MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS – Week Ahead Apr 12-18

Monday 12 April:

• United States: Senate returns after a two-week break, with the House set to return tomorrow after three weeks of not sitting. The Senate sits for the next three weeks, while the House sits for two. There is a hefty legislative docket for members of Congress to get through, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) outlining voting rights, civil rights, gun law reforms, and the economy all as focuses of this session. This week the Senate will vote on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes act aimed at tackling discrimination against Asian Americans during the pandemic. The House votes on the Paycheck Fairness Act (which bars employers asking about prospective employee's current salaries) and the Workplace Violence Prevention For Healthcare and Social Service Workers Act. Senate will vote on nominations of Polly Ellen Trottenberg for Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Wendy Sherma for Deputy Secretary of State, and Gary Gensler for the Securities and Exchange Commission.
• Germany: Leadership of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) met to discuss the joint chancellor candidate for the 'Union parties' ahead of the September federal election. Choice is between CDU head and North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President and Christian Social Union head and Bavaria Minister-President Markus Söder. Laschet represents the larger party and is seen as a 'continuity Merkel' candidate, but Söder has greater support according to opinion polls. As expected, CDU backed Laschet, with focus now turning to whether Söder can gain support elsewhere to boost his candidacy.
• United Kingdom:England relaxes COVID-19 rules further, with non-essential retail reopening and hospitality allowed to serve food and drinks outdoors. Parliament returns from recess a day early to pay tribute to His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died last week aged 99.

MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS – Week Ahead Apr 12-18.pdf