Sean Maloney
President of France Emmanuel Macron felt the wrath of a disgruntled Frenchman when he was slapped in the face while shaking hands with members of the public on the streets of Valence, France a month ago. The slap earned the man a four-month prison sentence and blanket condemnation, but could also inspire others to take similar action amid the ongoing pandemic and growing unrest in countries around the world. That raises the question, who will be the next world leader to be slapped? Prime Minister Boris Johnson currently leads the way as the betting favorite, but several intriguing value betting options exist further down the odds board.
MyTopSportsbooks takes a look at Johnson’s rivals on the odds to be the next world leader snapped, as well as the story behind some intriguing wagering dark horses from across the globe. Sports bettors getting in on Politics betting action for the first time should refer to our politics betting guide for tips on how to hone their betting strategies.
| Next World Leader to be Slapped |  |  |
| Boris Johnson | +700 | +700 |
| Alexander Lukashenko | +800 | +800 |
| Abdel Fattah El-sisi | +1000 | +1000 |
| Joe Biden | +1000 | +1000 |
| Justin Trudeau | +1000 | +1000 |
| Nicolas Maduro | +1000 | +1000 |
| Rodrigo Duterte | +1000 | +1000 |
| Viktor Orban | +1000 | +1000 |
| Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador | +1200 | +1200 |
| Mario Draghi | +1200 | +1200 |
| Mark Rutte | +1200 | +1200 |
| Scott Morrison | +1400 | +1400 |
| Naftali Bennett | +2000 | +2000 |
| Jacinda Ardern | +3300 | +3300 |
| Shinzo Abe | +3300 | +3300 |
| Angela Merkel | +5000 | +5000 |
| Vladimir Putin | +5000 | +5000 |
| Kim Jong Un | +6600 | +6600 |
| Xi Jinping | +6600 | +6600 |
| Mohammed Bin Salman | +10000 | +10000 |
Pandemic Response Fueling Public Dissent
While the attack on Macron was met with widespread condemnation, it highlighted the frustrations that many people across the globe are feeling following a year of life with restrictions or under lockdown due to COVID-19.
French President Macron slapped by person in crowd https://t.co/vbROUCFV4d pic.twitter.com/KKOV5SRm89
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 8, 2021
And it also illustrates what many politicians may have to put up with as the respective countries geared up for upcoming elections. That is the case for Macron, who is currently perched as a -150 favorite at BetOnline to win a second five-year term at the Elysee Palace.
Johnson Soon to Face the People
The clock is also ticking on Boris Johnson’s first term as British prime minister. Currently sporting short +700 odds at MyBookie to be the next world leader slapped, Johnson has overseen the implementation of a number of drastic and unpopular measures to find the novel coronavirus, including widespread closures of pubs and businesses, and lockdowns that impacted all corners of the nation.
Latest net favourability scores, 19-20 Jul (changes from late-June)
Rishi Sunak: 0 (down 16)
Boris Johnson: -23 (down 8)
Keir Starmer: -26 (up 3)
Dominic Cummings: -74 (down 2)Sajid Javid: -17 (down 7 from Jul 2019)https://t.co/xaszGSP0lu pic.twitter.com/gu1pVmP7gS
— YouGov (@YouGov) July 21, 2021
Not surprisingly, the measures have impacted Johnson’s popularity, which has been in steady decline, bottoming out at 39% in numbers published by YouGov earlier this month. Despite those political struggles, Johnson remains a strong -110 bet to remain leader of the Conservative Party when citizens of the UK go to the poll next year. And the Conservatives sport strong -250 odds at BetOnline to claim victory.
Lukashenko is very Slappable, but Out of reach
A leader seemingly unconcerned with how the vote will go the next time Belarusians go to the polls sits as a second favorite to be the next world leader to be slapped, with Alexander Lukashenko sporting +800 odds. The president of Belarus has been a constant source of controversy during his 27-year iron-fist reign. Most recently, he has sparked outrage by publicly making anti-Semitic comments, and has regularly jailed political opponents and journalists, sparking widespread protests.
A Belarusian news outlet tied to President Lukashenko accused leaders of Jewish groups of supporting recent anti-government protestshttps://t.co/IU10gDKiyK
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) July 28, 2021
However, in addition to the likely harsh punishment that would be faced by anyone taking a swing at Lukashenko, few opportunities exist for members of the public to get close enough to the Belarusian strong man to give him the Macron treatment. The same is likely true for many of the six leaders closely trailing Lukashenko as a +1000 bet.
US President Joe Biden has largely kept his distance from large crowds through the first six months of this term, although that may change as the 2024 US Election approaches. Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte are also unlikely to let too many citizens get too close to them.
Glad-Handing Trudeau, the Best Bet to Receive a Warm Ear
That opens the door for Justin Trudeau, who offers intriguing upside as a +1000 bet at Xbet. Speculation has reached a fever pitch over when Trudeau will drop the write and call and election seeking a third term as prime minister of Canada. While he leads the way in the polls, Trudeau has also angered many Canadians from coast to coast, and across the political spectrum on an array of issues ranging from accusations of corruption and contempt of Parliament to the growing scandal stemming from the country’s historic treatment of its Indigenous people.
Even for @JustinTrudeau the photo-op at a grave site with a teddy bear was a low point. It shows he has no shame and as @kinsellawarren writes, every story is really about him in his mind.
Read & RT #cdnpolihttps://t.co/MKyeqzBFat— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) July 11, 2021
Never one to shy away from a photo opp or a hearty handshake while in campaign mode, Trudeau faces an unusually high risk of eventual leaving a whistle-stop with a warm ear, and offers sensational betting value.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you. Learn more about betting strategies by checking out our Politics betting guide.
