As the festive season of 2025 winds down, the familiar weight of New Year promises begins to settle in. While ordinary people vow to quit smoking or get fit, the question arises: what resolutions should the world's most powerful individuals make for 2026? Their pledges, after all, carry consequences for the entire globe.
The Unpredictable Titans: Trump and Musk
For Donald Trump, often dubbed the most powerful man in the world, the suggested resolution is paradoxical: to do less. His tenure has been marked by aggressive tariffs, volatile relations with Russia and China, and startling geopolitical statements. The world could use a few months where the news cycle isn't dominated by threats to the established global order. The editorial suggests a pause from creating outsized reactions to every action.
In contrast, his former associate Elon Musk is advised to do more—but specifically in his core domain. As the king of 'Tech Bros', Musk should perhaps focus more on technology, especially with Chinese EVs becoming formidable competitors to Tesla. The advice is clear: spend less time public musings on controversial social topics and more on steering his vast corporate empire.
The European Leaders and the Sino-Russian Dynamic
For European leaders, the prescription is inward-looking. Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are urged to master the art of communication with their own citizens before aspiring to lead broader spheres like 'Europe' or the 'Anglosphere'. Their primary resolution should be to bridge domestic divides.
Meanwhile, the powerful partnership between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping is likened to a jaded couple. Their hoped-for resolution for 2026 is a mutual trust that the other isn't 'playing footsie' outside their strategic friendship, highlighting the fragility and complexity of their alliance.
The Indian Context: A Call to Chill
And what about the scene in India? The editorial points to the unsolicited advice that often circulates in public discourse: work relentlessly, have large families for the nation's sake, and turn inward. For the purveyors of such advice, the proposed New Year's resolution is the simplest of all: to just chill. It's a plea for a less pressurized public narrative as the country moves into 2026.
This unique take, first published by The Indian Express on December 26, 2025, at 07:32 AM IST, cuts through the usual personal resolution lists to hold a mirror to those in positions of immense power. Their promises for the new year, the editorial argues, matter far more to our collective future.
