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IMAGO / Winfried Rothermel

Where America Really Decides

The Political Geography of the 2026 U.S. Midterms

435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 Senate elections, and numerous additional state and local contests will be on the ballot. Yet control of Congress on November 3 is likely to be decided in only a handful of states and congressional districts. The 2026 midterm elections will be shaped by national issues, but their effects will appear very differently across the American electoral map. While a small group of states will determine the balance of power in the Senate, competition in the House of Representatives will be concentrated in just a few dozen congressional districts. At the same time, the country's political geography continues to evolve: formerly Democratic-leaning industrial regions are voting more Republican, growing suburban areas are in some cases becoming more Democratic, and Donald Trump's much-discussed gains among Hispanic and previously disengaged voters in 2024 have not proven equally durable everywhere. Anyone seeking to understand who will control Congress in the years ahead must therefore look not only at how America votes, but above all at where it votes.

Dr. Hardy Ostry, Chiara Stäbler
October 16, 2026
Country reports
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0

Bosnia and Herzegovina has voted and remains trapped in the status quo

The party-political power structure was confirmed, albeit with some shifts

On October 4, 2026, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) held its regular elections, which take place every four years. Voters elected the members of the tripartite state presidency, the parliaments at the state level, in the country's two entities - the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska (RS) - and in the Federation's ten cantons, as well as the President of the RS.

Stephan Georg Raabe
October 16, 2026
Country reports
IMAGO / JOKER

„The Threshold for Family Formation Has Risen“

Interview with Professor Anna Rotkirch on declining fertility rates, the role of partnerships, and the conditions needed to help people realize their family intentions

Why are fewer and fewer people having children? Anna Rotkirch, Research Professor and Director at Väestöliitto, the Family Federation of Finland, examines the reasons behind declining birth rates and the growing barriers to family formation in Europe. She recommends looking beyond established family policy measures and paying greater attention to the conditions that shape people’s decisions about having children.

October 15, 2026
Interviews
IMAGO / Pond5 Images

Mongolian President Khurelsukh To Visit Germany

An Attempt to Reinvigorate a Long-Distance Relationship

The President of Mongolia, Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, will visit Germany from 19 to 22 October. Although Mongolia is a geographically distant and relatively small country in terms of population, this visit is important for both sides. Mongolia regards Germany as a preferred partner in helping to preserve its room for manoeuvre between its two powerful neighbours, Russia and China. Germany, for its part, is also seeking to gain and maintain global partners in an increasingly uncertain international environment who share our values and interests. Mongolia is such a partner. The two countries share common interests, particularly with regard to a rules-based international order and cooperation in the field of raw materials. In practice, however, significant challenges remain in the latter area. Domestically, Mongolia is approaching a presidential election in 2027 and parliamentary elections in 2028, the outcomes of which remain uncertain.

Dr. Sören Soika
October 13, 2026
Country reports
IMAGO / Xinhua

China’s ‘Space Silk Road’ – Space Partnerships in Africa

Security Implications for Europe and Germany

China is rapidly expanding its military capabilities in space, while Africa is becoming an increasingly important arena for Chinese space activities. Chinese-funded and Chinese-built satellites, ground stations, and planned spaceports strengthen African space capabilities but may also create new technological and political dependencies. The dual-use potential of these systems allows China to expand its strategic influence in Africa. This paper examines the implications for Germany and Europe and identifies options for European engagement.

Amélie Wurl, Tilmann Feltes
October 9, 2026
Facts and Findings
IMAGO / Xinhua

Parliamentary elections in Latvia 2026

Centre-right parties are given the mandate to govern, right-wing populists are strengthened

On 3 October, Latvia elected the 15th Saeima, the country's parliament. In total, over 1.5 million people were eligible to vote in Latvia's five constituencies of Riga, Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale. Fourteen party lists ran for 100 seats with 1,428 candidates. The election result produced a clear winner: Andris Kulbergs' United List (APVIENOTAIS SARAKSTS) received 35.3% of the vote, or 41 seats – a significant increase from the 15 seats it won in 2022. They were followed by the right-wing populists Latvia First (LATVIJA PIRMAJĀ VIETĀ) with 13.1% and Sovereign Power / Alliance of Young Latvians (Suverēnā Vara / Apvienība Jaunlatvieši, SV / AJ) with 11.7%, the national-conservative National Alliance (Nacionālā apvienība) with 8.9%, the (social democratic) Progressives (PROGRESĪVIE) with 7.9% and the EPP party New Unity (Jaunā VIENOTĪBA) with 6.5%. This means that six political forces are moving into the new Saeima. The election took place against a tense international and domestic political backdrop. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine continues. At the same time, Latvia is facing hybrid pressures ranging from the instrumentalization of migration on the border with Belarus to cyber threats and repeated violations of Latvian airspace by drones. During the 14th legislative period after 2022, the country had three governments under Prime Ministers Krišjānis Kariņš, Evika Siliņa, and Andris Kulbergs since May 2026. The latter thus took office a few months before the election.

Gabriele Baumann, Visvaldis Knuts Bērziņš, Daria Korastyleva
October 6, 2026
Country reports
IMAGO / MAXPPP

Brazil shifts to the right

Flávio Bolsonaro is narrowly ahead of President Lula in the first round of voting, whilst conservative forces in parliament and in the regions will be calling the shots

The first round of the Brazilian presidential election produced a surprise: contrary to the latest polls, Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and candidate for the Partido Liberal (PL), is just under two percentage points ahead of President Lula da Silva. At the same time, the PL is significantly expanding its influence in the federal states and in Congress, particularly in the Senate. This could have made Lula’s re-election in the run-off on 25 October less likely. Regardless of the outcome, a Congress that has shifted significantly to the right will be a key factor in future governance.

Vanessa Pinilla Fernandes
October 6, 2026
Country reports
IMAGO / IlluPics

Extremists’ Understanding of Democracy

The boundaries of democracy under Germany’s Basic Law, examined through the example of the Alternative for Germany party

Liberal democracy is under pressure. Using the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as an example, this study examines where the boundary lies between legitimate political criticism and efforts directed against the constitutional order. It focuses on human dignity and equality, freedom of religion, the separation of powers and independent institutions, as well as the relationship with Europe and the freedom of political parties. The analysis identifies areas in which AfD positions conflict with fundamental principles of Germany’s Basic Law.

Prof. Dr. Hans Hofmann
October 5, 2026
Monitor
KAS

Denkbilder, Buchfeiern, Glückserinnerungen

Neuerscheinungen der KAS-Literaturpreisträger zur Herbstbuchmesse

Herbstsaison ist Büchersaison. Und vieles ist neu auf der Frankfurter Messe. Für das Publikum werden die Genres durch spezielle Bühnen in den vier Hallen um die Agora noch sichtbarer ausgestellt. Neben dem literarischen Schwerpunktland Tschechien gibt es ein Programm für japanische Popkultur, ein eigenes Kinderfestival sowie eine spezielle Lounge für Krimifans. Gespannt ist die Buchwelt darauf, wer den Buchpreis 2026 bekommt. Nominiert mit ihrem zweiten Roman „Anton und Alma“ ist auch Dana Vowinckel, EHF 2010-Stipendiatin der KAS.

Prof. Dr. Michael Braun
October 5, 2026
Single title
IMAGO / Anadolu Agency

The Final Stretch to the 2026 Midterms

Where America Stands Before Election Day

“Pretend that I’m on the ballot.” With this appeal, Donald Trump is seeking to mobilize his supporters for the midterm elections on November 3, even though he himself is not on the ballot. Voters will elect the entire House of Representatives, a portion of the Senate, as well as numerous state-level offices. Just under seven weeks before Election Day, the campaign is being shaped primarily by economic conditions, the political record of the Trump administration, and the question of future majorities in Washington. Following the summer recess, both parties have intensified their campaign efforts. While Republicans are focusing on voter mobilization and support from President Donald Trump, Democrats are emphasizing the rising cost of living and the consequences of the administration’s policies. The political mood after the summer break offers an indication of the issues currently driving the campaign and the challenges both parties face as the election approaches.

Dr. Hardy Ostry, Chiara Stäbler
October 1, 2026
Country reports

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Facts and Findings

Selected contributions to the series with international relevance

The series informs in a concentrated form about important positions of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on current topics. The individual issues present key findings and recommendations, offer brief analyses, explain the Foundation's further plans and name KAS contact persons.  

International Reports

Journal for international issues, foreign policy and development cooperation

International Reports (IR) is the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung's periodical on international politics. It offers political analyses by our experts in Berlin and from more than 100 offices across all regions of the world. Contributions by named authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial team.

Die Politische Meinung

Zeitschrift für Politik, Gesellschaft, Religion und Kultur

Die Politische Meinung ist eine Zweimonatszeitschrift, in der ein breites Spektrum politischer, gesellschaftlicher und kultureller Themen der Gegenwart dargestellt und diskutiert werden. Sie bietet als Bezugspunkte fundierte Analysen historischer Hintergründe und eine der individuellen Eigenverantwortung verpflichtete, im christlichen Menschenbild verankerte Ethik. Die jeweiligen Themenschwerpunkte werden von einer inspirierenden Bilderstrecke, namhafter zeitgenössischer Künstlerinnen und Künstlern, vertieft.  

Research and Sources on Contemporary History

In der Reihe „Forschungen und Quellen zur Zeitgeschichte“ veröffentlicht das Archiv für Christlich-Demokratische Politik seit 1980 wissenschaftliche Studien zur Christlichen Demokratie, Darstellungen zur Geschichte der Bundesrepublik und der CDU sowie Biographien wichtiger Repräsentanten. Zu den 50 bisher erschienen Büchern zählen auch Quelleneditionen, wie Protokolle von Parteigremien oder Tagebücher von einflussreichen Politikern. Die Publikationen sind im Buchhandel erhältlich.

Interviews

In our series "Interviews", talks and discussions are held with experts from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. on various topics.

in short

Concise, reduced to the essentials, but always highly topical. In our series “in short”, our experts summarise an issue or problem on a maximum of two pages.

Country Reports

Short political reports of the KAS offices abroad

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.

Monitor

The Monitor series deals with one main topic at a time from the perspective of KAS experts and places it in the political and social context on the basis of a few key points.

Event Reports

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.

Handouts for Political Education

Grundlageninformationen zur Beteiligung
an aktuellen politischen Diskussionen

Mit der Reihe „Handreichungen zur Politischen Bildung“ möchte die Politische Bildung der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung interessierte Bürgerinnen und Bürger über politische Entwicklungen informieren, Orientierungen in Sachfragen geben und das Interesse an politischer Mitwirkung stärken. Die Handreichungen verstehen sich als Grundlageninformationen zur Beteiligung an aktuellen politischen Diskussionen.

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Completed publication series

Working Paper

Broschürenreihe mit Darstellungen und Positionen, die kurzfristig auf aktuelle politische Fragen reagieren

The Woman in Our Time

Lebensentwürfe von Frauen –
was hat sich verändert?

Jede Ausgabe widmete sich einem Schwerpunktthema aus Politik und Gesellschaft, der Arbeits- und Familienwelt, aus Kultur und Literatur und diskutierte dieses aus frauenpolitischer Sicht.

Sociopolitical Series

Veröffentlicht wurden herausragende Dissertationsschriften mit gesellschaftspolitisch relevanten Themen von Stipendiatinnen und Stipendiaten der Begabtenförderung und Personen, die ihrem Promotionskolleg „Soziale Marktwirtschaft“ kooptiert sind. Die Reihe gab den Autorinnen und Autoren ein wissenschaftliches und publizistisches Forum und brachte aktuelle Themen in die öffentliche Diskussion ein.

Basic Questions of Christian Democracy

In dieser Reihe erschienen im Jahr 2006 Texte namenhafter Autoren zu Grundfragen der christlichen Demokratie.

In Conversation

Kulturpolitische Umschau

Zeitschrift mit Berichten aus Bundestag und Bundesländern, Gastbeiträgen, Rezensionen und Presseauswertungen zur aktuellen Kulturpolitik.

In Plenary

Broschürenreihe der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung mit den Beiträgen von Konferenzen, Fachtagungen und Kongressen, die von längerfristigem Interesse sind.

In Plenary Compact

Die Broschüren im DIN-A-4-Format fassen kurz und knapp die Ergebnisse von Konferenzen, Fachtagungen und Kongressen zusammen, die von längerfristigem Interesse sind.

KAS International

Information from the Division of European and International Cooperation

This series informs about current important events and developments of our work to point out our wide spectrum of activities.

Materials for the Work on Site

Kleine Schriftenreihe zu aktuellen Themen der Kommunalpolitik

Mit der eigenen Reihe "Materialien für die Arbeit vor Ort" bereitet die Stiftung zu aktuellen Themen wichtige Informationen in handhabbarer Form auf, so dass sie in der kommunalpolitischen Praxis nutzbar sind. Eine weitere Serie unter dem Titel "Diskurs kommunal" befasst sich mit besonderen Aspekten der Kommunalpolitik.

Positions

Reden, Essays und Grundsatzpapiere zu drängenden Zeitfragen

In dieser Broschürenreihe veröffentlicht die Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung grundlegende Positionen zu wichtigen Themen der Zeit.

Showing 1 to 10 of 12 entries.