Wiederwahl von Ministerpräsident Pedro Sánchez

Fragile Minderheitsregierung treibt Polarisierung im Land weiter voran

Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) ist als Ministerpräsident mit Hilfe separatistischer Parteien aus Katalonien und dem Baskenland wiedergewählt worden. Er mutet Spanien dafür einen hohen Preis zu. Das Land ist gespalten wie nie. Die noch junge Demokratie droht Schaden zu nehmen.

A leap into the unknown

Libertarian Javier Milei is the new president of Argentina

The winner of the run-off election for the office of President of Argentina is Javier Milei. The libertarian candidate from the La Libertad Avanza party, which was only founded two years ago, won a surprisingly clear victory with 55.69% of the vote and a lead of over 11% against the Peronist candidate and incumbent Minister of Economy and Finance Sergio Massa with 44.3%. In the general elections on October 22, the latter had been able to claim first place in the voters' favor with just under 37% of the vote and a 7% lead over Milei. Voter turnout was 76.35% and the proportion of abstentions was lower than expected at 1.55%, with 1.62% of votes being invalid. The Libertarian won in 20 of the 23 provinces and in the autonomous city of Buenos Aires. He probably also owes his clear victory to the support of prominent figures from the conservative Propuesta Republicana (PRO) party. Although their presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich did not make it into the run-off, almost 24% of voters had given her their vote in October. Just three days after the election, both former President Mauricio Macri and Patricia Bullrich publicly spoke out in favor of Milei and against Massa. However, the initial euphoria over the election victory could quickly evaporate, even for the newly elected president, against the backdrop of the enormous challenges, particularly in economic policy.

Re-election of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez

Fragile minority government will increase polarization

Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) has been re-elected as Prime Minister of the Spanish government with the help of separatist parties from Catalonia and the Basque Country. He is imposing a high price on Spain for his decision. The country is more divided than ever. The relatively young democracy is in danger of being compromised.

Policy Brief: Social Issues in Cambodia

In this volume, thirdteen articles have been highlighted in four areas ranging from 1) Phnom Penh City, 2) Economy and Digitalization, 3) Disaster Risk and Waste Management, and 4) Sustainable Development Goals in Cambodia.

Special Report - “ASEAN’s Critical Assessment and Practical Reforms”

This special publication aims to explore ASEAN’s weaknesses or loopholes in its existing working mechanisms, policies and initiatives by looking at its main three pillars, namely the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), and to offer recommendations for practical reforms.

Chad - The next candidate for upheaval in the Sahel?

An important partner in the Sudan crisis

Is Chad the next candidate for upheaval in the Sahel? The Central African country looks more stable than Mali, Niger or Burkina Faso. Chad is an important Western ally in a volatile region where Russia has been expanding in its neighbours Libya, Sudan and the Central African Republic and also a key humanitarian hub as some half a million refugees have fled civil war in Sudan. But military president Mahamat Deby has been cracking down on the opposition and delaying elections. He has come also under criticism for working closely with France. So how stable is Chad?

The Art of Crisis Management

The Pandemic Agreement – An Opportunity for Health for all

The pandemic agreement responds to global coordination deficits during the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to improve preparedness for future pandemics by promoting cooperation without jeopardizing national sovereignty. However, national dissatisfaction could have a negative impact on the negotiations. Fears that national sovereignty or the protection of human rights could be undermined by the pandemic agreement or the World Health Organization (WHO) are unfounded, as national legislative and decision-making processes will remain crucial. Concluding the negotiations by May 2024 is the declared goal, although there are still some points of contention. The realistic concern is that the WHO will end up with insufficient powers and resources and will not produce an effective framework for preventing and responding to future pandemics, rather than becoming a "global health police" with far-reaching powers of intervention. The pandemic agreement should be seen as an opportunity to positively transform lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic into clear and transparent rules to defend against future pandemics.

Local elections in Bulgaria

GERB Strongest force, but with losses

Local elections were held in Bulgaria on 29 October and 5 November. The influential on the local level EPP party GERB (Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria) suffered losses, but was able to maintain its positions in many places. Its main opponent, the PP-DB coalition ("We Continue the Change" and "Democratic Bulgaria"), in which the left-liberal PP took part in local elections for the first time, received the most votes for the city council in the capital Sofia and will also provide the mayor, but lost votes compared to the parliamentary elections in April 2023.

Minimizing the Human Factor

Mongolia's search for the "perfect system"

Is there a "perfect system of government"? How should it be designed to prevent corruption and illegitimate political influence? Can the human factor be eliminated through sophisticated checks and balances? Can a free press and an independent judiciary be replaced by an optimized electoral system and a balanced composition of parliament? Mongolia is trying to answer these questions by once again adapting the election and party laws and amending the constitution. Thirty-three years after the peaceful democratic revolution, the fine-tuning of the Mongolian system of government has still not been completed.

A nation loses its patience

Controversial mining contract in Panama triggers mass protests across the country

In recent months, Panama has been involved in a controversial debate about a controversial mining contract with far-reaching implications. The contract, which was approved by the Panamanian Congress on October 20, grants Minería Panama, a subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals from Canada, the right to operate the largest open pit copper mine in Central America for a period of 20 years. This mine covers approximately 12,000 hectares in Donoso, Colón province. The agreement promises significant economic benefits for Panama and ensures that at least USD 375 million in license fees will be paid annually. President Laurentino Cortizo emphasized at the approval of the contract on 24 October: 'We have made the right decision, not the easiest one. Nevertheless, nationwide protests broke out, reflecting public dissatisfaction with both the agreement itself and current government policy.