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Short political reports of the KAS offices abroad

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Saher Elghorra/TheNews2/imago images

In the crossfire: Without perspective in the midst of nationalist-religious violence

The Situation of Christians in the Palestinian Territories

Christians in the Palestinian Territories live a life between all fronts: Fundamentalist Islamic forces on the one hand and Jewish extremists on the other make life difficult for them. In addition, there is a lack of economic prospects and a rigorous Israeli occupation policy. So, many Christian Palestinians are leaving their home. But with their institutions, they are an important socio-economic factor and a central part of the Palestinian community.

REUTERS / Stoyan Nenov

Elections in Bulgaria

GERB wins in fifth parliamentary election in two years

On April 2nd, parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria for the fifth time in two years. A total of 21 formations - 14 parties and 7 coalitions - fought for the 240 seats in the National Assembly, the Bulgarian parliament, which are allocated on the basis of pure proportional representation.

REUTERS / Reuters Staff

Elections in Finland

Voted to remain happy? With the election victory of the Conservatives, Finland is facing a change of government

A high quality of life, gender equality, the closeness of people to nature, the absence of corruption and the importance of democratic values form the cornerstones of how Finnish society perceives itself. For the sixth year in a row, the United Nations World Happiness Report has named Finland the country with the happiest and most content people in the world based on these criteria.

UJAMAA: Past and Present

The concept of Ujamaa and its impact on postcolonial Tanzania

This article aims at promoting an understanding of the concept of Ujamaa in its key ideas and of its relevance as a policy that still has an impact on postcolonial Tanzania. Using Julius Nyerere’s essay „Ujamaa - the Basis for African Socialism“ (1962) as a starting point, this article seeks to explore Ujamaa’s multifaceted meanings and realities, addressing the Arusha Declaration (1967) and the beginnings of a villagization program. It furthermore aims at critically reflecting on the role and portrayal of Julius Nyerere concerning Ujamaa.

IMAGO / Zoonar

The Sino-Vietnamese Border Conflict

A Forgotten War?

A review of the ten-year border conflict (1979 to 1989) between China and Vietnam and the culture of remembrance as a reflection of bilateral relations

Pixabay / David Peterson

Lula III: Between Euphoria and Disillusionment

Almost 100 days of the Lula government

The euphoria following the election victory of President Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva (Partido dos Trabalhadores, PT) in Brazil is being followed by the expected disillusionment about a hundred days after his third inauguration (Lula III) and the West is having to realise that disappointments are quite possible even with this new government.

gemeinfrei

A year before the general elections in India

Rebirth of the opposition or another term for Modi?

The final countdown is on, with Indian general elections due from May to June 2024. Nothing new for the world's largest democracy, which finds itself in perpetual election mode. In the same year, ten more regional elections will be held in addition to the Lok Sabha elections. Will the man of the last two general elections, Narendra Modi, and his BJP continue to ride the wave of success? Or is the time ripe for a renaissance of the grand old Congress Party and its opposition allies? Also, why has the face of the Congress party and the BJP opposition en large, Rahul Gandhi, lost his parliamentary seat in the wake of a recent court ruling? These are all probing questions for the worlds largest democracy explored in this country report, providing a deep dive into the hearts and minds of the 1 billion eligible Indian voters and their political representatives.

Why Georgia is important

Georgia looks west, Europe should look east

Federal Foreign Minister Baerbock travels to Tbilisi. The visit comes at an important time: last July, the EU held out the prospect of candidate status to Georgia and made it conditional on Georgia's compliance with twelve recommendations, primarily in the areas of the rule of law and the fight against corruption. The most important point related to the depolarisation of the political debate in the country, which escalated in early March with mass protests against a law on agents planned by the government. Once again, Georgians demonstrated impressively that they want to join the EU. For Europe, the country is an important ally in a complicated region surrounded by authoritarian-ruled states (Russia, Iran) and semi-authoritarian-ruled states (Turkey). Georgia is also a key country in the so-called Middle Corridor, an alternative transport link for the movement of goods between East and West that has become crucial to global supply chains as Russia has become isolated.

Reuters / China Daily CDIC

Diplomatic Thaw in the Gulf?

The Iranian-Saudi rapprochement, implications for the region, and China's newfound role as a Middle East mediator

After more than seven years without diplomatic relations, Iran and Saudi Arabia surprisingly announced a foreign policy rapprochement in Beijing. Is this a turning point in the Iranian-Saudi rivalry, which has broad repercussions in the region from Iraq to Lebanon to Yemen? The agreement between the two Gulf adversaries is an attempt by Iran to break its international isolation and the result of a changing Saudi foreign policy. Meanwhile, China is challenging the U.S. for its influence as the traditional dominant power in the Gulf.

REUTERS / Adnan Abidi

Energy region Greece & Eastern Mediterranean - a region arises as Europe's supplier!

Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean can play a new important role

War in Ukraine, reduction of CO2 emissions, phasing out lignite; these are all keywords in the prevailing debates when it comes to energy supply in Europe. In the last two years, the way energy was used for electricity, heat and transport has been fundamentally changed. In the future, we will have to find new ways of producing and generating energy and prepare ourselves for a new era. Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean can play an important new role in this, to the benefit of the whole of Europe.

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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.

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Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.