Banananomics: Daring Global Elections Turn The Tables

Daring Global Elections Turn The Tables

More than 360 million Europeans voted for 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEP) last weekend, and the results have destroyed the confidence of the center ground.

Inputs that matter: The Indian leader Narendra Modi was sworn in as prime minister on Sunday for a rare third term after nearly two months of voting in the world’s largest democracy.

• The last person to do that was Jawaharlal Nehru, one of the founding fathers of modern India and its first prime minister.

• Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron has called snap parliamentary elections later this month in the wake of a big victory for his rival Marine Le Pen's National Rally in the European Parliament vote.

• Announcing the dissolution of parliament, he said the two rounds of voting would take place on 30 June and 7 July, a few weeks before the Paris Olympics.

The opportunity: Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo resigned, hopeless in the face of the surge of the far-right, anti-immigration Vlaams Belang party and the right-wing nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA).

• Far-right parties also made gains in Italy, Austria and Germany. Meanwhile, in the UK, Reform continues to creep up in the polls.

Zoom in: Nearly 90 countries and organizations, half from Europe, have confirmed attending the Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit over the weekend, Switzerland’s president said Monday.

• Moscow has not been invited but says it would not have attended anyway as the conference is based on the peace proposals of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Russia rejects.

• President Viola Amherd told reporters in the Swiss capital, Bern, that the summit, on Saturday and Sunday, will aim to chart a path toward possible peace nearly 28 months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine and the war is grinding on.

• U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will take part on behalf of the United States.

Between the lines: Brazil and China said they wouldn’t take part unless both sides – including Russia – were at the table, according to Swiss officials.

• Ukraine has helped coordinate the summit, and Zelenskyy is expected to attend.

Follow the money: Iran’s Guardian Council has approved six candidates to run in this month's presidential election.

• Almost all of them are Islamic hardliners close to the thinking of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

• The constitutional body vetted the 80 people who registered to stand on 28 June according to their religious and revolutionary credentials.

Banananomics official swag store is open. A place to buy Banananomics merchandise, such as:

• Coffee Mugs

• T-Shirts

• Hoodies

• Stickers

• Hats

• Notebooks

As always, we appreciate your support. International shipping is available.