Politics
Putin remained president of Russia in 2026
Zelenskyy also stayed in office and Lee Jae-myung kept his South Korean presidency.
A wave of incumbents held onto power worldwide in 2026. Vladimir Putin stayed president of Russia throughout the year. Volodymyr Zelenskyy remained Ukraine's president. South Korea's president Lee Jae-myung, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino and Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez also kept their posts.
Putin's administration showed no change in leadership by the end of 2026. No successor assumed the presidency during the year. The Russian state continued under his direction.
Zelenskyy's government persisted through 2026 without a new election. Ukraine's executive remained under his command. The presidency saw no turnover.
Lee Jae-myung retained the South Korean presidency for the full 2026 calendar year. His policy agenda proceeded without interruption. No challenger displaced him from office.
Gianni Infantino stayed at the helm of FIFA throughout 2026. The global football body operated under his continued leadership. Florentino Pérez also remained president of Real Madrid for the year. The club's executive direction was unchanged.
Analysis
When leaders remain in place, policy trajectories and organizational strategies are less likely to experience abrupt shifts, which can provide a predictable environment for both domestic and international actors.
In the case of Russia and Ukraine, the persistence of Putin and Zelenskyy removes the variable of leadership change from the equation. Their continued presence may sustain existing diplomatic stances, military postures, and negotiation dynamics, limiting any sudden policy redirection that a new leader might have introduced.
South Korea's political stability under Lee Jae-myung offers a consistent platform for the country's domestic reforms and foreign policy, while Gianni Infantino's ongoing FIFA presidency maintains the current governance framework for global football. Both arenas benefit from steady leadership, though they also risk entrenching existing priorities at the expense of reform.
While the incumbents' stay in power curtails immediate uncertainty, it does not guarantee future stability. Political, economic, or social pressures could still prompt change beyond 2026, and the lack of turnover may reflect entrenched power structures that could be challenged later.
Background consulted for the analysis
What this was built from
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