May 2026

1

Antigua and Barbuda: Gaston Browne is again sworn in as prime minister. His cabinet is sworn in on May 5, with E.P. Chet Greene remaining foreign minister and Browne finance minister.
Solomon Islands: The Appeal Court orders Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele to call parliament by May 7 to face a no-confidence motion. On that date the vote is held and the government is defeated (26-22). On May 15 Matthew Wale is elected by parliament (defeating Peter Shanel Agovaka, 26-22) and sworn in as prime minister. On May 17 the cabinet is completed, Rick Hou being sworn in as foreign minister, John Tuhaika, Jr., as national security minister, Manasseh Maelanga as home affairs minister, and Gordon Darcy Lilo as finance minister.
Switzerland: Christophe Darbellay becomes president of the Council of State of Valais and Carmen Walker Späh president of the government of Zürich.

2

Niue: In parliamentary elections, 20 nonpartisan members are elected (including 4 already elected unopposed). Finance Minister Crossley Tatui loses his seat. On May 13 Dalton Tagelagi is reelected as prime minister, defeating Emani Fakaotimavana Lui 11-9. On May 19 his cabinet is sworn in, with Richie Mautama as home affairs minister; Tagelagi keeps foreign affairs and also takes on finance.
San Marino: Former captain-regent (1981-82, 1985-86) Ubaldo Biordi dies.

3

Switzerland: Markus Heer becomes Landammann of Glarus.

4

France: Gilles Giovannangeli is elected president of the Executive Council of Corse (34 of 62 votes).
India: The chief minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, resigns. On May 14 V.D. Satheesan is named chief minister-designate (sworn in May 18).
Mali: Transitional President Assimi Goita appoints himself as defense minister and Gen. Oumar Diarra as minister-delegate for defense.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin appoints Fyodor Shchukin acting head of the republic of Dagestan. On May 6 Shchukin appoints Magomed Ramazanov as acting prime minister.
Spain: Carlos Garaikoetxea Urriza, former president of the General Council (1979-80) and president of the government (1980-85) of País Vasco/Euskadi, dies.

5

Canada: Louise Arbour is announced as the next governor general.
Costa Rica: President-elect Laura Fernández (taking office May 8) announces her cabinet including Manuel Tovar Rivera as foreign minister, Gerald Campos Valverde as public security minister, and outgoing president Rodrigo Chaves as finance minister.
India: The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, resigns. On May 9 Governor Rajendra Arlekar appoints C. Joseph Vijay as chief minister (sworn in May 10).
India: The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, refuses to resign after the defeat of her party in the April elections, alleging irregularities; regardless, Suvendu Adhikari is chosen as chief minister-designate on May 8 and sworn in on May 9.
South Korea: Former prime minister (1994-95) Lee Hong Koo dies.
Romania: Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's government loses a no-confidence vote (passed 281-4).

6

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Former prime minister of the Republika Srpska (1995-96) Rajko Kasagic dies.
India: The chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, resigns. On May 10 he is again chosen as chief minister-designate (sworn in May 12).
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon: Former president of the General Council (1984-94, 2000-05) Marc Plantegenest dies.
South Sudan: In a cabinet reshuffle, Kuol Daniel Ayulo is appointed finance minister.

7

Bulgaria: President Iliyana Yotova asks Rumen Radev to form a government. Radev names a cabinet including Velislava Petrova-Chamova as foreign minister, Dimitur Stoyanov as defense minister, Ivan Demerdzhiev as interior minister, and Gulub Donev as finance minister. On May 8 parliament elects Radev (124-70 with 36 abstentions) and approves his government (122-70 with 36 abstentions) which then takes office.
India: The chief minister of Puducherry, N. Rangasamy, resigns. On May 9 he is again appointed as chief minister (sworn in May 13).
United Kingdom: In parliamentary elections in Scotland, the Scottish National Party wins 38.2% of the constituency vote (58 of 129 seats), Labour 19.2% (17), Reform UK 15.8% (17), the Conservatives 11.8% (12), the Liberal Democrats 11.4% (10), and the Greens 2.3% (15); turnout is 53.2%. In Wales, Plaid Cymru wins 35.4% of the vote (43 of 96 seats), Reform UK 29.3% (34), Labour 11.1% (9), the Conservatives 10.7% (7), the Greens 6.7% (2), and the Liberal Democrats 4.5% (1); turnout is 51.6%. On May 12 the Welsh parliament elects Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) as first minister; he receives 44 votes, Dan Thomas (Reform UK) 34, and Darren Millar (Conservative) 7. He is approved by the king and sworn in the same day. On May 19 John Swinney (Scottish National Party) is reelected as first minister of Scotland; he receives 56 votes in a third round of voting, against 17 for Anas Sarwar (Labour), 17 for Malcolm Offord (Reform UK), and 15 for Gillian Mackay (Greens). He is sworn in on May 20.

8

Botswana: Former president (1998-2008) Festus Mogae dies.
Denmark: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's bid to form a new government fails. King Frederik X asks Troels Lund Poulsen to explore formation of a government. On May 22 Poulsen declares the failure of his attempts and on May 23 the king appoints Frederiksen again to head negotiations.
South Africa: The Constitutional Court rules that parliament acted unconstitutionally on Dec. 13, 2022, by rejecting a motion to start impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa. On May 11 Ramaphosa announces a legal challenge against the independent panel report which recommended impeachment.

9

Hungary: Péter Magyar is elected by parliament (140-54) and sworn in as prime minister. On May 12 his cabinet is appointed (see April 12).

10

Bosnia and Herzegovina: The international high representative, Christian Schmidt, resigns.
Latvia: Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigns. Prime Minister Evika Silina names Col. Raivis Melnis as defense minister. On May 14 Silina resigns. On May 16 President Edgars Rinkevics asks Andris Kulbergs to form a government.

11

Haiti: Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé declares that the elections scheduled for August 30 cannot take place before December.
Philippines: The House of Representatives votes (255-26) to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

12

The Bahamas: In parliamentary elections, the Progressive Liberal Party wins 51.4% of the vote (33 of 41 seats), the Free National Movement 35.5% (8), and the Coalition of Independents 11.9% (0). Turnout is 55.9%. On May 14 Philip Davis is again sworn in as prime minister. On May 15 Fred Mitchell is reappointed foreign minister and Michael Halkitis appointed finance minister. On May 16 Myles Laroda is appointed minister of national security.

13

Central African Republic: The government of Prime Minister Félix Moloua resigns. On May 15 Moloua is reappointed as prime minister (sworn in again May 18). On May 21 his government is named with Gen. Bienvenu Zokoué as interior minister, other key portfolios being unchanged.
Germany: The Landtag of Baden-Württemberg elects Cem Özdemir as minister-president. He receives 93 votes against 34 for Manuel Hagel.
Russia: Aleksandr Shuvayev is appointed acting governor of Belgorod oblast and Yegor Kovalchuk acting governor of Bryansk oblast.
Sri Lanka: Former governor of Uva (2015-18) and North Central (2018-19) provinces M.P. Jayasinghe dies.

14

Djibouti: Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed is reappointed as prime minister. On May 17 his cabinet is announced with Omar Abdi Said as interior minister, other key ministers being unchanged.
Iraq: Parliament approves Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and an incomplete cabinet including Falih al-Sari as finance minister and Fuad Hussein remaining foreign minister; Fariq Qasim Atta fails to be approved as interior minister.
Nepal: In a cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Balendra Shah takes charge of the home affairs portfolio.

15

Somalia: Despite opposition claims that his term of office ends this day, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announces the entry into force of an amended constitution changing the presidential term from four to five years, extending his own term to May 15, 2027.

16

Japan: Former governor of Hokkaido (1995-2003) Tatsuya Hori dies.
South Africa: Former premier of North West (2021-24) Bushy Maape dies.

17

Sri Lanka: The governor of Western province, Hanif Yusuf, resigns.

18

Germany: The Landtag of Rheinland-Pfalz elects Gordon Schnieder as minister-president (63-38).
Mayotte: Frédéric Poisot takes office as prefect.
Switzerland: Former president of the Council of State of Vaud (2000, 2004) Jacqueline Maurer-Mayor dies.

19

Australia: Former governor-general (2001-03) Peter Hollingworth dies.
India: Former chief minister of Uttarakhand (2007-09, 2011-12) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri dies.
Federated States of Micronesia: Ricky F. Cantero is sworn in as foreign secretary.
Slovenia: Janez Jansa is nominated as prime minister after several parties approved a coalition agreement. On May 22 he is approved by parliament (51-36) and sworn in.
Taiwan: President Lai Ching-te survives an impeachment vote in parliament (56-50 in favour of impeachment, but 76 votes were required).

21

Congo (Kinshasa): The governor of Haut-Katanga, Jacques Kyabula Katwe, resigns.

22

Senegal: President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismisses the government of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
United States: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard resigns, effective June 30.

24

Benin: Romuald Wadagni is sworn in as president. Corinne Amori Brunet becomes foreign minister, Aristide Médenou finance minister, Gildas Agonkan minister-delegate for defense, and Djibril Mama Cissé Moussa minister-delegate for the interior.
Cyprus: In parliamentary elections, the Democratic Rally wins 27.1% of the vote (17 of 56 seats), the Progressive Party of Working People 23.9% (15), the National People's Front 10.9% (8), the Democratic Party 10.0% (8), ALMA-Citizens for Cyprus 5.8% (4), and Direct Democracy Cyprus 5.4% (4). Turnout is 66.9%.
Russia: Former prime minister of Dagestan (1997-2004) Khizri Shikhsaidov dies.
Taiwan: Former foreign minister (2009-12) Timothy Yang dies.