US election: Is there no way around Trump?
The US presidential election in November is prominent among the raft of elections scheduled for 2024 across the globe. Much excitement surrounds the question of who will run for the Republicans. In internal party polls for the primaries, which begin on 15 January, former president Donald Trump has a clear lead, but due to numerous legal proceedings against him his candidacy is by no means a foregone conclusion.
A virtually unstoppable candidacy
Trump's undisputed leadership role in certain circles is also a result of the lack of legal clarity, says Yeni Şafak:
“Trump's narrative directed at the electorate according to which the deep state and the Democrats are conspiring against him has millions of supporters. Some of these people will support Trump at all costs. The others could be influenced by whether Trump's involvement in the riot is legally confirmed. The absence of a court conviction reinforces the impression that the efforts to prevent Trump from running are political moves. Remember that years of legal and administrative proceedings have failed to stop him, because Trump's leadership role is driven by various other dynamics.”
Blurred boundaries between justice and politics
Handelsblatt's Washington correspondent Annett Meiritz finds it worrying that the judiciary holds so much sway over American politics:
“The most powerful nation in the world can only wish for a strong judiciary. But the number of cases to be heard is already overwhelming and will inevitably dominate the election campaign - and further blur the boundaries between the administration of justice and politics. The great asset that is the separation of powers may be preserved on paper, but in the public perception it is becoming increasingly difficult to convey. ... This 'judicial presidential election campaign' is unlikely to reverse the polarisation of American society and the disenchantment of many US citizens with politics.”
The last hope lies with Haley
Gazeta Wyborcza weighs up the chances of Trump's rival Nikki Haley in the Republican primaries:
“The former US ambassador to the United Nations is gaining ground, but she'll still far behind the favourite [Trump]. She will face off against co-candidate DeSantis in a debate next week. In recent months, 51-year-old Haley has become the last hope of Donald Trump's opponents to prevent him from winning the Republican Party's nomination in the presidential election thanks to her hard work on the campaign trail, her good performance in the debates, the support of major donors and, not least, the weakness of her other rivals.”
US political renewal at risk
Trump's potential re-election points to a fundamental problem, writes journalist Francisco Sarsfield Cabral in Rádio Renascença:
“American democracy has many flaws, some of which have been mitigated throughout history in a climate of freedom. The danger now is that this capacity for renewal will be destroyed by those who do not value liberal democracy and prefer the autocracies of Putin, Orbán and many others.”