World of 2026 PART- 5

INDIA: Frustrated by its efforts to
become the next superpower,
Indian leaders have shown to be
resentful of other greater nations. India has yet to
fully recover from the 2020 Oil Crisis, when its
economy dropped from 4th to 7th largest in the
world. Only the Indian nuclear arsenal has
continued to grow. Also, while the conventional army strength remains stable, the space program in collaboration with Japan, is one of the most formidable in the world.
Two promising areas are the technology
sector, which managed moderate profitability
throughout the crisis and which saved the economy
from total depression, and declining population
growth, expected to stabilize at 2.5 billion people in
2040.

GERMANY: is now the third most powerful nation in the world, not just economically, but especially since announcing development of nuclear weapons in 2025, although it has not actually tested any of them. After decades of uncertainly due to American decline, retreat from Europe, and the rising of Russia, the coalition government of the Green Party Chancellor Cem Ozdemir became much more active. Although non-nationalist and pro-European, the German government also is highly anti-Russian. Trust on Russian natural gas and oil was
abandoned in favor of massive nuclear energy. The switch is often described as something only the Green Party could lead.
Berlin for the better part of a decade has led an aggressive foreign policy. It has consolidated the Central European countries into its area of
influence. Now nuclear-armed, Germany does not fear to actively compete with the United States and Russia for influence in other parts of the world, and
it has improved relations with such countries as Ukraine and Canada.
It has actively provided aid to many African countries, promoting its “Berlin Consensus” to replace that of the Washington-controlled IMF.
Such recipients include Burundi, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Comoros, and the DRC.

ROTATING MEMBERS: These members rotate just
as the other non-permanent members, the only
difference is their possibility to join together with the
previous three (3) and consolidate a VETO vote in case
they consider it to be appropriate.

SOUTH AFRICA:
Once expected to become the dominant actor in Africa, South Africa has been less active since the collapse of the once dominant political party, the African National Congress (ANC). After years of dispute following the contentious presidency of Jacob Zuma, the ANC split into three main rivals in the 2010s.
Unable to form majority governments, South African politics have been dominated instead by the king-making, white-dominated Boer Rectitude Party (BRP). Although it is not wanted as a union party, it effectively rules through dominance of the parliament.
Economic strength returned after the historically unprecedented Kimberley-Atherstone diamond mine opened in 2018. The South African government gave ownership of the mines to a majority South African controlled company, instead of diamond titan, the German-owned DeBeers. South Africa survived the 2020 Oil Crisis. It considers itself the protector of African governments from international intervention, especially that of the major powers. It has voted down any peacekeeping force in Africa that was not expressly supported by its president, the former mayor of Durban, Obed Mlaba, widely considered a puppet for the BRP. It has conducted its own, unilateral interventions in Swaziland and Namibia in the last few years. These have met with moderate success, and were able to restore democratic governments.

VENEZUELA: When Hugo
Chavez suddenly died in 2017, the country
was thrown into political disorder. A succession of
military juntas and short-lived civilian governments
followed through 2024. Although the overall
economy was helped greatly by the Great Oil
Crisis, the impact on poor consumers was
disastrous, leading to mass demonstrations and a
final political crisis.
On 14 September 2024, the peaceful
government of former Governor Carlos Ocariz was
overthrown by a massive popular revolt, reportedly
with aid from the government of Ecuador. In a
surprising move, the popular leader, Jorge Arreaza,
rejected constitutional and historical procedures
and proclaimed himself dictator of the country.
Despite regional and international
condemnation, domestic attitudes were accepting,
responding to his approach as a stern but
benevolent consensus deal-maker rather than the
feared authoritarian tyrant. Over the next two years,
he gained regional if not international acceptance,
enough to permit the country’s election to the UN
Security Council, with strong support from
American President Palin. Venezuela has stabilized.
Though it is not the regional player it was during
the Chavez administration, it faces serious
challenges from Brazil and Colombia, since relations
with this neighboring country have weakened ever
since the Colombo-Venezuelan war in 2010.