The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will hold a general election on December 20, 2023, to elect a president and members of the National Assembly. The parliament of the DRC is composed of two chambers—the National Assembly and the Senate. Incumbent president Felix Tshisekedi is running for a second five-year term.

Leading up to the general election, groups have raised concern about armed militia groups that are spreading in the western part of the nation.

General Election

• December 20, 2023

Following a runoff election on November 16, incumbent president George Weah conceded to opposition leader Joseph Boakai. This election represents the first since the 2018 departure of the United Nations Mission in Liberia, according to Ducor Institute for Social & Economic Research.

General Election

• October 10, 2023

Runoff Election

• November 16, 2023

Madagascar held its presidential election on November 16, 2023. Voters re-elected incumbent president Andry Rajoelina amid controversy and contested polls. 

Presidential Election

• November 16, 2023

Mali is expected to hold a presidential election in February 2024. Malian voters approved changes to the nation’s constitution in June 2023. The amendments to the constitution are expected to help facilitate a transition to civilian leadership, according to DW News. The nation has been ruled by a military junta since a coup d’état in 2020.

Presidential Election

• Expected February 2024

Rwanda is slated to hold a presidential election in 2024. Incumbent president Paul Kagame, who has been president since 2000, has announced he will seek a fourth term. In a referendum held in 2015, voters approved amendments to the nation’s constitution that provides Kagame the potential to stay in office until 2034, according to Britannica.

Presidential Election

• Expected August 2024

Context from SIS Experts

• “How Labels of “Victim” and “Perpetrator” Impact Bosnian and Rwandan Diaspora Communities in the US”

Senegal is scheduled to hold a presidential election February 25, 2024. The nation’s current president, Macky Sall, announced in July 2023 that he would not seek a third term in office. According to Al Jazeera, rumors that Sall would try to extend his time in power has led to bouts of unrest since 2021. So far, Idrissa Seck, the runner-up in the 2019 presidential election, and former Prime Minister Aminata Touré are candidates in the 2024 election.

Presidential Election

• February 25, 2024

Zimbabwe held its general election on August 23 to elect a new parliament and president. The Zimbabwe Election Commission has declared the results, with incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the winner; however, many international observers are concerned about the validity of those results.

The US State Department has released this statement, saying, "Although the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) has announced results of the country’s recent presidential election, multiple observation missions have expressed deep concerns and stated that the country’s electoral process did not meet regional and international standards for credibility."

General Election

• August 23, 2023

Belarus has announced that parliamentary elections will be held on February 25, 2024. The National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus is composed of two chambers—the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic. The House has 110 deputies, and the Council, which is the regional representative body, has 64 members.

Legislative Election

• February 25, 2024

Context from SIS Experts

• A Conversation with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya of Belarus, moderated by SIS professor Keith Darden

Belgium will hold parliamentary elections on June 9, 2024, to elect all 150 seats of the Chamber of Representatives. Belgium has compulsory voting laws, which results in one of the highest voter turnout rates in the world. 

Parliamentary Election

• June 9, 2024

The European Parliament will hold elections from June 6-9, 2024, for all 750 seats. The European Parliament is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union, and it is the only directly elected EU institution. Over 400 million people are eligible to vote in the parliamentary election as citizens of EU member nations, making it the largest transnational election in the world.

Parliamentary Election

• June 6-9, 2024
• This is the first parliamentary election since the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU in 2020

Context from SIS Experts

• How does the ‘unidentified political object’ that is the European Union really work? (2019)

Finland will hold presidential elections on January 28, 2024. The president is the head of state in Finland, the foreign policy leader, and the commander of the Finnish Defense Forces. Incumbent president Saulii Niinistö cannot run for re-election, as he has served the maximum number of terms. Finland’s current foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto, who was integral in negotiating Finland’s NATO membership, has announced that he will run in the presidential election.

Presidential Election

• January 28, 2024

Context from SIS Experts

• SIS Ambassadors Up-Close: Nordic Security Transformed – Spotlight on Finland and Sweden, moderated by SIS professor Garret Martin
• NATO Expansion Past, Present, and Future

Georgia will hold parliamentary and presidential elections in 2024. The Parliament of Georgia is comprised of 150 members, and all seats are up for election. These elections come at a time when many Georgians are concerned about democratic backsliding within the country.

Parliamentary Election

• Expected 2024

Presidential Election

• Expected 2024

Polish voters turned out in record numbers to cast ballots in a parliamentary election October 15. Three opposition parties who campaigned on restoring democratic standards in Poland collectively won over 54% of the votes in the election, which ultimately puts them in a position to take power, according to the Associated Press. In total, the opposition parties will hold 248 seats in the 460-seat Sejm. The right-wing Law and Justice Party (known as PiS) that previously governed Poland for eight years won 35% of votes and will hold 194 seats in the new parliament.

Voter turnout for Poland’s election was at nearly 75%—the highest since 1919 and even higher than the nation’s first free elections after the fall of communism in 1989, according to ABC News. 

Parliamentary Election

• October 15, 2023

Context from SIS Experts

• Europe Veers Toward Nationalism

Russia will hold presidential elections on March 17, 2024. Incumbent president Vladimir Putin has continuously served as either the president or prime minister since 1999.

Presidential Election

• March 17, 2024
• This is the first election since substantial amendments to the Constitution of Russia were made in 2020

Context from SIS Experts

• Border Battles in Eurasia
• NATO Expansion Past, Present, and Future
• What Beijing’s Muted Response to Wagner Mutiny Tells Us About China-Russia Relations – and What it Doesn’t
• What Does Putin Want? On First Anniversary of Russian Invasion, Five Questions about the War in Ukraine

Slovakia's former Prime Minister Robert Fico and his SMER-SSD party won the country's parliamentary election on September 30, 2023. Fico will now begin talks to form a coalition government, however, according to CNN, he will need the cooperation of two other parties in order to gain a majority. 

Parliamentary Election

• September 30, 2023

Context from SIS Experts

• Six Questions After Slovakia's Election

Spain held general elections on July 23, 2023. The Cortes Generales of Spain is made up of the 350-member Congress of Deputies, and the 266-member Senate. No party was able to attain a majority, and a repeat election is likely if a government cannot be formed.

General Election

• July 23, 2023

Switzerland held parliamentary elections on October 22, 2023, to elect all 246 seats in the Federal Assembly. The populist anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party gained the most seats and is now the largest faction in parliament. According to AP News, two environment-focused parties lost seats, signaling a further shift towards the right in Europe.

Parliamentary Election

• October 22, 2023

Ukraine was scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on October 29, 2023, and presidential elections on March 31, 2024. Typically, parliamentary and presidential elections are held every five years, however, elections cannot be held while the country is under martial law. Ukraine has been under martial law since February 24, 2022, and has announced that all elections will be deferred to a later date. 

Context from SIS Experts

• What Does Putin Want? On First Anniversary of Russian Invasion, Five Questions about the War in Ukraine
• Generous Aid to Ukraine is Diverting Resources Away from Other Refugee Crises Around the World
• Border Battles in Eurasia
• NATO Expansion Past, Present, and Future

New Zealand held its general elections on October 14, 2023. Christopher Luxon from the conservative National Party will be the next prime minister after gaining 39% of votes.

The makeup of parliament is still unknown, but Luxon will likely seek to form an alliance with the libertarian ACT Party according to the Associated Press.

General Election

• October 14, 2023

Palau will hold general elections on November 12, 2024, to elect the president and the National Congress. The National Congress is made up of the 13-seat Senate and the 16-seat House of Delegates. All seats in both houses are up for election to four-year terms.

General Election

• July 23, 2024