h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have heard of Pete Buttigieg, who also ran for the Presidency last time round. (reading the BBC news website, among others, helps)

The trend of trying to put your opponent in a bad daylight is something that was 'not done' around here until recent years. (Thanks!) The idea was to get the upper hand by promoting yourself with good or popular ideas (those are not by definition the same. A good idea should also be feasible/constitutional/affordable, a popular one usually lacks that criteria).

The highest job we have here is Prime Minister. We are currently in an experiment where the Prime Minister wasn't even on the ballot. Since the four parties that formed our government just before summer break couldn't see each others leaders fulfilling the job, they (eventually) found an independent civil servant nobody heard of for the job. (I suppose he knows all about us though, he used to be the head of our intelligence services). It remains to be seen how much space the guy will get to have his own input on the agenda rather than being dictated.

Just had a look at the Democratic running mate Tim Walz. He looks like a decent person.

I like that idea of a nearly anonymous prime minister.

Not sure about that yet. If he is just going to be a puppet of the populist PVV party that became largest... Not so much.
The Social Democrat / Green party became second largest but has no place in the current right-wing coalition government.

Right-wing coalition sounds like no fun.

I see what you mean, now - it sounds like your guy might be just being used. We've had a couple of presidents like that.

We'll have to see. They just came back and had a day of workshops to better get to know each other and the issues they need to address with no budget whatsoever.

to them all!