Coming to power: which countries will hold elections in 2026
In the United States, congressional elections will be held in 2026, which will significantly affect the policy of the Donald Trump administration. The citizens of Brazil and Colombia will determine who will lead their state, while Hungary, Denmark, Israel and Sweden will elect members of parliament. Perhaps the leader of Ukraine will also change — in any case, preparations for the elections have already begun. All this is taking place against the backdrop of global changes, of which the situation in Ukraine remains an important factor. The information about where the fiercest struggle is expected is in the Izvestia article.
Interim results in the USA
One of the main political events of 2026 will be the midterm elections in the United States. On November 3, Americans will have to choose 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 senators, as well as 36 governors and other local officials. Traditionally, this is perceived in the United States as a test of the trust of the current administration. Their results show how citizens evaluate the president's activities.
This time, the main issues will be the results of the "tariff wars", mass deportations and inflation. The approval rating of US President Donald Trump remains at an anti-record high of 36%. 89% of Republicans support him, 25% of independent voters, and 3% of Democrats, according to a Gallup poll. Overall, only 24% of Americans are satisfied with the direction their country is heading.
Republicans currently hold the majority in both houses of Congress. Historically, the party of the current president is usually defeated in midterm elections. This was the case, for example, in 2022, when the Republicans were able to take a majority in the lower house, defeating the Democrats under Joe Biden. The latter are now expected to lead in the polls, with the gap in mandates between the two parties being only seven seats.
If the import duties imposed by Trump in 2025 lead to higher prices in stores by the summer of 2026, this will become the main tool of the Democrats. If the economy shows rapid growth, the Republicans will be able to retain power. Trump's harsh migration policy will also play a role — so far the majority of Americans support it, but in the future such measures may alienate moderate voters.
At the moment, the most likely scenario is a "divided government", when Democrats gain control of the House of Representatives, which will give them the right to initiate impeachment and block Trump's budget, while Republicans will retain a shaky majority in the Senate.
The results of the vote will also affect foreign policy. The leadership of the EU and Ukraine is seeking to delay the negotiation process between the Russian Federation and the United States in order to wait for the midterm elections. Their calculation is that the loss of control over Congress will make the White House more accommodating and lead away from normalization of relations with Moscow.
Will the right come to power in Latin America
In October, presidential elections will be held in Brazil, the largest country in Latin America. The current president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had previously announced his intention to run, despite the age of 80. At the same time, his rating remains stable, but vulnerable due to the slowdown in economic growth.
The main intrigue is who will become the candidate of the right forces. Former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was previously actively supported by Trump, was officially disqualified from running until 2030 by the decision of the Supreme Electoral Court for abuse of power. His son Flaviu, as a senator, announced plans to replace his father on the ballot. However, the moderate-conservative part of the Liberal Party wants to see a completely different presidential candidate, Governor Tarcisio de Freitas of Sao Paulo.
Lula da Silva has a much better chance of gaining the support of different political forces and social strata. If the administration avoids serious crises, he can win in the first round, Timur Almukov, an expert on Latin America, told Izvestia.
— There are risks of interference from the United States, but Washington is unlikely to support the obviously losing candidacy of Flavio Bolsonaro. Lula has managed to depoliticize the dialogue with the Trump administration and even make progress on trade issues. The White House would rather find common ground with Lula than go all-in and do their best to support the younger Bolsonara," the expert stressed.
In Colombia, on the contrary, the position of the left has been greatly weakened during the presidency of Gustavo Petro, and he has no right to run for a second term. Against this background, an extremely intense struggle is expected. The candidate from the left, Senator Ivan Cepeda, is now in the lead, having secured almost 30% of support, however, his chances of becoming president are still doubtful. If the right, whose main problem is the unity crisis, still manages to consolidate around a specific figure, then the likelihood of the return of a right—wing or center-right government increases markedly, Almukov said.
Member of the Colombian Senate Ivan Cepeda
General elections will be held in Peru in April. In October 2025, the country's congress approved the impeachment of President Dina Boluarte, and a new (seventh in recent years) president came to power, who promised to ensure transparency in preparations for the 2026 elections.
Will Viktor Orban retain power in Hungary
On the European continent, the main election, including in the context of the Ukrainian settlement, will be the parliamentary campaign in Hungary. The political landscape of the country has radically changed due to the emergence of a powerful opposition force. For the first time since 2010, the ruling Fidesz party is not the undisputed favorite. According to polls conducted in December 2025, the opposition TISZA party, led by Peter Magyar, is neck and neck with Fidesz, and in some age groups, for example, among young and middle-aged people, it is already ahead of it.
Hungary has faced an economic downturn in recent years. Magyar is building a campaign to criticize the level of corruption and inefficient management of EU funds, access to which is partially blocked for Hungary due to Viktor Orban, who opposes a number of European initiatives to help Ukraine. He also lobbies for the preservation of economic ties with Russia, including gas supplies. The opposition promises to normalize relations with the EU and unblock the frozen billions of euros in aid.
Orban will be opposed by such pan-European forces as the European People's Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Renewing Europe, the greens, as well as to some extent European conservatives and reformists, Vadim Trukhachev, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia.
— If we talk about some personalities, Orban's personal enemy No. 1 is NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. They have had a personal grudge for many years," the political scientist said.
Trukhachev believes that Orban's party will take the first place, but it will not be able to form a government alone. Everything will depend on how much the others score. If four more parties also enter parliament, Fidesz will be able to form an alliance with the Our Motherland party, which are even more hardline eurosceptics. However, if the liberal bloc also passes, the situation for Viktor Orban will take an unpleasant turn.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
Parliamentary elections will also be held in the Scandinavian countries. The autumn 2025 polls show a significant decline in government support. In Denmark, the Social Democrats, along with their coalition partners, the Liberals and the centrists, are losing ground. In particular, the SD, which is now headed by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, "lost" Copenhagen in the municipal elections for the first time in 122 years.
The elections in Sweden will be a referendum on confidence in the right-wing course and the ability of the government of Ulf Kristersson to cope with the challenges of internal security while maintaining economic stability. Here, the Social Democrats are confidently leading in the opinion polls and may change the current cabinet. However, the elections will not affect relations with Russia in both cases, since the approaches towards Russia of the main political forces in Denmark and Sweden are similar and do not differ in particular loyalty.
Will there be elections in Ukraine
For the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, the legitimacy of its authorities is extremely important. Vladimir Zelensky's presidential term ended in May 2024. Therefore, Moscow is not ready to sign documents with the current Kiev authorities.
— Negotiations can be conducted with anyone, only because of his illegitimacy, he (Vladimir Zelensky. — Ed.) has no right to sign anything," said Vladimir Putin.
This is also understood in Washington, which is why Donald Trump has repeatedly stated the need for presidential elections. Judging by the leaks in the media, this is one of the points of the US peace plan. However, there is no agreement on the timing: Kiev and European countries insist that the vote should take place "as soon as possible." In the USA, a period of 100 days is considered appropriate.
A working group has appeared in the Verkhovna Rada, it should determine the rules of the electoral process, since, according to current laws, it is impossible to hold elections under martial law, which is what Vladimir Zelensky uses while remaining in power. Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission of Ukraine resumed the functioning of the state register of voters.
Vladimir Putin said during a direct line on December 19 that Russia was ready to think about ensuring security during the elections in Ukraine. At the same time, he noted: Ukrainians, who number from 5 million to 10 million in Russia, should be able to vote.
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, as well as the leader of the Batkivshchyna party Yulia Tymoshenko, who represents a loyal opposition, predict great electoral potential, Ivan Loshkarev, associate professor of the Department of Political Theory at MGIMO, told Izvestia. According to him, Petro Poroshenko also has chances (he is included in the list of persons involved in extremist activities by Rosfinmonitoring).
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny
— The trend will be towards some more serious person, and all candidates will try to set themselves against Zelensky. And in this sense, the general, the former president, and the ex-prime minister are probably at the forefront after all," the expert clarified.
Loshkarev believes that unexpected candidates may appear, for example, former speaker of the Rada Dmitry Razumkov, Mayor of Lviv Andrei Sadovoy and Mayor of Kiev Vitali Klitschko. Unknown candidates from among military bloggers or volunteers are also possible. By the way, Zelensky has not yet officially announced his participation in the elections. According to opinion polls, he can count on the support of 30% of voters, and Valery Zaluzhny — on 28.9%. However, in the second round, the ex-commander-in-chief will win with 65% of the vote, according to an October poll. Against the background of the corruption scandal, Zelensky's support may decrease.
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