This article, published in the Journal of Democracy, examines Italian Democracy under the new right-wing coalition government Read more here.
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Category: National Politics
“Finland in Afghanistan 2001-2021: From stabilization to advancing foreign and security policy relations”, Katariina Mustasilta et al. (FIIA, Finland)
The FIIA Report examines Finland’s participation in the international intervention in Afghanistan during the years of 2001–2021. The report is […]
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“Developing a local supply chain network: The case of Magyar Suzuki in Hungary”, Kaoru Natsuda, Magdolna Sass and László Csonka (IWE CERS, Hungary)
This study examines the role of Magyar Suzuki in the Hungarian automotive industry. It is the oldest foreign vehicle manufacturer […]
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“Video: Brexit – A Dream That Is Dying”, A C Grayling (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
In this video, Professor A.C.Grayling discusses the path by which he believes Brexit can and should be reversed. For Brexit […]
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“Video: ‘Zeitenwende’: A Shift in German Foreign Policy?”, Mathias Jopp (CIFE)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a major change in Germany’s foreign policy, referred to as a ‘Zeitenwende’ (turning […]
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“French Nuclear Policy”, Jean-Louis Lozier (ICDS, Estonia)
France’s independent nuclear deterrence has been the main pillar of its defence strategy for sixty years. The French nuclear policy, […]
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“Finnish Foreign Policy Paper: Finland as a NATO ally: First insights into Finnish alliance policy”, Matti Pesu and Tuomas Iso-Markku (FIIA, Finland)
This Finnish Foreign Policy Paper delves into Finland’s emergent NATO policy, identifying and analysing its underlying factors and rationales. In […]
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“Latvian Foreign and Security Policy. Yearbook 2023”, Sintija Broka and Kārlis Bukovskis (LIIA, Latvia)
The Latvian Foreign and Security Policy Yearbook 2023 aims to examine and evaluate various spheres of Latvia’s foreign and security […]
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“Latvia and the United States: Bringing Friendship into the Next Centenary”, Kārlis Bukovskis and Mārtiņš Vargulis (LIIA, Latvia)
The publication “Latvia and the United States: Bringing Friendship into the Next Centenary” offers the perspectives of internationally renowned decision-makers […]
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“Algeria’s cautious return to the world stage”, Francis Ghilès (CIDOB, Barcelona)
The sharp increase in gas prices and France’s withdrawal from Mali have boosted Algeria’s international profile. As Algeria returns cautiously […]
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“Video: The Latest Bit of Brexit Nonsense”, Brendan Donnelly (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
In this video, Brendan Donnelly argues that the so-called “Brexit Freedom Bill” is both pointless and dangerous. It seeks to […]
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“How sustainable is happiness? An enquiry about the sustainability and wellbeing performance of societies”, Csaba Lakócai (IWE CERS, Hungary)
Questioning both sustainability and universality of development led to a movement of developing alternative indicator sets to provide a more […]
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“Resistance versus dissidence in China”, Seán Golden (CIDOB, Barcelona)
Western observers run the risk of failing to notice things that are happening in Chinese society because they are looking […]
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“Latvian Foreign and Security Policy. Yearbook 2022”, Sintija Broka and Andris Spruds (LIIA, Latvia)
The Latvian Foreign and Security Policy Yearbook 2022 aims to examine and evaluate various spheres of Latvia’s foreign and security […]
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“What Foreign Policy for Meloni’s Italy?”, Federico Castiglioni, Etienne Soula (IAI, Italy)
After a snap election on 25 September, Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party (Fratelli d’Italia – FdI) emerged as the […]
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“Digital resilience beyond data localisation: National approaches to global challenges”, Markus Holmgren (FIIA, Finland)
Data localisation is often suggested as a solution to global challenges stemming from the increasing dependence of societies on data […]
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“Why can’t the Brits Do Federalism?”, David Melding (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Former member of the National Assembly for Wales David Melding discusses federalism in the British context and argues that unionists […]
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“Regionalizing Democracy in the United Kingdom – The Case for an Upper House of the Nations and Regions”, Andrew Black and Sam Whimster (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Andrew Black and Sam Whimster make the case for reforming the House of Lords into an Upper House representing the […]
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“Why Belgium Needs a Cyber Command”, Alexander Mattelaer (Egmont, Belgium)
This Egmont Policy Brief outlines the growing importance of developing cyber defence capabilities, discusses the organisational set-up for this Cyber […]
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“The Defence Policy of Giorgia Meloni’s Government: A Traditional Posture with a Conservative Tinge”, Alessandro Marrone (IAI, Italy)
From a long-term perspective, Italian policies on defence and international security look pretty stable when looking at their basics along […]
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“Russia: living in a “negative reality”, Mykhailo Mishchenko (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
Presumably, people always strive for a better life. All political ideologies since the American and French revolutions have emphasised the […]
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“Video: What Do the US Midterms Mean for Brexit”, John Stevens (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Our Chairman John Stevens and Director Brendan Donnelly discuss the impact of American politics on Brexit, both historically and in the future. The present […]
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“Donors, implementing agencies and DFI/PDB cooperation. The case of Italy: MAECI, AICS and CDP”, Fabrizio Botti (IAI, Italy)
There are three main actors in the Italian development cooperation system: (i) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation […]
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“The Dutch vision and strategy on Global Health in times of multiple crises”, Remco van de Pas and Louise van Schaik (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
Last month, the first-ever Dutch Global Health Strategy (DGHS) was released. Developed jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ministry of Health (MoH), […]
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“What can we expect from the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey?”, Pelin Ayan Musil (IIR, Czech Republic)
Turkey’s next presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for 18 June 2023. These elections constitute a critical juncture for Turkey’s […]
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“Video: Stalemate in Northern Ireland”, Geoffrey Martin (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Former head of the European Commission office in Belfast, Geoff Martin, discusses recent developments in Northern Ireland with our Chairman John […]
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“Italians and Defence at the Time of the Ukraine War: Winds of Change”, Alessandro Marrone (IAI, Italy)
In 2022, Italians have become more concerned about tensions between Russia and the West – but not more pro-American. They […]
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“Belarus. Language, identity, the state, and a farewell to illusions”, Lizaveta Dubinka-Hushcha (LIIA, Latvia)
The Analytical Article Belarus. Language, identity, the state, and a farewell to illusions is an interview of the historian Dr. […]
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“Britain is a political and economic mess but comfortable in its skin”, Francis Ghilès (CIDOB, Barcelona)
Since the demise of Margaret Thatcher as UK prime minister in 1990, the hardliners in the Conservative party have never […]
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“Video: Hunting for Brexit Benefits”, Brendan Donnelly (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
In this video, our Director Brendan Donnelly argues that Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt realise Brexit is in trouble. The suggestion […]
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“Video: Will Brexit Destroy the Conservative Party?”, John Stevens (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Our Chairman John Stevens points to Brexit and other divisions already tearing the Conservative Party apart. He argues that the Reform Party […]
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“How will the Brexit dream end?”, John King (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
John King discusses the “cult status” Brexit has acquired by its followers, but argues that cults generally come to an ignominious end. […]
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“Plan for rebuilding Belgian Defence needs to be more ambitious”, Wannes Verstraete (Egmont, Belgium)
After almost eight months of war between Russia and Ukraine, it is clear that the quantity of equipment and personnel […]
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“Video: Unexpected Realism on Northern Ireland from Liz Truss”, John Palmer (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Former European Editor of The Guardian John Palmer speaks about the apparent pragmatism of the new Conservative government in discussing […]
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“Italy’s Election and the Rise of Hard Right Conservativism”, Andrea Dessì and Vassilis Ntousas (IAI, Italy)
Italy will soon be governed by its most radical right-wing government since World War II. Come 25 September, a coalition […]
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“China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Successful economic strategy or failed soft-power tool?”, Jyrki Kallio (FIIA, Finland)
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is part of China’s efforts to integrate its neighbouring countries into its economic sphere, […]
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“The French Right-Wing Paradox – Maintaining the cordon. Partecipazione e conflitto – Participation and Conflict”, Emilien Houard-Vial (Sciences Po, France)
The World Politics of Social Investment: Political Dynamics of Reform is the second of two volumes of the World Politics […]
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“Video: The End of Singapore-on-Thames”, John Stevens (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
In this Federal Trust video our Chairman John Stevens and Brendan Donnelly discuss the implications for Brexit of the past turbulent ten days in […]
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“Vietnamese drug networks in the Czech Republic: Development, share in the illicit market, structures, and modi operandi”, Miroslav Nožina (IIR, Czech Republic)
In his latest article, our researcher Miroslav Nožina focuses on the development of Vietnamese drug networks in the Czech Republic. […]
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“Brexit Has Turned Britain into Weimar 4th Republic”, Denis MacShane (The Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Former British Minister for Europe Denis MacShane compares Britain to Weimar Germany or fourth Republic France, lamenting that never has it […]
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“The 2022 Israeli Elections: Change, but No Change”, Erwin van Veen and Folkert Woudstra (Clingendael Institute, The Netherlands)
On 1 November 2022, Israelis will cast their votes to elect a new parliament for the 25th time since 1948. […]
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“A poll for the “referendum”: signs of falsification”, Mykhailo Mischenko (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
The “Crimean Republican Institute of Political and Sociological Research” (RIPSI) has released the results of a poll among the residents […]
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“Government demand and domestic firm growth: Evidence from Uganda”, Bernard Hoekman (RSCAS-EUI, Italy)
Private sector development is a central pillar of Uganda’s national development strategy. One policy instrument employed by the government to […]
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“Internal front: lines of confrontation”, Mykhailo Mischenko (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
In August, the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation and the Razumkov Centre Sociological Service conducted a public opinion poll to […]
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“Transition to electric vehicles in Hungary: A devastating crisis or business as usual?”, Andrea Szalavetz (IWE CERS, Hungary)
This paper discusses the impact of the transition to electric vehicles on the Hungarian automotive sector that is highly specialised […]
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“Russiaʼs regional elections 2022: The elephant in the room”, Jussi Lassila (FIIA, Finland)
A floundering war in Ukraine provided easy justification for the extreme clampdown on the opposition prior to Russia’s regional elections. […]
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Video: “Liz Truss Gambles with the UK’s Future”, John Stevens (The Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Federal Trust Chairman John Stevens argues that the new British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, is taking a dangerous gamble with […]
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“Vietnamese drug networks in the Czech Republic: Development, share in the illicit market, structures, and modi operandi”, Miroslav Nožina (IIR, Czech Republic)
Vietnamese drug-related criminal activities represent a dynamic phenomenon on the Czech drug scene. Most notably, the Czech security forces have […]
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“Time to Turn the Tables on Brexiteer Cognitive Dissonance”, Stephen Barber (The Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
All the evidence – from shrinking trade, to relative economic performance, to the Northern Ireland protocol, to the rotting queues […]
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“Turkey in the Black Sea: Is a Balancing Act Still Possible?”, Çigdem Üstün (IAI, Italy)
Turkey has placed efforts towards establishing amicable relations with Russia while being a part of the Western alliance. Just after […]
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“The Transformation of Kurdish and Islamist Parties in Turkey”, Pelin Ayan Musil (IIR, Czech Republic)
This book analyzes the transformation of ethnic and religious political parties in Turkey with special focus on their role in […]
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Video: “Brexit brings out the worst in Truss and Sunak”, Brendan Donnelly (The Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Federal Trust Director Brendan Donnelly discusses the role of Brexit in the Conservative leadership contest. He argues that the confused debate on […]
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“The Asian Barometer 2022: Measuring the Swedish public’s views of China, India and Japan”, Nicholas Olczak (UI, Sweden)
The Asian Barometer 2022 reports on a first-of-its-kind survey of Swedish public opinion about major Asian countries. We collaborated with […]
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“The “Soviet way” will finally die out only now”, Mykhailo Mischenko (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
The official Russian social mythology, which is based on the idea of ”returning everything” and authoritarianism, in its development “stumbled […]
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“International Theory and German Foreign Policy”, Jakub Eberle (IIR, Czech Republic)
The central aim of this book is to foster connections between scholarly discussions of German foreign policy and broader theoretical […]
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“Back to Basics. Revenir aux rétributions professionnelles du militantisme pour comprendre les partis contemporains”, Carole Bachelot and Florence Haegel (Sciences Po CEE, France)
Cet article revient sur la contribution de Daniel Gaxie à la sociologie des partis et du militantisme, « Économie des […]
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“Socio-economic and humanitarian consequences of Russian aggression for Ukrainian society” (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
This edition presents an analytical report, which focuses on the study of the socio-economic consequences of the war, which the […]
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“How long will Truss last”, Francis Ghilès (CIDOB, Barcelona)
British new prime minister, Liz Truss, will be soon confronted with the task of bridging the gap between campaign promises […]
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“Lebanon: Financial crisis or national collapse?”, Bassem Snaije (CIDOB, Barcelona)
Lebanon is experiencing an economic and financial crisis that seems to have begun with the outbreak of major demonstrations in […]
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“Politics of the Debtfare State: Repoliticizing the Czech Debt Enforcement Order and Its Limits”, Daniel Šitera (IIR, Czech Republic)
In Czechia, one of the statistically most equal and least indebted states, almost one-tenth of its (mostly low-income) population is […]
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“Autonomy through digital resilience: The importance of upholding the national tech stack”, Markus Holmgren (FIIA, Finland)
The national tech stack refers to the totality of a nation’s technological capability, including its infrastructure, supply chains, governance, and […]
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“After Boris Johnson, can the UK regain international respect?”, Francis Ghilès (CIDOB, Barcelona)
Without Boris Johnson, Brexit would never have happened. Johnson’s personal brand swung the narrow win for Leave in 2016. Despite […]
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“General Overview of the Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine”, Olga Pyshchulina (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine caused a rapid increase in humanitarian needs and a humanitarian crisis, the consequences of which […]
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“Russkii as the New Rossiiskii? Nation-Building in Russia After 1991”, Helge Blakkisrud (NUPI, Norway)
Russia’s post-1991 nation-building project has been torn between competing interpretations of national identity. Whereas the other former Soviet republics opted […]
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“Gender Issues in Russia”, Marina Pisklakova-Parker (IAI, Italy)
Gender inequality in the Russian Federation has been growing in the past few years due to the lack of a […]
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Video: “Are Boris Johnson & Brexit Finished?”, Brendan Donnelly and John Stevens (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Federal Trust Chairman Johns Stevens and Director Brendan Donnelly discuss Boris Johnson’s chances of survival as Prime Minister. They also consider […]
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“Brexit can be undone: and so it should be”, Andrew Blick (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Acceptance is growing that Brexit is a source of considerable harm to the UK. Even among supporters of leaving who […]
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Video: “Video: Brexit undermines the rule of law in the UK”, Brendan Donnelly (Federal Trust, United Kingdom)
Federal Trust Director Brendan Donnelly discusses the British government’s attempt to rewrite the Northern Ireland Protocol; its attempt to deport asylum-seekers to […]
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“Norway’s Foreign and Security Policy: A Challenging Mix of Realism and Idealism”, Ann-Marie Ekengren (UI, Sweden)
Increasing tensions between major powers and even war in Europe are setting the tone for the 2020s. A stable European […]
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“Ukraine 2021-2022: Modest Results, Immense Challenges”, Yuri Yakymenko et al. (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
For Ukraine, 2021 was marked by two main stress factors — the COVID-19 pandemic and Russian armed aggression. But if […]
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“Ukraine’s ‘Iron General’ Is a Hero, but He’s No Star”, Oleksiy Melnyk (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
Meet Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, the commander in chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who’s quietly leading the fight against Russia’s invaders. […]
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“From “Peacekept” to Peacekeeper: Seeking International Status by Narrating New Identities”, Nina Wilén (Egmont, Belgium)
This article examines how post-conflict states attempt to increase international status by transforming their identities from “peacekept” to “peacekeepers.” It […]
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“An International Peacekeeper: The Evolution of Italian Foreign and Defence Policy”, Fabrizio Coticchia and Andrea Ruggeri (IAI, Italy)
After the Cold War, Italy started to act as an international peacekeeper, deploying troops in dozens of military operations, mainly […]
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“What Is the Forecast of the Economy of Ukraine?”, Vasyl Yurchyshyn (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
It might seem inappropriate to speak about economic forecasts, even about short-term ones, in conditions when the opposition to Russian […]
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“How Italians View Military Spending”, Pierangelo Isernia, Rossella Borri and Sergio Martini (IAI, Italy)
On 16 March, a sweeping majority in the Italian Chamber of Deputies approved order 9/3491-A/35 committing the Italian government to raise the […]
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“Hungary: remaining ‘objective’”, Ágnes Szunomár (IWE CERS, Hungary)
The Hungarian government has been following a pro-China policy since 2010. As a result the Chinese-Hungarian relations are exceptionally good. […]
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“Reserved Seats and Cooptation in Burundi (2000–2020)”, Stef Vandeginste (Egmont, Belgium)
Using a lifecycle perspective, this paper analyzes the use of reserved seats and the evolution of cooptation norms and practices […]
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“Working on Coronavirus Mistakes?”, Vasyl Yurchyshyn (Razumkov Centre, Ukraine)
The coronavirus, which Ukraine has been opposed to for the past two years, has begun to seem like an echo […]
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“A Congested Space and its Safety: The Importance of Space Traffic Management”, Giancarlo La Rocca, Karolina Muti and Alessandro Marrone (IAI, Italy)
A main goal of Spaceways will be to characterise and understand the context of Space Traffic Management (STM), especially its […]
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“Sweden’s Foreign and Security Policy in a Time of Flux”, Douglas Brommesson, Ann-Marie Ekengren and Anna Michalski (UI, Sweden)
This policy brief looks at key Swedish foreign and security policy priorities in the Nordic, Europe and across the Atlantic, […]
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“Facing Terrorism in France”, Florence Faucher and Gérôme Truc (Sciences Po CEE, France)
Provides food for thoughts for all those interested in the evolution of French society. Offers an original and self-contained analysis […]
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“Media Literacy Promotion in Moldova: Europeanisation Through Interactions Between Domestic Civil Society, International Civil Society Actors and International Funders”, Juuso Järviniemi (College of Europe, Bruges)
Media literacy promotion fosters the quality of public discourse and, thereby, democracy. For instance, media literate citizens are more resilient […]
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“Denmark’s Foreign and Security Policy: Perfecting the Balance Between an Atlantic, Nordic, and European Outlook”, Anna Michalski (UI, Sweden)
This policy brief reviews the ongoing shift in Denmark’s foreign and security policy in the light of the geopolitical turn […]
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“Personal comments on the parliamentary elections in Hungary on April 3rd, 2022: The Consequences of Decade-long Systemic Trap”, Andras Inotai (IWE CERS, Hungary)
As confirmed by official sources, the parliamentary elections in Hungary resulted in a two-third majority of the ruling coalition since […]
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“Finland’s Foreign and Security Policy: From Bridge-Building to the Core of the West”, Douglas Brommesson (UI, Sweden)
This UI Brief analyses central themes in Finnish foreign and security policy, playing out in the Arctic, Nordics, in Europe […]
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“The Rassemblement National and COVID-19: How Nativism, Authoritarianism and Expert Populism Did Not Pay Off during the Pandemic”, Caterina Froio (Sciences Po CEE, France)
The article examines the response of the French National Rally (Rassemblement National – RN) to COVID-19. It combines computer-based and […]
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“Online civic activism in politically restricted space: a case study on Turkmenistan”, Rustam Muhamedov (IEP, Germany)
In 2020, Turkmen citizens abroad staged a record number of peaceful demonstrations demanding socio-economic and political reforms. This study analyzes […]
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“From Russia With Love: Brussels At The Center Of Foreign Intelligence Activities”, Tom Van Rentergem (Egmont, Belgium)
The time has come for Belgium to significantly strengthen its counterintelligence capabilities, as the Russian war against Ukraine will challenge […]
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“The Moral Failure of Elites”, Pierre Lascoumes (Sciences Po CEE, France)
The small world of elites seems to be full of “black sheep”, politicians and business leaders who are not afraid […]
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“The Conference on the Future of Europe: Views from Romanian citizens” (EIR, Romania)
The European Institute of Romania (EIR) announces the publication of the final Report – The Conference on the Future of […]
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“Slovenia as a Stress Test of the EU’s External Dimension of Energy Policy: Case Studies of Russian and American Influence”, Danijel Crnčec and Ana Bojinović Fenko (CIR, Slovenia)
The article by Assist. Prof. Dr. Danijel Crnčec and Prof. Dr. Ana Bojinović Fenko (both from the Centre of International […]
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“Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Iraq”, Elisabeth L. Rosvold et al. (NUPI, Norway)
The effects of climate change are felt in several critical sectors in Iraq. A new SIPRI–NUPI fact sheet examines climate-related […]
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“The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on civic activism in Kazakhstan”, Anna Klimchenko, Viktoriya Nem and Kamila Smagulova (IEP, Berlin)
Civil society is the key driver of social change, yet civil society organizations and citizen activists face constraints in many […]
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“Iraq’s state of democracy: A self-perpetuating cycle against reform in favour of the political elite”, Mariette Hägglund (FIIA, Finland)
In addition to Afghanistan, Iraq has been one of the US’s major state-building projects in the 21st century. The recent […]
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“Germany’s shifting policy towards Russia: The sudden end of Ostpolitik”, András Rácz (FIIA, Finland)
A reassessment of Germany’s relations with Russia started after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and was catalyzed by several […]
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“An Overview of US-Italian Relations: The Legacy of the Past”, Leopoldo Nuti (IAI, Italy)
At the end of World War II the United States became Italy’s indispensable ally, and throughout the Cold War, US-Italian […]
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“Belarus’s constitutional referendum: Lukashenko has no reason for triumph”, Arkady Moshes and Ryhor Nizhnkau (FIIA, Finland)
Alexander Lukashenko has secured victory in the constitutional referendum that was held to strengthen his power positions. However, repressions undermine […]
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“The Draghi Government and Italy’s International Role: Summary Report on Italian Foreign Policy in 2021”, Giulia Gozzini and Akram Ezzamouri (IAI, Italy)
This document provides an English summary of the 2021 edition of IAI’s annual report on Italian foreign policy entitled: “Il […]
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“When things fall apart: France’s withdrawal from Mali”, Nina Wilén (Egmont, Belgium)
When things fall apart you usually take a step back to look at what went wrong and to learn from […]
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“Europe Facing Geoeconomics: Assessing Finland’s and the EU’s Risks and Options in the Technological Rivalry”, Mikael Wigell et al. (FIIA, Finland)
The geoeconomic rivalry is accelerating with the world’s major powers using economic instruments to advance strategic agendas. This poses a […]
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