[AnimalMuppet]

Everyone claims they received a decisive mandate, because a mandate is in the minds of people. If they think you have a mandate, then you do. So after every election, the winner claims to have a mandate, because they keep hoping that everyone else will act like they do, and therefore that they will.

Objectively, of course, you're right.

[ZeroGravitas]

Some politicians actually talk about what they're going to do in some detail before election and then have some validity in claiming a mandate for those things after winning.

Others talk utter BS, make a million conflicting promises, loudly deny stuff that they fully intend to do etc. Those people do not have a valid claim at a mandate.

[jfengel]

I just learned from Duolingo that the French word for "term of office" is "mandat".

I started a whole unit on words about elections about two weeks ago. It was a pretty damn upsetting two weeks. I really wish Duo gave me the ability to skip a section and come back to it later.