Asset Publisher

Country Reports

Short political reports of the KAS offices abroad

Publications

KAS

Parliamentary Elections in Greece

Stability or Deadlock?

On May 21, 2023, Greece is going to elect a new Parliament. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has asked the President to dissolve the Vouli at the end of his 4-year term. There is a good chance that Mitsotakis will remain Prime Minister and be able to stay his course of stability, progress and growth; but opposition leader Tsipras is also trying to form a possible coalition of up to four parties. However, due to the changed electoral law and some uncertainties, a second ballot will very likely be necessary before a new government is formed.

KAS / Carmen Ramírez

Paraguay's political power machine keeps on running

In the elections, the "Colorados" maintain their political dominance in the South American landlocked country

Paraguay's voters have given the clietelistic-conservative Colorado Party an outright victory. Its candidate Santiago Peña was not only newly elected to the presidency with a clear majority, but can also count on an absolute majority in both chambers of parliament in the future. While a right-wing anti-establishment candidate performed surprisingly well, the political left and also the center are the big losers of these elections. The most important challenge facing the young new head of state will be to fulfill his promise of political renewal. His closeness to the former head of state Horacio Cartés, who has been accused of corruption, is his blind spot in this regard.

Adobe Stock / Sanjiv

Why development policy dialogue must be more than a one-way street

Lessons from India's G20 presidency

In the currently challenging times, two glaring mistakes are being made in Europe: We mentally divide the world into categories of the past and still do not correctly assess the importance of emerging regions such as India. On the other hand, the donor countries conduct the development policy dialogue as a one-way street – and we can no longer afford that.

imago / xFlorianxGaertnerx

Sudan's search for stability

Background to the current conflict

The situation in Sudan is tense. Currently, armed fighting is taking place between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum. The former allies are fighting over economic resources and, above all, power in the country. At worst, the conflict could take on a regional dimension and is also explosive because of the international entanglements. The country report sheds light on the events and background to the current situation in Sudan.

IMAGO / Le Pictorium

Diplomatic Crisis in Chad

Also a test for German-French relations?

Diplomatic crisis between Germany and Chad: The Sahel state expelled the German ambassador in April after criticizing the military government of President Mahatma Déby, which has been delaying elections and cracking down on the opposition. The affair also throws light on France's often problematic relationship with its former colonies such as its ally Chad.

Flickr / UN Geneva / CC BY-NC-ND 2

Geneva Barometer

Developments among Geneva-based international organisations from mid-February to mid-April 2023

The ‘Geneva Barometer’ takes an occasional look at selected developments among international organisations based in Geneva.

IMAGO / Panthermedia

Election´s ahead in Türkiye: Nation or People?

On May 14th the Turkish people will elect a president as well as a new parliament.

On May 14, Türkiye will elect a president as well as a new parliament. Incumbent Erdoğan is being challenged by the longstanding CHP-politician Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Both candidates are supported by respective alliances. The so-called National Alliance of the opposition includes a broad ideological spectrum of six parties. While the strongest party within the alliance, CHP, presents itself as a center-left party, the Good Party has its origins in the nationalist movement. DEVA and the Future Party are both headed by former ministers who served under president Erdoğan. The Democrat Party is considered a liberal conservative party whereas the Felicity Party is a islamist party. The National Alliance is tied together by the goal of reestablishing parliamentary power. Beyond that, the opposition is attacking the economic and migration policies of the current government. President Erdoğan, for his part, is being supported by the so-called People´s Alliance containing various political ideologies as well. Most striking, however, are the radical members of the People´s Alliance, such as Hüda Par, a kurdish-islamist party openly opposed the kemalist consensus of the Turkish republic. Yet, the electoral campaign is overshadowed by the earthquakes which erupted the Southeast in early February. Four weeks before the election will take place, this report summarizes the developments of the last two months and takes a look ahead.

IMAGO / Scanpix

Forming a government in Estonia

Difficult start for cabinet Kallas III

On April 10, the newly elected parliament (XV Riigikogu) in Estonia convened for the first time. The 13 ministries are divided between Reform Party (7 ministries), Estonia 200 (3 ministries) and the Social Democratic Party (3 ministries). In the process, 7 ministers from the previous government will accompany a ministerial post. Five ministries will be headed by women, eight by men.

IMAGO / Andia

Inflation Reduction Act: Only One of Several Incentives

The real competitive advantages of the US in the subsidy race

At a time when debates over protectionist industrial policies or even transatlantic trade conflicts are numerous, this Country Report shows that traditional economic metrics, such as a high-skilled employee-pool, a comparatively high return rate on sales and low per-unit labor costs respectively, are key factors that continue to motivate German companies to increase their investments and operations in the US. Much more so than the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the ensuing European furor over the law has led many to believe. When trying to preserve Germany as a premier global business location, lawmakers would be well advised to further prioritize Germany's innovation potential along established economic metrics, while speeding-up approval and procedural processes in particular.

IMAGO / Aton Chile

More dissonance than unity

Two summits reflect Latin America's democratic disunity

Despite all the calls for unity, Latin America presents a very mixed picture a few months before the next EU-Latin America summit. Although the continent is currently mostly governed by shades of the political left, it is hardly able to pursue a common regional and global foreign policy. Moreover, the political left often fails to demonstrate democratic credibility. Both the Ibero-American Summit in the Dominican Republic and a "Human Rights Forum" under the UNESCO logo in Buenos Aires expressed this clearly.

Asset Publisher

About this series

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is a political foundation. Our offices abroad are in charge of over 200 projects in more than 120 countries. The country reports offer current analyses, exclusive evaluations, background information and forecasts - provided by our international staff.

Ordering Information

Editor

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.