Lushington Brady: Japan Returns to the Polls, Again

Here they go again, for Japan’s long-suffering voters. Just months after electing their fourth prime minister in five years, Japanese voters are going back to the polls for another snap election. The election will decide the future of Japan’s first female leader, who remains hugely popular even as her party’s fortunes remain dire.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: Macron's electoral gamble to see off the far-right

“How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?”, asked Charles de Gaulle in 1962. Well, after its forthcoming elections, a plethora of cheese varieties may be the least of France’s problems. Risks abound for both France and Europe.

President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to call snap legislative elections for 30 June and 7 July was a high-stakes gamble. His centrist alliance suffered a crushing defeat by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in the European Parliament elections. Macron hopes the early election will catch his opponents off guard and secure him a fresh mandate.

Garrick Tremain: Snap election

 Here is Garrick Tremain's cartoon commentary on snap election! 

Bryce Edwards: Why Jacinda Ardern’s resignation changes everything

Should New Zealand have a snap election? That’s one of the questions arising out of the chaos of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s shock resignation.

There’s an increased realisation that everything has changed, and the old plans and assumptions for election year have suddenly evaporated. So, although Ardern has named an election date of 14 October there’s some good reason for the new prime minister to bring that forward to, say, March.