Explained

How presidents and prime ministers take office

Leaders reach office by direct election, by a vote in parliament, or by winning the leadership of the governing party.

• Direct election: Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine on 21 April 2019 and sworn in on 20 May 2019.¹
• Direct election: CNN reported that Claudia Sheinbaum won Mexico's 2 June 2024 election and was inaugurated on 1 October 2024.²
• Parliamentary vote: Hungary's National Assembly confirmed Péter Magyar as Prime Minister on 9 May 2026 by 140 votes to 54, Euronews reported.³
• Parliamentary vote: Poland's Sejm elected Donald Tusk Prime Minister on 11 December 2023.⁴
• Party leadership: in the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham was elected Labour leader on 16 July 2026 and became Prime Minister on 20 July 2026, without a general election.⁵
• Reappointment after an election: Japan's Prime Minister's Office lists Sanae Takaichi as the 104th Prime Minister from October 2025 and the 105th from February 2026.⁶

Sources

1. Office of the President of Ukraine, Biography
2. CNN, Claudia Sheinbaum Fast Facts (6 November 2024)
3. Euronews, Péter Magyar sworn in as Hungary's new prime minister after landslide April election victory (9 May 2026)
4. Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk
5. GOV.UK, The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP (23 October 2026)
6. Prime Minister's Office of Japan, TAKAICHI Sanae