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IMAGO / SOPA Images

A Window of Opportunity for Syria

After more than 50 years, the rule of the Assad family is coming to an end. This is cause for celebration. But Syria faces huge challenges.

The fall of the Assad regime was as sudden as it was swift. But after more than 13 years of civil war and in view of the complex regional environment, the political reorganisation of Syria is not going to be easy. A heterogeneous alliance of partly jihadist rebels will have to organise the political transition and involve the relevant stakeholders in the process. There is a great sense of optimism in the country, but this is mixed with concerns about revenge and renewed conflict.

Michael Bauer
December 10, 2024
Country reports
IMAGO / MAXPPP

Georgia on the barricades

Since the government announced that Georgia would suspend its EU rapprochement, tens of thousands have been protesting across the country every evening.

Less than a month after the controversial parliamentary elections in Georgia, the old and new head of government Irakli Kobakhidze surprisingly declared that the government led by the Georgian Dream party had decided not to endeavour to enter into EU accession negotiations until 2028 and not to accept any further EU payments. This was preceded by a strong resolution by the European Parliament, in which the parliamentary elections of 26 October were described as not free and fair and the Georgian Dream was held responsible for massive democratic setbacks in Georgia. Since then, there have been massive protests every night in numerous cities. The police responds with brutal violence, the demonstrators respond with fireworks. Hundreds of people have been arrested. The fronts have hardened.

Stephan Malerius, Florian Binder
December 9, 2024
Country reports
IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

Government overthrow in France

Germany's closest partner in the crisis

The vote on the 2025 budget proved to be a stumbling block for Michel Barnier's government. With 331 out of 577 votes (289 were required), the Barnier government was overthrown by a motion of no confidence from the left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NFP), which was supported by the right-wing populist Rassemblement National (RN). Prime Minister Barnier had tried until the very end, including in a television interview the evening before, to convince politicians and compatriots that the fall of the government would plunge France into chaos. With the end of the government, France is facing a seemingly insurmountable stalemate that could have lasting consequences for France and Europe against the backdrop of high national debt.

Anja Czymmeck, Max Willem Fricke, Nele Katharina Wissmann
December 6, 2024
Country reports
IMAGO / Le Pictorium

The EU and its global partners in a new legislative period

Leveraging its power or struggling to deliver?

When it comes to the relations with its global partners, the re-elected Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has formulated high ambitions: the goal is to “leverage” the EU’s “power and partnerships”. When in 2019 she dubbed her first commission as a “geopolitical” one, this appeared as a bold and – for some – controversial choice of words. With two major conflicts in the EU’s immediate neighborhood and an increasingly fragile global environment, strengthening ties with global partners seems no longer to be a choice, but a vital necessity of the EU. While the EU is only at the very beginning of the new legislative period, policy guidelines, hearings, interviews and not least the new setup of Commission, Parliament and Council allow an idea about the future priorities and strategies from Brussels towards the world. While a complete turnaround of the EU’s strategy with its global partners seems unlikely, some shifts are to be expected: more (interest-driven) pragmatism, more prioritization and an attempt to forge more equal partnerships.

Dr. Olaf Wientzek, Jonas Nitschke, Louis Bout, Nicole Linsenbold
December 4, 2024
Country reports
IMAGO / NurPhoto

Surprise coup against Parliament

In conflict with opposition, South Korea’s President declared martial law

During the night of December 3-4, 2024, martial law prevailed in South Korea for the first time since the days before democracy in 1980/81. President Yoon Suk-yeol declared that the opposition's efforts to cut his budget and for further impeachment proceedings against members of his government were a threat to the country and spoke of infiltration by pro-North Korean forces. A few hours later, he was forced to reverse the decision by successful resistance from parliament and massive demonstrations, and now his government is in ruins. The next few days will probably only decide whether he leaves voluntarily or has to be forced.

Thomas Yoshimura
December 4, 2024
Country reports
IMAGO / Panthermedia

Snap Elections in Iceland

A Turning Point for Iceland's Political Landscape

The result of the early parliamentary elections in Iceland represents a clear rebuke to the outgoing coalition. In particular, the Left-Green Movement, which had garnered over 17 percent at the beginning of the coalition, is now fighting for its survival after losing all its seats in parliament. The conservative Independence Party, which has been the strongest party in the Icelandic parliament since Iceland's independence in 1944 – with the exception of 2009 – has also achieved its historically worst result. The task of forming a coalition now lies with the Social Democrats, who will need to find at least two to three coalition partners.

Aino Esser, Oliver Morwinsky
December 3, 2024
Country reports
IMAGO / Xinhua

Parliamentary elections in Romania: Majority urgently needed

Majority urgently needed

Just one week after the far-right Călin Georgescu unexpectedly came first in the first round of the Romanian presidential election, Romania's parliamentary elections took place on December 1, 2024. The result is a parliament full of medium-sized and small parties that will be very difficult to bind into a halfway stable government coalition. Since the appointment of the prime minister and the government is the task of the president, political attention is now turning again to the outcome of the presidential election, which is scheduled to take place on December 8.

Katja Christina Plate
December 3, 2024
Country reports
KAS/Anna-Lena Wasserfall

Elections in Ghana

Will the country remain a "democratic beacon" in an increasingly unstable region?

The election campaign in Ghana is well underway shortly before the presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7. Temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius are not stopping people in the capital Accra from standing on the roadside for hours and waving flags and posters with the colours and symbols of their party. The red, white and blue colours of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the red, green, black and white colours of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) - the two major political parties in the country - are the dominant colours in the city these days. The growing tension among the population is clearly noticeable given the critical economic situation in the country.

Anna Wasserfall
November 29, 2024
Country reports

Uruguay chooses a change of power

Candidate of the Left prevails in the second round of voting

Yamandú Orsi was able to win the second round of the presidential election on November 24 surprisingly clearly. This means that the left-wing Frente Amplio will determine the fate of the government of the small country on the Rio de la Plata for the next five years. The centre-right coalition, which has now been voted out of office, will have to go into opposition. The search for the reasons for the election defeat of the actually successful and quite popular government has only just begun.

November 25, 2024
Country reports
IMAGO / newspix

Tusk's Government Faces Obstacles

Poland One Year After the Change in Leadership

In October 2023, Poland experienced a historic moment of democratic engagement, with record voter turnout leading to a victory for the Civic Coalition (KO) under Donald Tusk. This electoral shift marked the end of the national-conservative Law and Justice Party's (PiS) eight-year rule. The new government faced the daunting dual challenge of reversing the PiS’s systematic erosion of the rule of law and repairing strained relations with the European Union and other international partners.

David Gregosz, Susanna Zapf
November 25, 2024
Country reports
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