Ali Babacan vs Antonin Novotny

Babacan was appointed Minister of Economy on May 1, 2009, succeeding Mehmet Simsek. He oversaw Turkey's economic policy during a period of rapid growth, implementing reforms that attracted foreign investment and stabilized the economy after the 2008 crisis.

Babacan was appointed Deputy Prime Minister responsible for economic and financial affairs on July 14, 2011. He coordinated economic policy, including negotiations with the IMF and EU, and oversaw the privatization of state assets, contributing to Turkey's economic expansion.

Babacan left the AKP in July 2019 and co-founded the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) on March 9, 2020. The party positioned itself as a centrist alternative to the AKP, advocating for democratic reforms and economic liberalization, challenging Erdogan's rule.

Babacan's DEVA Party joined the Nation Alliance opposition coalition for the May 2023 elections. The alliance failed to unseat Erdogan, and DEVA won no seats in parliament, marking a setback for Babacan's political ambitions.

After the death of Stalin and Czechoslovak President Klement Gottwald, Novotny became First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. He consolidated power by purging rivals and enforcing Stalinist policies, including show trials and suppression of dissent.

Novotny oversaw the adoption of a new constitution that renamed the country the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. The constitution formalized the leading role of the Communist Party and centralized state control over the economy and society.

The Third Five-Year Plan (1961-1965) failed to meet targets, leading to economic stagnation. Industrial output declined, consumer goods shortages worsened, and the planned economy showed structural weaknesses, contributing to growing dissatisfaction with Novotny's leadership.

In January 1968, Novotny was replaced as First Secretary by Alexander Dubcek amid growing reformist pressures. He was later expelled from the Communist Party in May 1968, marking the end of his political career and the beginning of the Prague Spring liberalization.