Asset Publisher

Further publications

Asset Publisher

IMAGO / Vlad Bereholschi

Presidential election in Romania: A neck-and-neck race

A decisive course will be set in Romania on 18 May 2025

George Simion (AUR) and Nicușor Dan (non-party), two candidates who are explicitly positioning themselves against the ‘system’ characterised by clientelism, corruption and impunity, are running in the run-off of the Romanian presidential election on 18 May 2025. The right-wing populist George Simion is an avowed fan of the MAGA policy concept and Donald Trump and is campaigning on isolationism, nationalism and territorial revanchism. The liberal Nicușor Dan represents the pro-European, moderate, pro-business and reform-oriented counter-image of a cosmopolitan Romania. Voters will decide on Sunday which of the two will be their next president.

Katja Christina Plate
May 16, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / Light Studio Agency

Parliamentary elections in Albania

A predictable victory and unanswered questions

Parliamentary elections were held in Albania on 11 May 2025. The ruling Socialist Party (SP) under Prime Minister Edi Rama once again emerged as the strongest force with 52 per cent of the vote, winning the elections for the fourth time in a row. It was able to achieve an absolute majority again - as it did in 2021. It will now hold 83 of the 140 seats in parliament. The conservative Democratic Party (DP) under Sali Berisha won 34 per cent of the vote as part of the ‘Alliance for a Great Albania’ and thus won 50 of the seats. Four smaller parties also made it into parliament. For the first time, Albanians living abroad were able to take part in the parliamentary elections. Opposition leader Berisha does not want to accept the election results. He accused the ruling party of vote-buying and using state resources and called on his supporters to protest.

Dr. Thomas Kunze, Klaudja Zerva
May 15, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / SNA

Formally still independent, but hardly sovereign

Belarus in Russia's wake

Russia is now driving the process towards a union state with Belarus, which has long been simmering on a low flame, at all levels and at high speed. Most recently, the pompous forum ‘Great Heritage - Common Future’ took place at the end of April in Volgograd, Russia, on the margins of the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army in Stalingrad. What independent observers describe as Moscow's ‘victory hysteria’ surrounding the military parade on 9 May, is equally evident in official Belarusian rhetoric. The Russian narrative about the interpretation of the history of World War II is also actively employed in Belarus to justify aggression against Ukraine and to shape its stance toward Europe. Lukashenko has maintained his grip on power by making extensive concessions to the Kremlin, effectively trading Belarusian sovereignty for political survival. In terms of security policy, the ‘Agreement on Security Guarantees in the Union State’, ratified in Moscow at the beginning of the year, represents a further stage of escalation. Among other things, it enables military bases for Russian nuclear missiles, which can reach Vilnius in two minutes. Russia needs the regime in the neighboring country as a critical military ally, relying on its territory for missile deployment and as a strategic staging ground for troops near the borders of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine. The upcoming Zapad 2025 military exercises, scheduled for September, evoke troubling memories of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which followed similar “training maneuvers.”

Gabriele Baumann
May 14, 2025
Country reports
Bundesregierung/Steffen Kugler

New Faces and New Focus

Chancellor Friedrich Merz Leads New Government in Germany

Germany has a new government with Friedrich Merz from the CDU elected as Chancellor by the Bundestag. His cabinet consists of 17 ministers from the coalition parties CDU, CSU, and SPD. They aim to address the backlog of reforms in Germany and set new priorities in foreign policy.

Dr. Hardy Ostry, Jan Bösche
May 13, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / Martin Bertrand

100 Days Cabinet Zheljaskov

A positive interim assessment

On 16 January 2025, the Bulgarian Parliament (National Assembly) elected a coalition government consisting of the alliance “Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria - Union of Democratic Forces” (GERB-SDS, both EPP), the “Bulgarian Socialist Party - United Left” (BSP-OL), the “There is such a people” party (ITN) and the “Alliance for Rights and Freedoms” (APS). The cabinet has now been in office for 100 days and it can be concluded that it has succeeded in restoring political stability in the country and setting the course for the future. Bulgaria also remains a reliable and important partner for Germany.

Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes, Borislaw Wankow
May 13, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / Avalon.red

Papst Leo XIV

A "Latino at heart"

Pope Leo XIV is not only the first American to occupy St. Peter's throne, but also the first Peruvian. The election of Robert Prevost, who was granted Peruvian citizenship in 2015, plunged an entire country into jubilation. The new pope has deep roots in Latin America, where he served as a priest and bishop for over two decades. Like his predecessor Francis, Leo XIV is likely to focus international attention on social issues and Latin America. At the same time, his demeanor is characterized by reconciliation and compromise, rather than political infighting.

Jonathan Neu, Sebastian Grundberger
May 12, 2025
Country reports
Titelbild mit der KI Adobe Firefly generiert, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V.

What Canada and Singapore teach us about promoting basic skills at an early age

High-quality early childhood education for equal opportunities and educational success

Early childhood education strengthens foundational competencies, promotes social participation and educational success, and generates high social returns. Canada and Singapore demonstrate how successful systems can emerge through mandatory educational plans, high quality standards, public funding, and targeted support for disadvantaged children. Germany should strategically expand early childhood education, introduce mandatory curricula, and strengthen quality development as well as evidence-based governance.

Prof. Anne Sliwka
May 7, 2025
Facts and Findings
IMAGO / NurPhoto

Canada has voted

A new course is being set

In the midst of a serious crisis with the USA, Canada is once again governed by a Liberal minority government following early elections. Despite good results, the Conservatives miss out on what they thought was a certain election victory. Canada appears to be on the way to a two-party system.

Dr. Bernd Althusmann
May 6, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

Waiting for the White Smoke

Conclave in Rome

From Wednesday, the international media will be focused on what is probably the most famous chimney in the world. Who will step onto the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica after the “Habemus Papam” and give the first “Urbi et Orbi” blessing? The vast media hype in the Eternal City shows that the Catholic Church and the Papacy have still universal relevance. For the cardinal electors, however, the aim is to bring together the program and the person. But a lot of things run differently at the conclave than an outsider might imagine. This analysis sets out the key themes of the future pontificate and considers which personalities could represent them.

Michael Feth, Dr. Nino Galetti
May 5, 2025
Country reports
IMAGO / AAP

A Historic Election for Australia

Labor’s landslide victory and Conservatives in disarray

In the same week that Canada swung left, Australia followed with a similar but even more decisive result. Just two hours after polls closed—at 8:25 p.m. on May 3—ABC News officially declared the Australian Labor Party (ALP)'s election victory and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's second term. A red wave swept across the country, delivering the Conservatives their worst defeat in recent memory. The loss was significant in scale, and symbolic: Opposition Leader Peter Dutton even lost his own seat in Parliament, a seat he had held for 24 years.

Chhayheng Soth
May 5, 2025
Country reports

Asset Publisher

Asset Publisher