What Were the Most Significant Political Events of Recent Years?
Recent years have been packed with major political events. See the most prominent political events, below:
- Trump Wins the US Election - Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris after Joe Biden dropped out of the Presidential election. The Republicans gained control of Congress, but with the smallest House majority in US history. Trump has already imposed tariffs and policies that will impact not only America but the world as a whole.
- Trump Imposes Tariffs - Between February and May 2025, Trump launched sweeping tariffs targeting China, Mexico, Canada and other major trade partners. He imposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, and 10% on Chinese imports. Despite temporary pauses and exemptions, tariffs escalated, reaching 145% on Chinese goods. After a truce in May reduced them to 30%, a global blanket 10% tariff remained, with higher rates for goods such as steel, cars and fentanyl-linked items. Trump also introduced tariffs on film production, granted exclusions for electronics and struck a limited UK deal. Broader tensions persist.
- UK's Trade Deal with the US - The new UK-US trade deal slashes tariffs on steel, ethanol and cars, boosting key industries. British tariffs on US ethanol drop to zero, while US duties on UK steel and aluminium exports are scrapped. UK farmers gain beef export quotas, with food standards protected. Thousands of UK steel jobs are safeguarded.
- Sudanese Civil War - The Sudanese civil war continued, with 20,000+ deaths, famine and 11 million people displaced.
- Russia-Ukraine War - The war between these two countries continued, with Russian forces advancing in eastern Ukraine with heavy casualties. In December, Ukraine assassinated a senior Russian general in Moscow. The US allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russia, and Russia faced economic strain.
- Middle East Conflict - Israel's war in Gaza escalated with major Hamas and Hezbollah leaders assassinated. The Israeli-Iranian strikes increased tension, and the Syrian Government collapsed.
- Labour Wins the UK Election - The Labour Party won the UK General Election with a landslide victory, which ended 14 years of Conservative Party rule.
- South Korea Political Crisis - The opposition won the elections, and President Yoon imposed martial law, but was overruled by the National Assembly.
- Botswana Power Shift - The ruling party of Botswana lost power after nearly 60 years.
- Indian & Pakistani Conflict - Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated sharply following a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir on the 22nd of April 2025. India blamed Pakistan-backed militants and downgraded their diplomatic ties with Pakistan. A series of retaliatory measures followed, including trade suspensions, cross-border fire, deadly missiles and airstrikes. The conflict intensified rapidly, with casualties on both sides. A full-scale war seemed imminent, until US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on the 10th of May.
Sources: Council on Foreign Relations, Pew Research Center, BBC News, Reuters, The Guardian, GOV.UK & Sky News
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