Pandemic Musings Chapter Nine: Finally Reaching the Endemic Stage, But Who Cares?

The COVID-19 Pandemic is still classified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), the organization to whom we defer for any global health pronouncements on what is a global pandemic. I continue to link my personal musings to the dramatically significant impact that this global phenomenon has had on my daily living, even as I have been inspired by the global responses to the pandemic to write in-depth commentaries on the prospects for global and multi-stakeholder collaboration, which, if truth be told, has been my lifelong “reason for being”. Ah well, this is yet another one of my run-on sentence that my editors would want me rewrite into short pithy sentences. But the point is that the personal and the professional visions are indeed like a run-on sentence – so intertwined have they been in my response to this pandemic.  As I launch into this ninth chapter on my personal musings about the pandemic, I am also trying to update my in-depth commentary on the subject. Many months have passed since I did either one, and I am now discovering that it is time for me to move on. Neither my personal life nor my professional interests are as overwhelmingly defined by the pandemic today as they once were. –

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Democracy in Jeopardy: French Case Study Round 4 on the Outcome of the 2022 Legislative Elections

Democracy in jeopardy has become the “mantra of the moment”, what with the ups and downs of populist nationalist movements in so many of what we have considered to be the bulwarks of democracy – with France being a prime example of this.  Hence, this series on “democracy in jeopardy” has included a continuing study of political elections in France. A convenient flow of French elections (at the municipal level in March and June 2020, at the regional and departmental level in June 2021, at the Presidential level in April 2022 and finally at the parliamentary elections in June 2022) provides a timely, ongoing opportunity to assess these ups and downs.  I have been writing about these French elections from the perspective of an American living in France, with a deep interest in how even the strongest of democracies, like France or the US or India, are in jeopardy of succumbing to the forces of authoritarian populism.  My interest extends, furthermore, to looking at the similarities and differences between French and American political cultures and systems of governance.  Here, Round 4 of the series addresses the outcome of the French parliamentary elections that were held on 10 and 17 June 2022.

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An Awesome Visit to the OCA Observatory on the Plateau de Calern

My partner and spouse Ralph Doggett and I are living the idyllic life in Grasse, France, where we enjoy exploring the region for the cultural and photographic opportunities it brings us. These opportunities are often an unexpected combination of adventures. On one recent occasion, we accepted an invitation that surprised us in a variety of ways – starting rather unexpectedly with one of those hikes that the French call a “rando” along the “Plateau de Calern” near Grasse on an unusually hot day in June.  Our hiking adventure, however, was only the beginning of several surprises – discovering a chapel inside a cave, for one, but most especially seeing for the first time a laser-driven telescope. This was, after all, an invitation to visit the famed Observatory of the Cote d’Azur (OCA) – an awesome learning experience for us in and of itself. But the visit proved to be a fabulous combination of unexpected adventures.  Here is a brief commentary with a photo collection  of the hike (“rando”) on the plateau, the cave and the observatory(plus a delightful dinner in the middle of it all). Continue reading “An Awesome Visit to the OCA Observatory on the Plateau de Calern”

Democracy in Jeopardy: The French Case Study Round Four on the Legislative Elections of 2022

In my previous commentaries about French elections, I have expressed concerns about the apparent absence of substantive debate, declining voter turnout and weakness in sustainable coalition building.  These have been evident in the most recent presidential election, where 12 candidates operated at separate and often isolated levels, culminating with a run-off between two candidates (a centrist candidate who had moved increasingly away from the left and an extreme right candidate) that did not genuinely reflect the range of voter interests.  Voter turnout was down as a result, and there were no evident signs of institutionalized coalition-building.  This last point was especially significant, in my opinion, to the segue from the presidential to the legislative elections in the short span of time between the two rounds.  In this interim period prior to the June elections for the French National Assembly, I have some thoughts about the way that coalition-building is actually starting to happen.  Continue reading “Democracy in Jeopardy: The French Case Study Round Four on the Legislative Elections of 2022”

Democracy in Jeopardy: Round Three of the French Case Study: the Presidential Elections 2022

French elections have been held at the municipal level in 2020 (what I have been calling Round One), regional level in 2021 (Round Two), and now at the presidential (Round Three) and legislative (Round Four) levels in 2022.  I have been writing about them in the context of an American living in France, with a deep interest in how even the strongest of democracies are in jeopardy of succumbing to the forces of authoritarian populism.  My interest extends, furthermore, to looking at the similarities and differences between French and American democratic cultures and systems of governance.  In my latest essay on France, written just as the presidential election was “officially” underway, my focus was on three leading concerns affecting how democratic governance may be in jeopardy, even in a country like France. These concerns were (1) the apparent absence of real debate among the candidates, (2) the anticipated low voter turnout, and (3) the potential of this election (held in April 2022) on broader coalition-building for effective governance in the longer term. In this essay, the presidential election has occurred, with the re-election of Emmanuel Macron for a second five-year term, and I take another look at each of these concerns and assess how they affected the final outcome of the presidential election. This will conclude with an appreciation for the imminent beginning of the “fourth round” – that is, the forthcoming legislative elections that are slated to occur within two months of the presidential results. Continue reading “Democracy in Jeopardy: Round Three of the French Case Study: the Presidential Elections 2022”

ILO Election Notes – from The Geneva Observer Briefing, 31 March 2022

Katherine Hagen’s ILO Election Notes – as published in The Geneva Observer Briefing, 31 March 2022

Congratulations to Gilbert Houngbo. His is an historic accomplishment: the first African to be elected to this position at the ILO—an organization that was established over 100 years ago without the participation of any African government, as he himself pointed out in his acceptance speech. This is undeniably a significant landmark for the organization. Continue reading “ILO Election Notes – from The Geneva Observer Briefing, 31 March 2022”

Congratulations to Gilbert Houngbo

The International Labor Organization has a new Director-General-elect who will succeed Guy Ryder on 1 October 2022. Congratulations to Gilbert Houngbo for winning on the second round of voting in the ILO Governing Body on Friday, 25 March 2022! This is indeed an historic occasion for the ILO, and I personally welcome its significance for the future of the ILO.  Here is my commentary in full on the significance of his election. Continue reading “Congratulations to Gilbert Houngbo”

Democracy in Jeopardy: The French Presidential Election in Progress

The European response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has upended the political scene across Europe – and around the world. While the Americans and President Joe Biden may take the credit for leading the global response to a deranged Vladimir Putin, the French President Emmanuel Macron has taken on a truly pivotal role in the search for a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict. As a result, the French presidential election has been dramatically shaken by the crisis. In this continuing series of commentaries on “Democracy in Jeopardy”, this election in France has taken on a far more significant role. Continue reading “Democracy in Jeopardy: The French Presidential Election in Progress”

Perspectives on the Five Candidates for ILO Director-General

Five candidates are standing for election for a five-year term as the next Director-General of the International Labor Organization.  All five are credible candidates, one of whom will be chosen by the ILO Governing Body by secret ballot in late March for a term beginning on 1 October 2022. The Governing Body took the unusual step of holding a series of “public dialogues” with each of the candidates on 20 and 21 January 2022.  As a former Deputy Director-General with no preferred candidate, I followed these interviews with a personal interest in what each candidate had to say on four specific of issues.  I have prepared here an explanation of how and why I chose these four specific issues. This is followed by my reflections on how each of the candidates addressed these four issues in their interviews.  The ILO Governing Body will be meeting again with the candidates on 14 and 15 March, and I look forward to following their deliberations and then, starting on 25 March, the outcome of their balloting.

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Greg Vines – Candidate for ILO Director-General

What stands out in the candidacy of Greg Vines is the sentence, “I know the ILO and the ILO knows me.” This is a very credible claim. With extensive experience in labor relations in his home country of Australia, he came to Geneva as his country’s representative to the ILO and served as GB Chair in 2011-12 when Guy Ryder was first elected to the post that Mr. Vines is now seeking for himself. Mr. Ryder then appointed Mr. Vines as Deputy Director-General for ILO Management and Reform, a position he has held for the past 10 years. It is no wonder that he gave the most well-informed responses to the questions in his open interview. And it should come as no surprise when he asserted: “I am the right person with the right experience for the crises we are facing”, rolling out a long list of crises – including the pandemic, technology, climate change, demographic change plus women, youth and people with disabilities. He is, nonetheless, only one of the five candidates each with a different set of credentials – and policy positions and leadership styles. In this commentary, the focus has been on getting a sense of what each of these five candidates had to say on the four issues of informality, gender equality, multilateralism and the normative future of the ILO. Continue reading “Greg Vines – Candidate for ILO Director-General”