Clue Watch: Countries with New Leaders in 2015

This week, let’s take a look at new world leaders. Instead of just having an alphabetical list, we’ll go by who’s likely or unlikely to get a Jeopardy! clue in 2016.

The leaders most likely to show up are of course from English-speaking countries, but because Alex Trebek is Canadian and because Justin Trudeau is the son of a former Canadian PM, he just has to be the first to get a clue.
AUSTRALIA – Malcolm Turnbull – 9/15/15. His predecessor, Tony Abbott, was in a “Yes, Prime Minister” clue on 4/15/15.
CANADA – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister – 11/4/15. His father, Pierre Trudeau (Canada’s PM from 1980-84), was in a “World Leaders” clue on 9/14/15.
NIGERIA – Muhammadu Buhari, President – 5/29/15. His predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, was in a Daily Double in “Who’s in Charge” on 2/25/15. Just 3 months later, Buhari was in charge.

Maybe, maybe not.
ARGENTINA – Mauricio Macri, President – 12/10/15. His soon-to-be predecessor, Christina Fernández de Kirchner, was last seen in a clue on 11/18/15. Interestingly, her first clue appeared in 2010, three years after she took office.
POLAND – Andrzej Duda, President – 8/6/15. Lech Walesa will probably get a clue before Andrzej, but Duda is still a good candidate for a sound-alike category. (Think Camptown Races).

UPDATE: Lech Walesa got a clue on 2/22/16:

SAUDI ARABIA – King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – 1/23/15. He was named the most 14th powerful person in the world in 2015 by Forbes but nobody would take you up on a bet that he’ll be in a clue before Salman Rushdie.
ZAMBIA – Edgar Lungu, President – 1/25/15. His already out-of-office predecessor, Guy Scott, was mentioned in the 6/24/15 FJ.

These two ladies are the first women leaders of their countries. It’s unlikely they will ever get a clue unless an event puts them in in the international spotlight. But you never know. Portia Simpson Miller got 2 clues, one in the same year she became Jamaica’s first female PM.
CROATIA – Kolinda Gabar-Kitarovic, President – 2/19/15. Zoran Milanović, who is still the PM, got a clue in “C”ountries on 2/4/15.
MAURITIUS – Ameena Gurib-Fakim, President – 6/5/2015. She is the first elected female President. Her VP, Monique Monique Ohsan Bellepeau, did serve as Acting President twice. Alas, most Jeopardy! clues about Mauritius have to do with the extinct dodo.

More new leaders on page 2