Bingu wa Mutharika vs Michel Barnier

Bingu wa Mutharika won the presidential election as the candidate of the United Democratic Front, succeeding Bakili Muluzi. He took office with a mandate for economic reform.

Mutharika implemented the Farm Input Subsidy Programme, providing subsidized fertilizer and seeds to smallholder farmers. The program dramatically increased maize production, transforming Malawi from a food-deficit to a food-exporting country.

Mutharika resigned from the United Democratic Front and formed the Democratic Progressive Party after falling out with predecessor Bakili Muluzi. This split led to political instability and opposition attempts to impeach him.

Mutharika won a second term with a landslide victory, receiving 66% of the vote. His Democratic Progressive Party also won a majority in parliament, giving him a strong mandate.

Mutharika died of a heart attack at the age of 78. His death triggered a constitutional crisis as his cabinet initially attempted to prevent Vice President Joyce Banda from assuming power, but she eventually succeeded him.

The European Commission appointed Michel Barnier as its chief negotiator for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. He led the EU's negotiating team through the Article 50 process.

Barnier oversaw the negotiation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, including the Northern Ireland Protocol. The agreement was ratified and the UK left the EU on January 31, 2020.

President Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier as Prime Minister following the 2024 legislative elections. Barnier, a conservative, was tasked with forming a government in a hung parliament.