March 2025

1

Georgia: In the presidential runoff in Abkhazia, Badra Gunba wins 54.7% of the vote and Adgur Ardzinba 41.5%. Turnout is 69.9%. On March 3 Acting Prime Minister Valery Bganba resigns and Acting President Gunba appoints Vladimir Delba as acting prime minister and Said Gubaz as acting finance minister.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Former foreign minister (1998-2001) Allan Cruickshank dies.

Orsi

Lubetkin

Uruguay: Yamandú Orsi takes office as president with his cabinet (including Mario Lubetkin as foreign minister; see Dec. 16, 2024).

2

Germany: In state elections in Hamburg, the Social Democratic Party wins 33.5% of the vote (45 of 121 seats), the Christian Democratic Union 19.8% (26), the Greens 18.5% (25), the Left 11.2% (15), the Alternative for Germany 7.5% (10), Volt 3.3% (0), the Free Democratic Party 2.3% (0), and the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht 1.8% (0). Turnout is 67.7%.
Germany: Former minister-president of Rheinland-Pfalz (1976-88) and Thüringen (1992-2003) Bernhard Vogel dies.
Iran: Finance Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati loses a no-confidence vote in parliament (passed 182-89). Rahmatollah Akrami is appointed acting finance minister.
Tajikistan: In parliamentary elections, the People's Democratic Party wins 51.9% of the vote (49 of 63 seats), the Agrarian Party 21.0% (7), the Party of Economic Reforms 12.7% (5), the Socialist Party 5.3% (1), and the Democratic Party 5.1% (1). Turnout is 85.3%.

3

Stocker

Meinl-R.

Austria: The new government of Chancellor Christian Stocker is sworn in (including Beate Meinl-Reisinger as foreign minister; see February 12).
United States: Linda McMahon is confirmed by the Senate (51-45) and sworn in as secretary of education. On March 10 Lori Chavez-DeRemer is confirmed (67-32) as secretary of labor (sworn in March 11).

4

Anguilla: The portfolios of the new government are allocated with Premier Cora Richardson-Hodge being also minister of finance and home affairs.
Chile: Interior Minister Carolina Tohá resigns. Álvaro Elizalde is sworn in as interior minister.
Federated States of Micronesia: In parliamentary elections, 10 nonpartisan members are elected.
United States: In mayoral primary elections in Saint Louis, Cara Spencer wins 68.1% approval, incumbent Tishaura O. Jones 33.2%, Michael Butler 24.9%, and Andrew Jones 13.6%. The runoff will take place on April 8.

6

Samoa: Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa survives another no-confidence vote (rejected 32-19).

7

Greece: The government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis survives a no-confidence vote (rejected 157-136).
Guinea-Bissau: Elections are set for November 23, rather than November 30 as previously announced.
Haiti: In accordance with the rotation order, Fritz Jean becomes president of the Transitional Presidential Council.
Mexico: Edgar Amador is named finance minister.
Solomon Islands: Former governor-general (2019-24) Sir David Vunagi dies.

8

Australia: In parliamentary elections in Western Australia, the Australian Labor Party wins 41.4% of the vote (46 of 59 seats), the Liberal Party 28.0% (7), the Greens 11.1% (0), and the National Party 5.2% (6). Turnout is 85.5%.
Myanmar: Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing declares that elections are planned for December 2025 or January 2026.

10

Turchyn

Belarus: Alyaksandr Turchyn is appointed prime minister.
Chile: Adriana Delpiano is appointed defense minister.
Estonia: Prime Minister Kristen Michal expels the Social Democratic Party from the government. Its ministers (including Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets) are dismissed on March 11, Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur becoming acting interior minister. On March 23 Igor Taro is nominated as interior minister (sworn in March 25).
Faeroe Islands: In a cabinet reshuffle, Sirid Stenberg is appointed foreign minister.
Organization of American States: Albert Ramdin (foreign minister of Suriname) is elected secretary-general.
Solomon Islands: Sir Francis Billy Hilly, former prime minister (1993-94), dies.

11

Nielsen

Greenland: In parliamentary elections, the Democrats win 30.3% of the vote (10 of 31 seats), Naleraq 24.8% (8), Inuit Ataqatigiit 21.6% (7), Siumut 14.9% (4), and Atassut 7.4% (2). Turnout is 70.9%. On March 28 a coalition agreement is announced for a government to be headed by Democrats leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen; he is sworn in as prime minister the same day and his cabinet is appointed including Múte B. Egede as finance minister and Bentiaraq Ottosen as interior minister, while Vivian Motzfeldt remains foreign minister.
Portugal: The government of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro is defeated in a confidence vote (142-88). On March 13 parliament is dissolved and new elections set for May 18.

12

Belize: In parliamentary elections, the People's United Party wins 67.9% of the vote (26 of 31 seats), the United Democratic Party (Shyne Barrow faction) 18.9% (2), and the United Democratic Party (Tracy Panton faction) 10.6% (3). Turnout is 65.0%. John Briceño is again sworn in as prime minister on March 13. On March 15 he announces a cabinet in which he remains finance minister, Francis Fonseca foreign minister, and Kareem Musa home affairs minister, while Oscar Mira becomes defense minister.
Council of Europe: Former secretary-general (1999-2004) Walter Schwimmer dies.

Macacua

Philippines: Abdulraof Macacua is sworn in as chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Switzerland: In the election of a new federal councillor to replace Viola Amherd, Martin Pfister wins 122 votes (123 needed) and Markus Ritter 105. In a second round, Pfister is elected with 134 votes, against 110 for Ritter.

13

African Union: Mahamoud Ali Youssouf takes office as chairman of the Commission.

Tasoulas

Greece: Konstantinos Tasoulas is sworn in as president.
Syria: President Ahmad al-Sharaa signs a constitutional declaration establishing a five-year transition period.

14

Carney

Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigns and Mark Carney is sworn in as prime minister, with a cabinet including François-Philippe Champagne as finance minister; Mélanie Joly remains foreign minister and Bill Blair defence minister. On March 23 Carney asks the governor general to dissolve parliament and call elections for April 28.
Greece: In a cabinet reshuffle, Kyriakos Pierrakakis is appointed finance minister (sworn in March 15).
Indonesia: Former governor of Maluku Utara (2014-19, 2019-23) Abdul Gani Kasuba dies.

15

Japan: Former governor of Fukuoka (1995-2011) Wataru Aso dies.

16

Japan: In gubernatorial elections in Chiba, incumbent Toshihito Kumagai wins 85.9% of the vote. Turnout is 31.9%.

17

Young

China: Former governor of Jiangxi (1995-2001) Shu Shengyou dies.
Somalia: In a cabinet reshuffle, Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi is appointed as defense minister.
Trinidad and Tobago: Stuart Young is sworn in as prime minister. Vishnu Dhanpaul becomes finance minister and Marvin Gonzales minister of national security; Amery Browne remains foreign minister. On March 18 Young advises the president to dissolve parliament and call elections for April 28.

18

Colombia: Finance Minister Diego Guevara resigns. Germán Ávila is named in his place.
Guinea: Former foreign minister (2010-12) Édouard Niankoye Lamah dies.

Ibas

Nigeria: President Bola Tinubu declares a state of emergency in Rivers state, suspends Governor Siminalayi Fubara for six months, and appoints Ibok-Ete Ibas as administrator.

Gekht

Russia: President Vladimir Putin accepts the resignation of the governor of Nenets autonomous okrug, Yury Bezdudny, and appoints Irina Gekht as acting governor.

19

Brazil: Former governor of São Paulo (2006-07) Cláudio Lembo dies.
Japan: Former governor of Fukushima (1988-2006) Eisaku Sato dies.
Serbia: The government of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigns.

20

Curaçao: The government of Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas resigns ahead of parliamentary elections held on March 21. In these, the Movement for the Future of Curaçao (MFK) wins 55.2% of the vote (13 of 21 seats), the National People's Party 16.3% (4), the Real Alternative Party 10.0% (2), and the MAN-PIN party 8.5% (2). Turnout is 67.5%. On March 25 Governor Lucille George-Wout tasks the MFK with forming a government.
Switzerland: Former president of the Council of State of Neuchâtel (1990-91, 1993-94, 1998-99) Francis Matthey dies.
Ukraine: Former prime minister (1990-92) Vitold Fokin dies.

21

Congo (Kinshasa): Parliament approves a 93rd extension of the state of siege in Ituri and Nord-Kivu.

Witbooi

Ngurare

Ashipala-M.

Namibia: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is sworn in as president. On March 22 she appoints Lucia Witbooi as vice president, Elijah Ngurare as prime minister, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi as minister of international relations, Lucia Iipumbu as home affairs minister, and Erica Shafudah as finance minister; Frans Kapofi remains defense minister.
Peru: Parliament votes (73-11) to remove Interior Minister Juan José Santiváñez. On March 24 Julio Díaz Zulueta is appointed and sworn in as interior minister.

Zaafrani

Tunisia: President Kaïs Saïed dismisses Prime Minister Kamel Maddouri and names Sarra Zaafrani as his replacement.

23

Japan: In gubernatorial elections in Fukuoka, incumbent Seitaro Hattori wins 79.7% of the vote and Koichiro Yoshida 16.1%. Turnout is 31.6%.
Portugal: In parliamentary elections in Madeira, the Social Democratic Party wins 45.0% of the vote (23 of 47 seats), Together for the People 21.8% (11), the Socialist Party 16.2% (8), Chega 5.7% (3), the CDS-People's Party 3.1% (1), and the Liberal Initiative 2.2% (1). Turnout is 56.0%.

24

Congo (Kinshasa): Désiré Cashmir Eberande Kolongele begins consultations, initiated by President Félix Tshisekedi, for the formation of a cabinet of national unity.
South Korea: The Constitutional Court dismisses the Dec. 27, 2024, impeachment of Han Duck Soo, reinstating him as prime minister and acting president.

26

Niger: Junta leader Abdourahamane Tchiani is sworn in as president for a five-year transition period.
Palau: President Surangel Whipps, Jr., appoints Kaleb Udui, Jr., who failed Senate confirmation as finance minister, as special assistant to the president for affairs related to the Ministry of Finance.

Solntsev

Russia: President Vladimir Putin accepts the resignations of the governors of Orenburg and Sverdlovsk oblasti, Denis Pasler and Yevgeny Kuyvashev, and appoints Yevgeny Solntsev as acting governor of Orenburg and Pasler as acting governor of Sverdlovsk.
Thailand: The government of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra survives a no-confidence vote in parliament (rejected 319-162).

27

United States: President Donald Trump withdraws the nomination of Elise Stefanik as UN ambassador.

28

Aruba: Mike Eman is sworn in as prime minister with his government (see February 7).
Papua New Guinea: Walter Schnaubelt is elected by the provincial assembly (unopposed) and sworn in as governor of New Ireland.

29

Austria: Former foreign minister (1983-84) Erwin Lanc dies.
Syria: A new transitional government, without a prime minister, is appointed including Anas Khattab as interior minister and Muhammad Yosr Bernieh as finance minister; Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra retain their positions.

31

Israel: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich resigns.
Russia: The resignation of Dmitry Pozdnyakov as prime minister of Mordovia is accepted and Galina Lotvanova appointed acting prime minister effective April 1.