- Uncertainty in Tunisia, Czechs reject eastward turn, Middle East Attacks and China’s COVID wave ‘coming to an end’[
- Uncertainty in Tunisia, Czechs reject eastward turn, Middle East Attacks and China’s COVID wave ‘coming to an end’
Uncertainty in Tunisia, Czechs reject eastward turn, Middle East Attacks and China’s COVID wave ‘coming to an end’
Good morning.
Tunisia’s second-round voting had a similarly low turnout as the first round making it unclear what will happen next. Recent attacks in Israel, Palestine, and Iran signal a period of heightened tension that feels poised to boil over.
Meanwhile, Czech voters clearly returned formed NATO General Pavel with 58% of the vote, signaling their preference to remain aligned with the West. On a (hopefully) positive note, China’s CDC declared that the current wave of COVID infections was coming to an end.
No Clarity in Tunisia After 2nd Round of Voting
Tunisia’s run-off election this weekend saw only around 11% of voters turn out after opposition parties called for Tunisians to boycott the election. This was a similarly low number as in the first round of voting in late 2022. This leaves Tunisia with a weak parliament, a President with no clear mandate, and high levels of tension as prices rise and goods become more scarce.
Last week, Moody’s downgraded Tunisia’s credit rating due to the poor state of the country’s governance, adding to the country’s difficulties.
“Moody’s said the downgrade represents a deterioration of governance in the face of growing social constraints. The pessimistic view captures adverse risks associated with more delays in securing and executing a supported IMF policy, a government-specified target.”
What happens next in Tunisia is unclear until President Saied responds to the results. Read Reuters for more
Former NATO General Pavel Wins in Czech Elections
Retired General Petr Pavel won the presidential election in the Czech Republic this week with over 58% of the vote, clearly signaling the Czech people’s desire to retain strong ties with the west. A win for his opponent, Andrej Babis, would have continued the country’s turn toward Beijing and Moscow, adding considerable strain to the EU and Western coalition, particularly with respect to the opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. More in Reuters
Chian’s CDC Announces ‘End’ of COVID Wave
Chian’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the wave of COVID infections that tore through the country after tight restrictions were lifted in December was “coming to an end”. This is despite the huge number of people who had traveled around the country during the Lunar New Year celebrations. China has been criticized for the accuracy of its COVID reporting and Lunar New Year was only a week or so ago but if this wave is coming to and end, the country will be on track for an economic resurgence starting in mid-February. Expect oil and raw material prices to respond as demand increases, but extra demand may have already been priced in, so fluctu
Carpe tomorrow!