Coalitions: A grand churn of political oceans is underway
The year 2024 is notable for the large number of elections being held—in well over 60 countries, representing nearly half of the world’s population. Of course, there are myriad systems and we are only halfway through the year, but as a generalization, it is turning out to be a year of strong majorities for presidential forms of government and coalitions for parliamentary democracies. Indonesia and Mexico returned strong majorities for their presidential winners, with Mexico electing its first ever woman to its top office.
This happens because presidential systems tend to have tie-breakers, such as a run-off election or legislative vote. Even so, the underlying legislatures in many presidential systems are now very mixed and ‘coalition like,’ such as those in the US and South Korea. Parliamentary elections in India, South Africa and Pakistan, and for the European Parliament and South Korean legislature, have resulted in surprisingly mixed results, with multi-party coalitions being the only political way forward in these places.
The word ‘coalition’ traces its etymological root to the Latin word ‘coalitus,’ which means to grow together. It was first used in the political context in the 18th century and has come to mean a coming together of political formations with different backgrounds because they share the same goal. A coalition government may also be created in times of national crisis, often bringing together rival parties to combat an internal or external threat.
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