Sunday Summary - 23rd of March 2025

Highlighted stories from this week.

New IOC-chairwoman

Even though women have competed in the Olympics since 1900, one prize has eluded them until 2025. Namely, the position of President of the International Olympics Committee (IOC). Kirsty Coventry is to take over the role from current president Bach on June 24th, 2025, after 12 years. Who is Coventry, what does she stand for, and why was she selected from amongst 7 candidates?

Coventry was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, where she also currently serves as minister for youth, sport, art and recreation.  She herself was an Olympian, winning a total of 7 Olympic medals in the 2004 and 2008 Games as a competitive swimmer. This makes her the most decorated Olympian in Africa. After the 2008 Olympic games, she was heralded by Zimbabwe’s then-president as ‘his golden girl’, and received a 100,000 USD prize. 

Her campaign for presidency was on a platform of gender equality. While she is glad to see the increasing number of female participants, many of the trainers and IOC officials are still male. National sports federations are still male-dominated, with change needed. Controversially, she opposes trans women participating in women’s sports, citing research indicating unfair advantages. However, she also wants to shed more light on issues faced by intersex athletes like Caster Semenya, who she feels was not adequately protected by the IOC when her medical documents were leaked to the press. 

Coventry has a lot of political experience in Zimbabwe, an authoritarian country with current president Mnangagwa known to strike back at any opposition. Responding to critique regarding her position in a troublesome nation, she states she prefers creating change from the inside rather than screaming from the sidelines. One thing is for sure - her skills navigating shady politics will help her negotiate with the likes of Xi and Trump, especially with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics looming. 

Protests in Serbia, Istanbul and Indonesia

The past week has seen heavy protests erupt in Turkey and Indonesia as well as continued protests in Indonesia and Serbia. What’s happening?

Ekrem Imamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, was arrested by the Turkish police on alleged charges of corruption and embezzlement. Imamoğlu was expected to be presented as presidential candidate for the largest opposition party in Turkey. It is likely that Erdogan, the current president, had him arrested to control the opposition. After the arrest, social media like Instagram and Facebook across Turkey were blocked, and protests were officially banned. People still protested en masse in Istanbul against what they see as undemocratic interference.

In Indonesia, a controversial law was passed granting the military many more powerful positions in non-military functions. For example, in the departments of disaster prevention, mining, agriculture, and many more. Opponents of the law fear for democratic backsliding and an uptick in corruption cases. Furthermore, the military will also take certain positions in the Supreme court and other organs of the judicial branch. These are not the first protests since the new president Prabowo took power. He is reverting back to the previous style of military rule seen under Soeharto, opponents say. 

Serbia saw massive anti-government protests last weekend. What started as protests against the mismanagement of a train station building project where 15 people lost their lives has morphed into a protest of general dissatisfaction with the government. Serbs of all ages and professions have come out in support, with numbers reaching half a million. That’s a lot for a country of only 6 million total inhabitants. While some politicians have resigned, protestors are asking for a full government resignation. Until then, they state they will stay on the streets.