and start businesses contribute billions of pounds in income tax, national insurance and VAT annually. The university chiefs point out that they are also usually net contributors to the National Health Service (NHS) through the NHS surcharge. The Russell Group of the UK's leading universities issued its appeal over the weekend, with CEO Tim Bradshaw warning that there has already been a 10 per cent decline in international applications for post-graduate courses starting this September in the wake of the clampdown on students being able to bring dependant family members. "A further restriction on international students would not only be unnecessary — as numbers are already falling — but also damaging, resulting in less spending in local communities, fewer opportunities for domestic students and less UK research," he noted in a letter to Sunak. Members of his own Cabinet are believed to be opposed to any changes to the Graduate scheme, but the British Prime Minister is having to balance pressures from the right of the governing Conservatives who are single-minded in their demands to curb all forms of legal as well as illegal migration levels ahead of an election later this year.

Universities, student groups lobby PM Sunak to keep UK's post-study visa scheme unchanged

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The UK army is unprepared for any type of war, a former defense official told the Financial Times.</li><li>It would also run out of ammunition quickly in any large-scale operation, Robert Johnson said.</li></ul>The UK's armed forces are not prepared for any type of war and would quickly struggle with supplies, a former defense official said."In any larger-scale operation, we would run out of ammunition rapidly," Robert Johnson told the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/8251f12b-0296-47f0-a774-3b7c99b9e53d">Financial Times</a>.In his previous role as director of the Secretary of State's Office for Net Assessment and Challenge, Johnson <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/announcement-of-new-director-appointed-to-the-secretary-of-states-office-for-net-assessment-and-challenge-sonac">led</a> a 25-person team charged with wargaming and using research, analysis, and external think tanks to ensure the UK's defensive capabilities were at "peak" performance.After leaving the role in May, Johnson assessed that the UK military cannot defend the British homelands "properly" and would be underequipped for overseas operations of the scale of the Falklands and Iraq wars."Our defenses are too thin, and we are not prepared to fight and win an armed conflict of any scale," he told the FT.The UK is a member of NATO and one of Ukraine's closest allies.But Johnson cited the UK's "insufficient" air defenses to intercept long-range missile strikes, its navy's lack of ships to patrol the North Atlantic to monitor and deter Russian submarine activity, and its air force's need for almost twice as many fighter jets as it has.The UK has also failed to play a global role and deter adversaries, Johnson told the FT."The government is not taking the public into its confidence about the scale of the threat because it knows it's not ready," he said, adding that being honest did not pose any security risks because "the Russians already know this anyway."Johnson, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ccw.ox.ac.uk/robert-johnson">heads</a> Oxford University's Changing Character of War Centre, is the latest defense official to have raised concerns about the UK's war readiness.In a February <a target="_blank" href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmdfence/26/summary.html">report</a> titled "Ready for War?", the UK's defense committee found British forces are not prepared to fight a "sustained, high-intensity" war.Meanwhile, in an April <a target="_blank" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/06/britain-is-not-ready-for-war-ministers-defence-mod/">comment piece</a> for The Telegraph, outgoing armed forces minister James Heappey said the UK is a "very long way behind" its allies in preparing for war.Johnson's assessment comes days before the UK general elections, which, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/uk-general-election/polls">according</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/prediction_main.html">to</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/uk-opinion-polls">polls</a>, show the Conservative Party losing to the Labour Party after 14 years in power.According to Johnson, the next government should hike defense spending to at least 3% of GDP."We have to cut our coat to fit our cloth," he told the FT.

You Searched For "UK elections" and got 12 results

Voting in the UK and French elections taught me a concerning lesson that Americans should heed when heading to the polls

Benjamin Chadwick

The UK might see an “AI candidate” this general election — here’s how that will work

Ankush Banerjee

Putin is in no hurry to end the Ukraine war, no matter who wins the US election

Tom Porter

Google CEO Sundar Pichai asks team to safeguard trust during US elections, sends internal memo

BI India Bureau

Russian forces suffered an average of over 1,500 casualties a day in October for 'tiny increments of land,' UK official says

Rebecca Rommen

A worsening kind of Russian warfare was on display in the US presidential election, but it's a much bigger problem

Chris Panella

All AI has done this election is convince Taylor Swift to endorse Harris

Grace Eliza Goodwin

The Labour Party is back in power in the UK after 14 years

Kwan Wei Kevin Tan

As power in Europe teeters further to the far right, the UK has done the opposite

Matthew Loh

How Obama mentored the new UK prime minister to help him tell his story

Mikhaila Friel

Universities, student groups lobby PM Sunak to keep UK's post-study visa scheme unchanged

PTI

UK army is unprepared for war and would run out of ammo quickly, former defense official says

Thibault Spirlet

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