We are all painfully aware of the demoralizing – even dangerous, illegal, and egregious – political situation in the United States, thanks in large part to President Donald Trump (convicted felon) and his enablers. 
Some analysts are suggesting that we are truly in the midst of a constitutional crisis thanks to Trump’s and others’ actions.
For the millions of Americans who are distressed and close to despair over these developments (most of which have taken place within the space of only a few months), it is vital that we take note of political events, in our country and abroad, that can give us a sense of hope. For our mental health – and, in fact, for the sake of the US and the world – we must see the ways in which the democratic experiment is alive and well.
In four nations that have traditionally been US allies (although that status is precarious under Trump…), democracy-leaning candidates have prevailed over Trump-supported ones. Similarly, in two judicial elections in the US, left-leaning candidates (significantly, both women) prevailed in two contests. Finally, we will look briefly at Poland, a US ally that will have an important run-off presidential election on June 1.
Our Sister Nations
Canada. For months, a Trump-backed candidate for Prime Minister, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, was ahead in Canadian polls after Justin Trudeau stepped down as PM in January 2025. Trudeau had been a victim of a cost of living crisis and an internal revolt in his cabinet, which had Canadians leaning rightward. Trump essentially caused Poilievre’s futures to turn drastically after only several weeks. Trump’s insulting threats to annex Canada as the “51st state” and the extreme tariffs he inflicted on our northern ally infuriated and motivated Canadians to stand up against right-wing impulses. 
Mark Carney, a finance professional who helped guide Canada’s economy through the 2008 financial crisis and had served as governor of the Bank of England, won handily in the April 28th election. Carney has pledged to “build things in this country again” in order to make Canada less reliant on the US: new homes, new factories, and new sources of “clean and conventional energy.”
Carney and Trump subsequently met at the White House on May 6. While it was apparently a cordial meeting, Carney made it clear to Trump that “Canada is not for sale” and never will be. The issue of tariffs is dizzying, and the tariffs against Canada have been slightly eased in recent weeks, most likely not because Trump has changed his mind about Canada but more because, as a bully, he backs off when those he is bullying push back. We can only hope that Trump truly exits Washington in 2029 and that a candidate more committed to democracy, the rule of law and affable relationships with our longtime allies returns to the White House to regain our friendship with our northern neighbor.
Australia. In Australia, the long-serving leader of the Labor Party and Prime Minister since 2019, Anthony Albanese, “was re-elected in a landslide victory in the 2025 election” on May 3; not only was his re-election the largest election victory in the country since World War II, it was also the first time a PM has been re-elected since 2004. Once again, Donald Trump became a major factor. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, had not only praised Trump but had also contradicted himself and backtracked on several policy issues. While Trump’s tariffs and other stances greatly irked Australians, Albanese campaigned on a platform of stability and promised to continue his commitment to clean energy initiatives, housing, and manufacturing. The government faces many challenges, as it did in its first term, but the country seems well-poised to meet them.
Shortly after the election, Albanese traveled to Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration and met productively with both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Albanese has pledged his support to both the EU and Ukraine – unlike Trump.
Germany. The political situation in Germany is complex, but one can argue that, in many ways, the country remains one of the primary upholders of democratic values. In the recent 2025 election, which had the greatest voter turnout since 1987, the far-right party favored by Elon Musk, AfD (Alternative for Germany), did quite well, earning 20.8% of the vote. While this makes AfD the second-largest group represented in the Bundestag, it has little chance of a Trump-like takeover: “the AfD is blocked from being part of the next government because of a “firewall” – or Brandmauer – operated by Germany’s main parties, who do not co-operate with any party seen as extremist since the end of World War Two.” The other major parties in Germany, even though they contain “Christian” and “conservative” in some of their names, are in reality farther “left” than almost any political movement in American politics.
The race for Chancellor, although it originally seemed disastrous for Friedrich Merz of the CDU/CSU party, led to his election and a broad governing coalition that looks hopeful from the standpoint of preserving democracy and the rule of law. For one thing, Merz has pledged to strengthen the German army (the Bundeswehr ). While that may please Trump, with his demands that Europe pay more for their own defense, the pledge – including increasing defense expenditure to 5% of GDP – extends previous Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s support of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. The new regime also hopes to create a stable government that can successfully address large issues such as migration and the economy.
Romania. In the former Soviet country of Romania, Nicușor Dan, the centrist mayor of Bucharest, has won the presidential election, a runoff on May 18. Dan defeated far-right challenger George Simion. The election process actually began in November 2024, with the consequences demonstrating an important example of democratic principles in action. During the initial campaign Simion was aligned with Calin Georgescu, a far-right fringe figure who had surprisingly won the first round. However, in January 2025, that “vote [in favor of Georgescu] was annulled over allegations of campaign fraud and Russian interference” (which Russia denies). Contrary to what happened with Trump’s ability to run and win the presidency as a convicted felon, Georgescu was barred from running for office again.
Dan, a 55-year-old politician, mathematician, civic activist, and former member of the Romanian Parliament, is a strong supporter of the European Union, NATO, and Ukraine; his election was praised by von der Leyen, Zelenskyy, and the president of neighboring country Moldova. Simion still has support in the country so, as is always the case, democracy-loving citizens will need to stay alert and vigilant to combat anti-democratic tendencies.
Here at Home
North Carolina. An election was held in November 2024 for Supreme Court Seat 6 in North Carolina. When the votes were counted, the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court “invalidated the ballots of hundreds of overseas and military voters from select counties and refused to offer a cure process to others.” If those ballots had been counted, Justice Allison Riggs would have won handily.
The League of Women Voters of North Carolina, represented by Protect Democracy, the Harvard Election Law Clinic, and Altshuler Berzon LLP, filed suit. In early May, Chief Judge Richard E. Myers II of the US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. He emphatically stated that throwing out ballots in the way officials in North Carolina did would violate the Equal Protection Clause and due process rights of affected voters. Justice Riggs was finally sworn in on May 13.
Wisconsin. 
In Wisconsin, which went narrowly for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, a race took place for an open seat on the State Supreme Court. Candidate Brad Schimel was supported by Elon Musk and others on the right, who poured millions into his race to defeat Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford. Schimel campaigned on a platform that aimed to reinstate Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban, and he opposed background checks to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals and domestic abusers. Shimel had previously served as circuit court judge in Waukesha County and as Republican state attorney general.
Crawford, who served as Assistant Attorney General with the Wisconsin Department of Justice and Director of Criminal Appeals prior to being Dane County Circuit Court Judge, has long championed the rule of law and has built strong relationships with prosecutors, public defenders, and victim advocates. When Crawford won the 2024 election, the court’s 4-3 liberal majority was preserved.
Stay Tuned — Poland
Poland’s fate is closely tied to that of both Ukraine and the US, which is one primary reason for Americans to keep track of what happens there. A longtime member of NATO and the EU, the country shares borders with Ukraine, Russia, Russia’s ally Belarus, and NATO/EU members Czechia, Slovakia, and Germany. Nearby are the Baltic States, which we noted earlier are staunch supporters of democracy and recently severed ties with the Russian electricity system. 
Poland has taken in over two million Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s invasion in 2022 and is poised to spend “nearly 5% of its gross domestic product on defense — more than any other NATO member, including the United States.”
A presidential election has been taking place over the past few months. The major candidates have been Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and conservative historian Karol Nawrocki. On May 18, Trzaskowski narrowly beat Nawrocki, a nationalist supported by Trump, but they now must compete in a June 1st run-off election, since no candidate received more than 50% of the vote.
Sadly, because Poland can see so clearly what Russia’s (Putin’s) goals are in the region, the military is actively preparing for a possible war. Since Poland cannot count on Trump to help them in the event of a Russian invasion, they are looking to France as a strong ally. To that end, Poland and France will soon “sign big strategic deals on security cooperation that may include Poland’s purchase of French air tankers, submarines and weaponry, and may also include an agreement that Poland will now be inside France’s protective nuclear umbrella.” Poland is determined to stop Russia. Stay tuned, indeed…
Final Thoughts
The world is definitely a complex place, and there are always trends that concern and distress us! However, we must also remind ourselves about and take hope from positive trends both here and abroad. They demonstrate a number of truths in our current situation:
- There is still an appetite for democratic political systems and the rule of law around the world.
- Millions of Americans and other citizens and voters are wise to the illegitimate, dangerous actions and unethical motives of Trump and others like him. This realization is empowering.
- Democracy is not easy, nor can we be assured that it will last, even if it has prevailed for generations or even centuries. While those of us who love and believe in the democratic republican model, we must realize that we can never rest in fighting for and defending it.
- We do not stand alone. We can fight successfully for the good and right when we act in solidarity with others.