As the first Muslim to hold office, Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City. The youngest person in history to take the helm of the largest city in the US is also Maddani.
Published On 1 Jan 2026
EXPLAINER
In 2026, there will be national elections in more than 40 nations, each with a population of 1.6 billion people.
Nearly one-fifth of the world’s population will be influenced by these elections, including general, presidential, and parliamentary elections. The outcomes will affect global alliances, economic strategies, and domestic policies.
What are the key elections to watch for each month, along with their political implications, are provided below.
Bangladesh will hold its first national election since Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule was ended in 2024 by a student-led uprising. Voters will also vote on the “July Charter,” a reform strategy that limits the scope of the executive branch, strengthens the judiciary, and shields law enforcement from political interference.
The Gen Z-led protests that suffocated Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli over corruption and economic unrest served as inspiration for the upcoming elections. Many of the protesters have been organizing for voter registration, highlighting how young Nepalese people now have a real chance to influence politics and shape the country’s future.
Hungary’s domestic politics and international alliances will be influenced by the election of 2026. Viktor Orban, a close ally of Russia and ally of the EU, is facing his toughest challenge since winning the Tisza Party’s election in 2010 against Peter Magyar. He has accused the EU of warming up over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. With broader implications for European stability and the conflict in Ukraine, the outcome will determine Hungary’s political balance and its position on Russia.
As Gustavo Petro’s term ends and he is unable to seek re-election, Colombians will elect a new president. Sergio Fajardo and Abelardo de la Espriella, both of Petro’s Historic Pact, square off against Ivan Cepeda of Petro’s Historic Pact. Colombia’s ability to advance stalled FARC peace agreements, combat corruption, manage rising violence, and navigate regional challenges posed by neighboring Venezuela will depend on the outcome of the election, which will be crucial for the country’s stability and relationship with the US.
The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun will face their first significant democratic test in May. In light of the country’s economic turmoil, the role of Hezbollah will be one of its key factors in the 2026 elections in Lebanon, which will determine its political influence, influence the disarmament debate, and influence the country’s sectarian balance.
Brazilians will cast ballots for president, congress, and state governments in October as a result of growing economic uncertainty, increased violent crime, and tense American relations. Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, will face opposition from incumbent president Lula, who is running for president. The outcomes could reshape Brazil’s relationship with the US, guide its domestic economic and security trajectory, and make this one of Latin America’s most significant elections.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister with the longest tenure, will face a historic battle to survive in 2026. Netanyahu may hold a snap election as early as June even though the legal deadline for elections is October 27. The Likud party of Netanyahu is increasingly under fire both domestically and internationally for its involvement in the genocidal war in Gaza.
In the upcoming US midterm elections, all 435 House seats and 35 out of 100 Senate seats will be up for grabs. These elections have significant implications for American governance, as they will determine who will control Congress. Donald Trump’s ability to wield significant power for the remainder of his presidency will depend greatly on the outcomes.
Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office on Thursday, becoming the first Quran-using mayor of New York City.
Mamdani, the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of the nation’s largest metropolis, sworn in at a private swearing-in ceremony held at a decaying subway station beneath Times Square using his grandfather’s Quran and a 200-year-old copy on loan from the New York Public Library (NYPL).
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He intends to hold a Friday ceremony at New York City Hall in addition to two copies of the Quran that his grandfather and grandmother owned.
Arturo Schomburg, a Black historian and author who sold his collection of 4, 000 books to the NYPL in 1926, once owned the historic Quran, which was borrowed from the library. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture was based on his research.
In 1870, Schomburg was the child of German and Afro-Caribbean parents. In the 1920s and 1930s, a period of intense cultural and intellectual flourishing in New York’s Black community, he was a key player in the Harlem Renaissance.
Because of its association with one of New York’s “most groundbreaking scholars and for its simple, functional qualities,” Mamdani chose Schomburg’s Quran, which the library praised.
According to the library, the Quran’s small size and black and red ink suggest that it was made for daily use. The library added that the edition’s “minute naskh script and binding, which feature a gilt-stamped medallion filled with a floral composition, suggest it was produced in Ottoman Syria in the 19th century.”
Hiba Abid, the curator of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, said, “The significance of this Quran extends far beyond the beauty of its pages.” It is regarded as a sacred book by the populace because of its originality and inclusion in the nation’s largest public library system.
The association with Schomburg and the Quran, according to Anthony W. Marx, president and CEO of the library, “symbolises a greater story of inclusion, representation, and civic-mindedness.”
One of the few US politicians to sworn in with the Quran is Mamdani. Although many former mayors have used a copy of the Bible, New York does not require mayors to take the oath of office with their hands on a religious text.
In a ceremony, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg used a 100-year-old family Bible, and Mayor Bill de Blasio used a Bible that was once owned by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mayor Eric Adams, who took the oath, also used a family Bible.
During his campaign, which focused on highlighting the diversity of New York, Mamdani’s faith and background as an American of South Asian descent from Uganda were at the forefront.
Mamdani also addressed the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11 and the rise in Islamophobia in the US in open conversation in viral social media videos. Other videos covered the experiences of regular New Yorkers, including many of its Muslim and immigrant communities.
Mamdani has also made a strong critic of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians and its Gaza-based genocidal war.
As a Democratic Socialist, critics like New York Representative Elise Stefanik criticized Mamdani’s background and left-wing politics, branding him a “jihadist Communist” and “terrorist” sympathiser.
In the biggest city in the United States, Zohran Mamdani, the first Muslim and the youngest person in history, took the oath of office.
As he took his oath, Mamdani, a Democrat, sworn in at a former, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan just after midnight on Thursday. He read the Quran as he took his oath.
“This is truly the honor and privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said.
The old City Hall station, one of the city’s original subway stops, was the site of the ceremony, which was led by political ally Letitia James, the attorney general of New York.
US Senator Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes, will sworn in at 1 p.m. (18:00 GMT) at a ceremony in a grander fashion at City Hall. Following that, a public block party on the “Canyon of Heroes” stretch of Broadway, known for its ticker-tape parades, will take place under the new administration’s purview.
As one of the most popular politicians in the US, Mamdani now has one of the most unrelenting positions in the political system.
Mamdani is the city’s first Muslim mayor and the first of its kind to be born in Africa, in addition to having its first mayor of South Asian descent. Mamdani, 34, is the city’s youngest mayor in recent memory.
The democratic socialist campaigned to bring transformative change to one of the world’s most expensive cities by making “affordability” a political buzzword.
His plan included a pilot program of city-run grocery stores, free childcare, free buses, and a rent freeze for roughly 1 million households.
He will also have to deal with other obligations, such as handling trash, rats, and snow, as well as being held accountable for potholes and subway delays.
Additionally, Mamdani will have to deal with Donald Trump, a Republican.
Trump questioned whether Mamdani should be deported while campaigning for mayor, threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani won.
In a social media post, he also described Mamdani as a “100% Communist Lunatic.”
Trump’s invitation to the Democrat to the White House for what turned out to be a cordial meeting in November surprised both his supporters and his foes.
Trump stated at the meeting that “I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job.” As the pair addressed reporters, the US president even came to Mamdani’s aid.
The president intervened when a journalist inquired whether Mamdani still believed in Trump as a fascist.
You can simply say, “That’s fine. Trump explained to Mamdani that that is simpler. It’s simpler than explaining it, he said. I don’t mind”.
The two still have a lot of tension.
Mamdani continued to hold his position of fascist after the meeting.
According to Mamdani, “That’s something I’ve said in the past, I say it today.”
Mamdani, the son of academic and author Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, was born in Kampala, Uganda. When Mamdani was 7 years old, his family moved to New York City, where Muslims were not always accepted. In 2018, he became a citizen of the United States.
Before he ran for office as a candidate for the city’s Democratic Party, he won a seat in the state assembly in 2020 to represent a section of Queens.
Mamdani’s mayoral campaign launched late last year with little recognition for his name.
However, he quickly rose to the top of the polls with a campaign message that aimed to lower living costs.