That inter-ministerial competition doesn’t make for more successful foreign policy is a commonplace observation. However, it isn’t enough that all parts of government pull together, they must move together in the right direction.
Security Sector Reform in The Gambia – The Historic Roots of Current Challenges
After a democratic change of power in The Gambia in 2017, the country embarked on a transitional journey. The Gambian government identified Security Sector Reform (SSR) as one of the key priorities in its National Development Plan. Five years in, Gambian citizens express doubts about the government’s seriousness to move the process forward and the progress of SSR remains limited. In this blog post, we take a historical lens to examine current challenges and suggest a long-term perspective in both looking back and moving forward.
Have the Tables Turned? What to Expect from Kenya’s New “Hustler” President William Ruto
Kenya had awaited the presidential elections held on August 9, 2022 with bated breath. The elections were won by William Ruto, who defeated opponent Raila Odinga by just a few percentage points. Ruto succeeds Uhuru Kenyatta, who leaves office having served his two permitted terms. This Spotlight analyzes the reasons for Ruto’s success, and, reflecting on his political career, discusses what can be expected from his presidency. We argue that both his success and his career have been strongly influenced by Kenya’s political history and the power structures of political alliances—especially in the context of previous elections.
Die Quadratur des Kreises: Friedensverhandlungen unter Feinden
Acht Monate dauert der Krieg bereits an, den Russland gegen die Ukraine führt, und immer noch sind wir weit von Friedensverhandlungen entfernt. Unmöglich und unerwünscht seien Verhandlungen, hört man in der öffentlichen Debatte. Nicht alle Argumente gegen Verhandlungen sind aber gleichermaßen stichhaltig und zu oft wird übersehen, dass es nicht nur um Verhandlungen geht und nicht nur zwischen den Kontrahenten, sondern zuallererst um Gespräche und zwar zwischen den Großmächten, die indirekt und direkt an diesem Konflikt beteiligt sind.
Brazil’s Presidential Election: How Far does the Populist Glow Reach?
The first round of Brazil’s presidential elections took place on 2 October 2022. The result was 43.2% for incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and 48.4% for ex-president (2003–2010) Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva. Given that none of the candidates achieved more than 50%, a final run-off is scheduled for 30 October. Pre-election polls predicted Lula would reach the critical 50% threshold. These polls also projected Bolsonaro would win around 36%. But in the end, his vote share was more than 43%. This result left the world searching for an explanation.
The Perils of Ruxit: Russia’s Tension-Ridden Dissociation from the European Security Order
Are dissociation from shared international institutions and the escalation of inter-state conflicts between involved states causally interrelated? Processes of dissociation – defined as the intentional distancing from the core rules and norms of international institutions – occur rather often and might even become a dominant feature of world politics as de-globalisation proceeds. In particular, it remains unclear whether the management of such developments can eventually lead to partial reconciliation or if tensions between the involved states are destined to increase. To answer this question, the following blog entry, summarising the results of one of the case studies of Drifting apart project, analyses the process of Ruxit i.e., the development of relations between Russia and the West after the end of the Cold War.
Will the Protests in Iran Change Regional Power Dynamics in the Middle East?
Images of Iranian women burning their hijab in the last four weeks demonstrates the unraveling of the ideological foundations of the Islamic Republic. This discontent, however, extends beyond Iran’s borders, and has strained the relationship with its regional clients. We argue that the ongoing demonstrations in Iran may exacerbate Iran’s already-shifting regional position, as the ongoing protests both question the legitimacy of the regime within and outside the country, and further weaken Iran’s capacity to support its clients in the Middle East.
Responding to Foreign Interference in the EU: Beware of Unintended Consequences
The EU’s emerging response to foreign interference, as it is currently debated in the EU Parliament, contains striking similarities to arguments put forth by some governments around the world seeking to justify harsh restrictions on foreign funding and “foreign agents.” This risks producing serious ramifications for civic spaces and international civil society support—both within and beyond the EU.
Verfolgung und Prävention von Hasskriminalität im Internet: Benötigt es „mehr Polizei“ in Sozialen Medien?
Der Umgang mit Hassrede, Hasskriminalität und gefährdenden Radikalisierungsprozessen im Internet bildet eine zentrale Herausforderung der Kriminalpolitik im „digitalen Zeitalter“. Innen- und Justizbehörden, insbesondere aber die Polizeien stehen in der Kritik, zu wenig gegen Hassdelikte im Internet zu unternehmen. Bemängelt werden ein unzureichender Personaleinsatz und in der Fläche mangelhafte Expertisen von Polizeibeamt*innen für das Feld der Internetermittlungen. Insgesamt fehle es an einer „digitalen Polizeistrategie“. Doch wie ist der Status Quo der Strafverfolgung von Hasskriminalität im Internet? Welche Herausforderungen stellen sich aus kriminologischer Sicht und welche Lösungsansätze gibt es, um die Strafverfolgung zu verbessern?
Weltraumsicherheit: Teststopp von Anti-Satellit-Waffen
Die Abhängigkeit hoch technologisierter Streitkräfte von weltraumbasierten Fähigkeiten ist in den letzten Jahren stetig gewachsen. Gleichzeitig verstärken die führenden Weltraumnationen USA, Russland und China ihre Fähigkeiten im Bereich der sog. Anti-Satellit-Waffen. Während China und Russland vermehrt Anti-Satellit-Waffen testen, haben sich Deutschland und weitere Staaten im September 2022 dem bisher unilateralen Teststopp von Anti-Satellit-Waffen der Biden-Administration angeschlossen. Nach den gescheiterten chinesisch-russischen Vertragsvorschlägen von 2014 kann der Vorstoß als neues diplomatisches Signal an China und Russland verstanden werden, erneut Gespräche über die Sicherheit von Weltraumobjekten aufnehmen zu wollen.
.jpg){kind=link}
