MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS – Week Ahead 26 Apr- 2 May

All timings subject to change. Editor's Note: The next Political Risk Week Ahead will be published on Monday 10 May.

Monday 26 April:

• India: Supplies of oxygen, ventilators, and raw materials for vaccines due to begin arriving in India from the US, UK and the EU among others who are providing support to the south Asian giant, currently in the grip of a massive wave of COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations, and fatalities. India risks reaching 500k new infections a day within weeks, and despite frantic attempts to lockdown affected states, many healthcare systems are under massive strain. India remains the world's largest single vaccine producer, and so its fight against COVID-19 will be closely monitored globally.
• European Union: EU hosts its 2021 Trade Policy Day, with speakers lined up to talk virtually on the bloc's plans for reform of the global trade order. Link can be found here.
• United States:House not in session this week, but the Senate meets at 1500ET to take up Jason Scott Miller's nomination for Deputy OMB Director for Management, with cloture vote due at 1730ET.
• European Union: The European Parliament also holds its plenary session in Brussels, with European Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen due to address the session at 1700CET (1100ET, 1600BST) on the conclusions of the EU Council Summit of 25-26 March and the meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 6 April (a meeting that sparked an inter-institutional confrontation over a disorganised photoshoot with too few chairs dubbed 'sofagate').
• United Kingdom:Opposition Labour Party has scheduled an Urgent Question for Cabinet Office Secretary Michael Gove on the ministerial code. The questions are likely to focus on the series of leaks that have supposedly come from former senior adviser to the PM and close friend of Gove, Dominic Cummings, which have caused No.10 Downing Street and Boris Johnson significant embarrassment in recent days. UQ due at 1535BST.

MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS – Week Ahead 26 Apr- 2 May.pdf