Democratic Win in the US Reshapes Diplomatic Map: Burnham Urges World to Focus on Cost of Living
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- Perdana Menteri Inggris Andy Burnham menilai hasil pemilu midterm AS sebagai peluang menyatukan negara-negara untuk mengatasi krisis biaya hidup.
- Kekalahan Partai Republik memicu spekulasi bahwa harga BBM yang melonjak akibat perang Iran menjadi penyebab utama.
- Burnham berjanji mendorong penyelesaian konflik Timur Tengah dan Ukraina agar tekanan ekonomi global mereda.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the results of the US midterm elections have opened the way for the international community to unite against the most pressing problem: the soaring cost of living. Burnham made the statement to reporters on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, hours after Donald Trump's Republican Party suffered a heavy defeat.
According to Burnham, voters in the US have sent a clear message that they want their government to focus more on domestic issues that directly affect people's welfare. He stressed that global economic pressure will not ease as long as two major conflicts—in the Middle East and Ukraine—have yet to find a resolution. "I cannot reduce the burden of the public's cost of living until the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine triggered by Russia are truly resolved," he said.
Burnham's statement came shortly after President Trump acknowledged that the surge in fuel prices—triggered by the Iran war—contributed to his party's defeat. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said, "People agree with my policy on Iran, but they may not be willing to bear the short-term consequence of more expensive gasoline. I understand that." The admission was a rare signal that economic factors, not just security issues, determined the election outcome.
In the UK, the US election issue also echoed during Prime Minister's Questions. Cabinet Minister Louise Haigh, representing Burnham, faced questions from Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper. Cooper accused Trump of pursuing a "war policy that has triggered economic chaos" and urged the UK government to pressure the US not to carry out further strikes on Iran. "We must stand with our allies and send a firm message to Trump and Netanyahu: there must be no more attacks," Cooper said.
In response, Haigh stressed that the US is one of the UK's most important allies and that its top priority is de-escalation. She said the Iran war had "greatly worsened" the cost-of-living crisis and asked the Conservative Party and Reform UK to reconsider their stance supporting military involvement. Haigh's statement reflects the UK government's effort to maintain a balance between transatlantic loyalty and domestic pressure to lower prices.
"President Trump has accepted the result, and I think the world now has a chance to unite to tackle the problem that affects us all, namely the cost of living." — Andy Burnham
Although the US Congress is now controlled by the Democrats, who can restrict funding, Trump still has significant authority over foreign policy. He even told the Financial Times that the US "is ready for combat if needed, but perhaps it won't be necessary." The statement shows that tensions with Iran have not fully subsided, despite hopes that indirect talks, which have been stalled for months, can resume. Some analysts close to the Iranian regime have even suggested extending negotiations in the hope that rising fuel prices will weaken Trump's electoral position.
For Indonesia, this US political dynamic has indirect implications for the national economy. As an oil-importing country, Indonesia is highly vulnerable to fluctuations in global energy prices. Prolonged tensions in the Middle East could pressure the rupiah exchange rate and widen the energy subsidy budget deficit. The Indonesian government needs to closely monitor the direction of US foreign policy after the midterms, especially if tensions with Iran heat up again. The stability of world oil prices will be key to domestic inflation and people's purchasing power.
Burnham himself is preparing a 10-year government plan that will serve as the foundation of his policy. However, he faces a major challenge: global uncertainty triggered by Trump's unpredictable stance in the remaining two years of his term. If the Middle East and Ukraine conflicts do not subside, Burnham's efforts to lower the cost of living in the UK could fall apart. The world now waits to see whether the call for unity will be answered with concrete steps or will instead drown in political rhetoric ahead of the next US election.
