Hi, I am Caroline Doyle, an associate editor at Horizon Engage. This week, we’re covering individuals and organizations with rising and falling influence:
Namibia’s energy minister’s position looks shaky after Swapo selected its 96 candidates for the National Assembly.
Brazil’s Petroleum Workers’ Union looks to expand its influence under President Lula.
A growing rift between the leaders of two parties in Turkey threatens the government coalition.
This week’s Quote of the Week comes from Nigeria’s foreign minister, who shared his perspective on foreign partnerships at the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Read more below!
Namibia’s Energy Minister on Shaky Ground
Namibian Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo’s position looks uncertain ahead of the upcoming National Assembly elections on 27 November. The ruling Swapo party gathered last week to select 96 candidates for the National Assembly — Alweendo was in 55th place, which does not guarantee his reelection. Given cabinet members must be MPs, the future of his ministership looks unclear.
Neither Alweendo’s deputy minister nor his predecessor made the list. However, Swapo presidential candidate NNN could select him as one of her eight non-voting picks for the National Assembly in March 2025.
Brazil’s Petroleum Workers’ Union Expands Influence
Coming off of their national meeting last month, the Federation of Petroleum Workers (FUP) is focusing on expanding its influence, particularly within Petrobras. FUP Coordinator General Deyvid Bacelar has cultivated a close relationship with President Lula and lobbied for the appointments of Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard and her predecessor, Jean Paul Prates.
Bacelar hopes to capitalize on the FUP’s growing influence in two major ways: renationalize the Mataripe refinery in Bahia (sold to the UAE-based Mubadala Fund in 2021) and harmonize collective bargaining agreements across Petrobras’s subsidiaries in the next two years.
MHP-AKP Rift Brews in Turkey
A rift between President Erdogan’s AKP and Devlet Bahceli’s MHP is growing as the latter has made subtle public digs at the former. After the opposition CHP soundly defeated the AKP in the March 2024 local elections, Bahceli — whose embrace of Erdogan has shifted over the years — likely senses his political weakness. To make matters more complicated, the parties are allied within the People’s Alliance.
Should the MHP-AKP alliance break down, it would likely mean the end of the ruling coalition, which could trigger early elections and perhaps a referendum to change the presidential system. However, Erdogan would only allow such a development if it suited his ambitions.
Quote of the Week
At the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar reiterated his government’s eager business-friendly approach but emphasized the importance of partnership:
“There’s no issue of exploitation because we’re all grown-ups, and Nigeria is grown-up. We’re not kids, so there’s no need to look at us from an infantile sort of perspective.”
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