2025 in review: A year of shifting horizons

The world continued to turn right in 2025. Across continents, a surge in protectionism and nationalism challenged the long-standing norms of international cooperation.

With persistent socioeconomic pressure, experts warn that this conservative political template, which finds resonance in and beyond the United States, is poised to strengthen further this year.

The wave began in Washington, DC, last year. In January, the new US administration promised that the "golden age of America begins right now", setting the tone for a global shift.

In just a few months, the White House had imposed high tariffs on the US trading partners, starting a pattern of on-again, off-again tariffs and retaliatory measures.

The wave quickly spread across the Atlantic, with European far-right movements stepping into the spotlight in February. The Patriots for Europe, a right-wing to far-right political group in the European Parliament, held a summit in Spain, applauding the US administration's protectionist agenda, and spoke of the turning point it presented for Europe under the banner of "make Europe great again".

By October, this political trend had reached a pivotal moment in East Asia. On Oct 21, conservative leader Sanae Takaichi, an advocate for revising Japan's pacifist constitution, was elected as the country's 104th prime minister.

Experts said her victory and the coalition government placed military expansion and constitutional revision at the core of the national agenda, signaling a rightward shift in Japan's security policy.

By December, the trend had reached South America. That month, right-leaning Republican Party of Chile candidate Jose Antonio Kast defeated the left-wing incumbent Gabriel Boric in the Chilean presidential election. Kast, who is due to take office in March this year, has vowed to tackle crime and tighten immigration.

His victory confirmed a broader rightward tilt across the Latin American political map last year, including right-wing politicians' wins in Ecuador and Bolivia.

Rise of conservatism

From the revival of the conservative agenda in Washington to the rise of the far-right in Europe, and from Japan's nationalist pivot to the political shift in Latin America, the trend was more apparent in 2025.

A new political grammar is erasing regional borders and embedding itself in national agendas, spawning a diverse array of homegrown conservatism, observers note.

The policy practices of this US administration have become an ideological template for right-wing movements across the globe. At its core lies the standardized export of political ideas, analysts say. Slogans like "Make America Great Again" have been localized, becoming an iconic political phrase.

Japan, for instance, offers a clear example of this localized conservatism model. The political insurgency is seen in the rapid ascent of the "Sanseito" party. It's known for its nationalist "Japanese first" agenda, warning against a "silent invasion of foreigners".

Its leader, Sohei Kamiya, previously said that he had drawn inspiration from US President Donald Trump's "bold political style".

Rintaro Nishimura, a senior associate at The Asia Group, told the BBC that, like the US president, Kamiya drew attention with his "often inflammatory and controversial remarks" on the campaign trail.

"His comments were spread across social media in a very well-coordinated campaign," Nishimura said.

This strategy proved effective. Founded online in 2020, Sanseito captured 15 seats in Japan's upper house elections in July, transforming from a fringe group into a key force.