The Lisbon Treaty

A Basis for the European Union in the 21st Century

Since December 1, 2009 the Lisbon Treaty has formed a new legal basis for the European Union. It is the result of an ambitious project that began life eight years ago as the idea of an European constitutional treaty, and had to overcome many hurdles on its way.

The Spanish Presidency of the EU in 2010

What Can We Expect from the First EU Presidency Under the Terms of the Lisbon Treaty?

Wounded by the most serious economic crisis since joining the European Union in 1986 and beset by the lowest approval ratings of any Spanish head of government since 1994, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero takes up the reins of Spain’s EU presidency on January 1, 2010. What he wants from the six months before the tenure passes over to Belgium is above all to restore his reputation and regain respect from the voters at home.

Change has come ... has it? President Barack Obamas’s first year

Ein Jahr Präsident Barack Obama

Recent polls reveal how sharply public approval has dropped since Obama took office in January 2009. It thus seems reasonable to take stock on the first anniversary of Obama’s presidency – one year of President Barack Obama.

Early Effort - Early Exit? The Obama Administration’s Policy in the Middle East Conflict So Far

Ever since its first days in office the Obama administration has tried to decisively promote the Middle East peace process. Also in the Middle East, Obama has pursued his new paradigmatic approach to engagement. This stands in deliberate contrast to his presidential predecessor. Not least to strengthen this new course, Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Still, these efforts in the Middle East have not yet yielded any positive results.

Editorial

Ausgabe 12/2009 der Auslandsinformationen der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

Election in Mozambique – Chronicle of a Victory Declared

On 28 October 2009 multiparty elections were held in Mozambique for the fourth time since the end of the civil war in 1992. Up for election were thepresident, 250 deputies of the national parliament, and, for the first time in the history of the country, 812 members from ten provincial assemblies. The numbers of seats per provincial assembly range from 70 to 91.

Out of Sight – Out of Mind? Is The Bush Era History Already?

Even with the new US government still happy to use symbolic gestures to highlight the changeover in the White House, and the Republicans looking fornew leadership figures and policies, it would be premature to consider the Bush era dead and buried already.

Squandered Hope? The Palestinian Perspective on the Middle East Policy of Barack Obama

During the first ten months following his inauguration as the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama started to reshape the Middle East policy of the U.S. administration. In contrast to his predecessor George W. Bush, who had shown commitment in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict only in 2003 with the introduction of the Road Map, Obama introduced a paradigm shift inthe Middle East policy after only a few months.

What is a ”Win” in Afghanistan?

Following on the strategic review commissioned by Obama, when he declared himself in favor of a troop-intensive counter insurgency (COIN), the President has begun to have doubts in the last few months about the merits of this approach.

2009 - The Super Election Year in Indonesia

This year, general parliamentary elections were held for the third time in the history of the recent democracy of Indonesia (after 1999 and 2004), which began in 1998 with the fall of the Suharto regime; the second direct presidential elections since 2004 were also held. However, the democratic reorganization of the largest country in Southeast Asia, both in terms of area and population, is only one aspect of the so-called “Reformasi.”