President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race has inadvertently coined a new political phrase, with "doing a Biden" becoming shorthand for embattled leaders stepping aside.
Politico reported that Biden's move has reverberated internationally, influencing political discourse in Japan, Canada, and Germany. The unexpected ripple effect has pressured unpopular leaders facing upcoming elections to consider following Biden's example.
In the two months since Biden's announcement, at least three prominent leaders - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz - have faced calls to step down.
The phrase "doing a Biden" has entered political lexicons, symbolizing a leader's willingness to relinquish power for the greater good of their party and country.
Fumio Kishida, who became Japan's Prime Minister in 2021, has grappled with declining approval ratings amid corruption scandals within his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Following Biden's exit, speculation about Kishida's future intensified, with party officials drawing direct comparisons to the U.S. President's decision.
In mid-August, Kishida surprised many by announcing he would not seek re-election as the LDP's leader. He stated:
It is necessary to firmly present a newly born LDP to the people. The most obvious first step to show that the LDP will change is for me to step down.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces record-low approval ratings and calls to yield to a more popular politician within his Social Democratic Party (SPD). Scholz's government has been struggling with the ongoing impact of the Ukraine war and internal coalition disagreements.
Recent regional elections in Germany have seen the SPD's support plummet, intensifying pressure on Scholz. The German news magazine Der Spiegel explicitly referenced Biden's example, suggesting Scholz could "follow the example of U.S. President Joe Biden" by clearing the way for a new political start.
Across the Atlantic, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also facing questions about his political future. In power since 2015, Trudeau has weathered several scandals and seen his Liberal Party's support erode in recent elections. Recent by-election losses have fueled comparisons to Biden and sparked debates about whether Trudeau should step aside.
While Kishida has already bowed out, both Scholz and Trudeau appear determined to hold their ground. Trudeau recently stated:
I'm not going anywhere. I've got a fight to lead against people who want to hurt this country, who want to hurt our communities and who want to take the country in directions that, quite frankly, are exactly the opposite of where the world needs to go.
In Germany, Scholz received a temporary reprieve following a narrow SPD victory in a recent regional election. However, questions about his viability as the party's standard-bearer in next year's federal election persist.
Scholz remains optimistic, expressing confidence that the SPD will again emerge as the leading party, as it did in Brandenburg and in the previous federal election.
Biden's decision to exit the presidential race has had far-reaching consequences, creating a new political paradigm for embattled leaders worldwide. The phrase "doing a Biden" has entered the global political lexicon, putting pressure on unpopular leaders in Japan, Canada, and Germany to consider stepping aside. While some, like Kishida, have followed Biden's example, others, like Trudeau and Scholz, are resisting calls to relinquish power, setting the stage for potentially tumultuous election seasons in their respective countries.
