Key Elections in 2017

The Netherlands

General election on March 15

The far-right Party for Freedom has surged in polls recently, putting Geert Wilders ahead of current Prime Minister Mark Rutte in a tight race in the Netherlands. Wilders has been a "formidable challenger" to leftist parties in the past, says Courtney Hillebrecht, an associate professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but increased media attention may help to give him the edge in this year's election. "Wilders is good at saying provocative things that will get him news coverage in the Netherlands and broader Europe," Hillebrecht says. "It resembles what we saw with the Trump campaign." If Wilders does not win, his anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-European Union platform will likely shift the country's political discourse a great deal.

Hong Kong

Chief Executive election on March 26

The former British colony has been a special administrative region within China since 1997, governed by a chief executive who is elected by a committee of more than 1,000 Chinese government-appointed individuals. Hong Kong's chief executive's authority is extensive within the territory, but rumblings of a call for independence have begun, expressed dramatically on the streets in the fall of 2014 with the so-called "Umbrella Revolution." In late 2016, the Chinese government banned two pro-independence legislators from Hong Kong from taking office, and this year's chief executive election may pose similar threats. Incumbent Leung Chun-ying said he will not seek re-election, essentially pitting Regina Ip of the pro-Beijing New People's Party against John Tsang, Hong Kong's former finance secretary, former chief secretary Carrie Lam and a retired judge, Woo Kwok-hing.

France

Presidential election on April 23, with run-off between top two candidates on May 7

While results of the Netherlands election early in the year may serve as the "proverbial canary in the coal mine," Marine Le Pen of France's National Front party is another "Euroskeptic, anti-immigrant" candidate that has strong potential to benefit from recent nationalist movements and make waves throughout Europe, says Graeme Auton, a political science professor at the University of Redlands. "Arguments that Le Pen could not win the French presidency must contend with last year's expectations that both the Brexit vote in Britain and Donald Trump's presidential bid in the U.S. would fail," he says. Le Pen, who earlier in January was spotted at Trump Tower, has advocated for "Frexit," or France's departure from the EU, which could put the whole establishment at risk. Incumbent President Francois Hollande of the French Socialist party will not run for re-election.

Iran

Presidential election on May 19

A "potential battle between reformers and hardliners" is at stake in Iran's presidential election, says Nandini Deo, an assistant professor of political science at Lehigh University. The nuclear deal with the U.S. and corresponding lift of sanctions and the civil rights charter brokered by incumbent Hassan Rouhani have had mixed success, which puts his re-election at risk. But the hardliner camp has yet to unite behind a single challenger. "Iran is the most important opponent of ISIS," Deo says, and the presidential election will also "shape events in Syria and Iraq" where Iran has close ties.

Rwanda

Presidential election on Aug. 4

A 2016 constitutional amendment will allow incumbent Paul Kagame to run for a third term. As Newsweek reported, the U.S., a donor of funds and military aid to Rwanda, has criticized the move as an undermining of the democratic institution. "Kagame's Rwanda has been praised for its rapid economic and political development in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide," Hillebrecht says, "but it has also come under intense fire for widespread human-rights abuses."

Germany

Federal election on Sept. 24

Chancellor Angela Merkel has been called the last bastion of liberal democracy, and this fall's election could greatly divide the nation and its parliament, the Bundestag. "Merkel will likely be able to contain anti-EU sentiment in Germany, since the Germans have benefited inordinately from the Union's trade and monetary arrangements," says Auton, the Redlands professor, but negative public opinions of Merkel's refugee program will test her Christian Democratic Union party at the polls. According to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the hard-right Alternative for Germany party has done exceptionally well in recent state elections and poses a serious challenge. The nation's supreme court ruled against a recent attempt to ban the party accused of promoting a racist, anti-Semitic agenda.

China

Politburo selection at 19th National Congress in October or November

Far from a traditionally democratic election, the start of China's 19th National Congress will see significant changeover in the Politburo, the principal policy-making committee, and among the even more influential Standing Committee members. President Xi Jinping, who has been designated a "core" leader, will hold his position through 2022. Nationalism and often-related economic protectionism will be major points of discussion, though Xi's recent comments at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos imply his commitment to globalization.

Honduras

General election on Nov. 26

Term limits are a major point of contention across Latin America, and Honduras is no exception. The nation's supreme court recently struck down a law that would limit presidents to one term, likely paving the way for incumbent Juan Hernandez of the conservative National Party to claim a second term. All 128 seats of the National Congress will be on the ballot as well. Chile will also hold a general election in 2017, but "seems intent on upholding their term limits," says the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Hillebrecht, "reminding us that while illiberal democracy might be on the march, it is not inevitable."

South Korea

Presidential election on Dec. 20

Following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye last December on corruption charges, South Korea is eager to elect a new leader. The field of contenders is varied. The Saenuri party has lost favor since Park's impeachment, but former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon may run on its ticket. Populist Lee Jae-myung has been compared to Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in, a candidate in 2012 and member of the socially liberal Minjoo party, has taken the lead in polls.

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Deidre McPhillips is a data reporter at U.S. News. You can find her on Twitter or email her at dmcphillips@usnews.com.