India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party sailed through the last general election in 2019, winning every parliamentary seat in six states, all but one seat in three states, and all but two seats in two states. This time, however, the ship appears to be riddled with leaks and at risk of sinking.
The new messages emanating from Europe augur a reactivation of the post-1991 Weimar Triangle of France, Germany, and Poland. But it will no longer be just a regional or symbolic alliance; rather, these three countries will chart a new course toward European joint defense and sovereignty.
Thanks to a combination of shrewd political tactics and powerful false narratives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party appear to be headed toward an easy victory in the country’s ongoing parliamentary election. With that, the erosion of Indian democracy will almost certainly accelerate.
The US Federal Trade Commission’s new rule banning non-compete clauses in employment contracts is predictably being challenged by business lobbies who argue that employers need such tools to protect trade secrets and investments in training. But the evidence overwhelmingly shows that such restrictions do far more harm than good.
India is no longer the model free-market democracy that Westerners spent years imagining, encouraging, and touting. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi having bent the media, big business, and democratic institutions to his will, India's markets and politics are becoming less free – as the ongoing election is set to confirm.
