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Australia is heading to the polls

Between everyday worries and global pressure, Australia is facing important decisions

On March 28, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the federal election would be held on May 3rd, after three years under the government led by the Australian Labor Party (ALP). The Prime Minister is being challenged by Peter Dutton, leader of the Liberal-National Coalition, who is currently polling behind in several opinion polls. As of April 23, the ALP held a 55.5 percent to 44.5 percent lead over the Coalition in the two-party preferred polls, favored to again lead the next government. 1

Chhayheng Soth
April 25, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO/ITAR-TASS

Assessing Myanmar’s Earthquake Response

Mechanisms for current and future humanitarian missions

The 2025 earthquake has reflected not only the fragility of Myanmar’s infrastructure but the deep fractures of its political and humanitarian landscape. In a nation where aid is weaponized, civil war fragments the state, and conscription pushes the flight of an entire generation, traditional humanitarian responses fall short. As the military junta continues to manipulate disaster for its own survival, international actors must rethink their approach. While it is an almost impossible task to bypass the military leaders entirely, especially for international agencies like the UN, relying on information from the Myanmar Diaspora and Civil Society Organisations helps: with who to engage on the ground, which funds and networks to support financially (even from abroad) and opening up the possibility of land border for aid delivery, point to alternative means of humanitarian assistance for current and future missions.

Moritz Fink, Dana Lee
April 25, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / robertharding

The Pope who shook the world awake

On the death of Pope Francis

The radical, the unyielding, the unfinished, the contradictory, the enigmatic – there is certainly no shortage of metaphors in the media for the late Pope Francis and his eventful pontificate. But after these exciting years, in which there was certainly no shortage of conflicts, crises and wars, what is the bottom line? What is the legacy that Francis has left behind politically and diplomatically on the international stage? What can a successor build on, where would a change of course be needed? The cardinals will also have to discuss this. We try to make an initial assessment.

Michael Feth, Dr. Nino Galetti
April 23, 2025
Country reports
Nuclear power plant in VietnamKI-generated with Adobe Firefly, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V.

A second chance for nuclear energy in Vietnam

The increasing energy demand in Vietnam is leading to a (re)entry into nuclear energy

Vietnam, one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia, faces the urgent challenge of sustainably and reliably meeting its steadily increasing energy demand. Power shortages and blackouts in recent years have alarmed foreign investors. In light of global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the need to diversify the national energy mix, nuclear energy is increasingly coming into focus.

Isis Helen Urbanczyk, Florian C. Feyerabend
April 22, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / Agencia Prensa-Independiente

Clear Victory for President Noboa

Ecuador shows the red card to a possible return of Correísmo

Daniel Noboa remains president of Ecuador. With a surprisingly clear result of more than eleven percent ahead, the young head of state was able to win the run-off election for the highest office against his left-wing populist challenger Luisa González. The loser's refusal to acknowledge her defeat once again proves the great polarization in the country. After a peaceful election, this division into two camps, along with the containment of organized crime and the difficult economic situation, are the biggest challenges for the election winner.

Johannes Hügel
April 14, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / Xinhua

A renewed dynamic in Central Asia-EU relations

Samarkand Summit

The first joint summit of the EU leadership with the heads of state and government from five Central Asian countries on 3 and 4 April in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) sent a strong political signal to enhance relations between both sides. The high-level meeting was the culmination of increased efforts by the EU in the past years and months to re-engage with the region. The joint declaration is an example of the more pragmatic and (primarily economic) interest-based approach of the EU in its partnership policy following the start of the new European Commission end of 2024.

Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Igor Bryzhatyi, André Algermißen
April 11, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

President Trump Bids Farewell to Free Global Trade

Liberating Tariffs

A tough measure, long announced: President Trump has imposed extensive tariffs on the USA's trading partners. For him, it was a “day of liberation”, freeing the USA from what he sees as unjustified trade barriers. For critics, the tariffs are not a suitable means of changing trade balances, but rather a threat to economic development.

Dr. Hardy Ostry, Jan Bösche
April 4, 2025
Country reports
Toshe Ognjanov

The fire disaster in Kočani: Shock for state and society in North Macedonia

Investigations uncover negligence and corruption behind the tragic incident

On March 16, 2025, 59 people died and 196 were injured in a fire disaster at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani - one of the worst tragedies in the country's history. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and led to calls for more rule of law and a reorganization of the system.

Daniel Braun, Davor Pasoski
April 2, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / NurPhoto

Political earthquake in France

How the court judgement against representatives of the Rassemblement National is being twisted by the right-wing populists as the end of the French constitutional state

On Monday, 31 March 2025, the former party leader and current parliamentary group leader of the right-wing populist party Rassemblement National (RN), Marine Le Pen, and eight of the party's MEPs were found guilty of embezzling public funds. The party representatives are alleged to have set up a ‘system of embezzlement’ of EU funds between 2004 and 2016 for the recruitment of parliamentary staff to finance the party's political activities. The damage was estimated by the European Parliament at almost 7 million euros. The twelve parliamentary assistants who also stood trial were found guilty of receiving stolen goods.

Anja Czymmeck, Max Willem Fricke, Nele Katharina Wissmann
April 2, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / Pacific Press Agency

Mali conflict

Mauritania becomes a refuge and main transit country to the European Union

The European Union is seeing a decline in migration from North Africa via the central Mediterranean, as smugglers are increasingly using the Atlantic route from Mauritania to the Canary Islands. At the same time, the Sahel region is increasingly becoming a refuge for Malians fleeing offensives by Russian mercenaries against jihadists. There is now the threat of a lot of social explosives, as the United Nations is having to significantly reduce aid for Malian refugees due to the Trump administration's cutbacks.

Ulf Laessing
April 1, 2025
Country reports
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