What were the most globally impactful decisions of 2021?
We surveyed 100 journalists from around the world to find out.
In a special episode, Sir Richard Dearlove & Michelle Kosinski were joined by Financial Times Editor Gillian Tett & POLITICO Brussels Playbook author Suzanne Lynch to discuss the results.
The United States withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The decision of former President Donald Trump to rally his supporters in Washington to try and block certification of the results of the 2020 US presidential elections.
United State’s president Joe Biden’s pledge to re-enter the Paris Treaty.
United States former Vice-President Mike Pence’s certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
China’s national security law in Hong Kong.
China’s test of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile, which circled the globe.
The decision of Frances Haugen to release thousands of documents from her former employer, Facebook.
COP26 delegates’ negotiation of the Glasgow Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030 (rather than 2.4 degrees Celsius).
The 15% Corporate Tax Agreement in 136 countries.
The United States and United Kingdom submarine deal with Australia.
El Salvador’s decision to adopt bitcoin as an official currency.
The United States decision to allow the Nordstream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany to move forward.
The decision to proceed with the Olympics in Tokyo.
Several Billionaires to restart the space race (SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin).
The decision of Myanmar’s military to stage a coup.
Belarusian authorities decision to force a Ryanair plane with dissident Roman Protasevich to land in the country.
The decisions to carry out coups in Mali, Guinea and Sudan.
Roundtable
-
Gillian Tett
“One of the big decisions people should looking at is, will the government do anything to shore up the bond market?”
-
Sir Richard Dearlove
“I think that the Iranian administration is politically fragile in the medium term, and that at some point there could well be an upheaval internally.”
-
Suzanne Lynch
“I think it has done huge damage to America's... not just reputation, but its credibility as the world's policeman.”
Journalists also provided written responses of other decisions they felt were significant:
