Articles

Ten Propositions on the Transformation of the Conflict in Colombia

The conflict that is reigning in Colombia is a complex matter, particularly because of its current transformation. The following ten propositions may help to explain recent developments in the country, where the great potential for violence has been generating negative headlines for a long time.

The Negotiations and the Agreement on Power Sharing in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is caught up in a crisis that could not be severer. Not for the first time, President Robert Mugabe demonstrated that he is not prepared to relinquish his power, even though poll results may show him up as the loser: at the presidential, senatorial, parliamentary, and local elections that were held in March 2008, the challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai, and the opposition parties united in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won 47.9 percent of the vote, leaving the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) behind at 43.2 percent.

A Permanent Democratic Majority?

The presidential election campaign of 2008 will probably enter the history of the US as the most expensive and most publicized ever. The situation of the Republicans was as bad as it could be: the poll ratings of the incumbent, George W. Bush, were among the lowest ever recorded for a US president.

Barrack Obama and Latin America - Common Interests and Old Misunderstandings

The impending change of government in the US gives rise to the question of whether relations between Washington and the Latin American region can be rearranged. Will the southern neighbours of the US continue to have reason to feel like the backyard of the great power to the north, and will the US continue to show no interest in them? According to recent polls, the Latin American countries have hardly any priority in the concept of the US Democrats. After his election, Mr Obama talked to numerous other countries before he called Mr Uribe, Colombia’s head of state, in 36th place. And he announced that he intended to defeat his enemies, support his friends, consolidate old alliances, and forge new ones. What does that mean for Latin America?

Editorial der Ausgabe: "Auslandsinformationen 12/2008"

Ausgabe 12/2008 der Auslandsinformationen der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

NATO's Future. Some Considerations on a New Era in the History of the Alliance

In the field of security policy, 2009 will be marked by two outstanding events: Barack Obama will assume the presidency of the US, and NATO will celebrate its 60th anniversary. Both these events offer an occasion to ask questions about the future development of the Atlantic defence alliance. After all, the results of the NATO summit that was held in Bucharest in April did not make everyone happy, for they did not include a new strategic concept.

Opting Out is Dangerous: Challenges Confronting the Incoming US President in Afghanistan

’Improve your own esteem in the world!’ This is the advice recently given by the French head of state, Mr Sarkozy, to the US secretary of state, Mrs Rice, when she asked him on behalf of the leaders in Washington what the US could do for him. And indeed it is necessary to take action, especially in Afghanistan. How to convince the local population that all the US-led coalition with its soldiers, advisers, and aid workers is after is to improve the lot of the Afghans? That is the question.

The Consequences of the International Financial Crisis in Various Regions

Unlike the USA and Europe, where the global financial crisis left behind recession, bankrupt enterprises, and unemployment, the damage suffered by the emerging countries is limited. What is more, countries such as China, India, and Brazil even benefit from the fact that they did not liberalize their financial markets too hastily. To them, the crisis offers a chance of improving their position in the international fabric of power.

The International Financial Crisis and the United States of America

It is well known that the USA was the starting point of the current world financial crisis. Defective regulation, as occasionally depicted, is not its only cause. Others include massive state intervention and the failed monetary policy of the US Federal Bank.

Between Domestic-Policy Turbulences and the Lisbon Treaty

The Czech Republic Before its Presidency of the EU Council in 2009

The current domestic and European policy of the Czech Republic is characterized by one person – the president and ’Euro-realist’ Vaclav Klaus. However, not all citizens of the country, which is currently facing many problems, share the view of this EU-critical head of state. These problems include domestic instability, the weakness of prime minister Mirek Topolanek, the controversial reform process, the deployment of US radar stations, and the Lisbon Treaty. This is the situation in which the Czech Republic, now confronted by the consequences of the financial crisis on top of everything, will take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in January 2009.