African ruling parties will weather 2025 elections

Significance The economic and political trends that underpinned this development are likely to continue into 2025, creating new opportunities for opposition parties. However, fewer countries will hold elections this year, and a higher proportion of elections will be in countries with more authoritarian political systems, posing challenges for opposition electoral mobilisation. Impacts Mali’s junta will face growing domestic pressure to hold elections this year. More intensive and blatant forms of electoral manipulation increase the risk of prolonged political crises. The increasingly frail health of Cameroonian President Paul Biya will boost the risk of a major political crisis over his succession.