Findings from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)’s 2026 MENA Survey
A decade and a half after the 2011 Arab Spring, conditions across the region have changed drastically. The promises of positive change for ordinary citizens in the early 2010s have largely receded into systems that, for the most part, resemble the political systems that existed before the uprisings. Yet, much has also changed: the horrific attacks by the terrorist organization Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023 and the Israeli military campaign that followed have had vast spillover effects. Regional escalations in recent years culminated in the joint U.S. and Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28, 2026 and has since impacted nearly all countries in the Middle East. Amidst the Iran war, KAS cooperated with Arab Research and Analytics Associates to carry out nationally representative public opinion surveys across seven societies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, and Tunisia. The results reveal that a combination of frustration, pragmatism, and selective optimism defines public opinion across MENA. This outcome may be surprising, particularly given the challenges brought about by the Iran war. The survey findings imply that this conflict has cast a long shadow over both domestic and international responses, reinforcing attention to security, national resilience, regional alignments, and the risks associated with appearing out of step with national interests during a moment of crisis.
August 12, 2026
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Imago / ZUMA Press Wire
Nairobi: Storming of the Parliament
The Republic of Kenya in Turmoil
The protests against the planned tax increases in Kenya escalated on Tuesday when demonstrators stormed the parliament in Nairobi. Among other things, the governor's office was set on fire and numerous politicians had to be evacuated. The riots have already resulted in several deaths.
Jan-Ole Voß, Laurence Jost
June 26, 2024
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IMAGO / Kyodo News
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Berlin
Current background information on the visit of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Berlin
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to pay an official visit to Berlin from March 11 to 13. While bilateral relations were at a low point under the previous government of Rodrigo Duterte, they have improved noticeably since Marcos took office. One reason for this is the tense geopolitical climate and the interest of both countries in defending the rules-based international order. The most important topics of the visit will therefore be the maintenance of regional security in the Indo-Pacific and the intensification of economic and trade relations.
Daniela Braun
March 6, 2024
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IMAGO / Friedrich Stark
Attacks on Christians in Nigeria
How the raids at Christmas 2023 fit into an existing major conflict over resources in Nigeria
Nigeria, a country torn by multiple crisis and conflicts, experienced a series of attacks on Christmas 2023, which gained attention far beyond its own borders. But the search for reasons to explain this outbreak of violence is complex. With a spreading conflict on resources, fueled by climate change and population growth, it becomes evident, that more reasons are underlying then the smouldering religious conflict in the region.
Lukas Laible
January 25, 2024
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IMAGO / Cavan Images
Focus on Panama
A report on the Climate Week for Latin America and the fear of selling out the country
The Climate Week for Latin America and the Caribbean took place in Panama from 23 to 27 October 2023. Shortly beforehand, the parliament approved a controversial treaty on the exploitation of raw materials, which led to major protests and restrictions on Climate Week. The conference discussed the financing of the transition to renewable energies and measures to adapt to climate change. The countries of Latin America are planning to act as joint negotiating partners for the first time at the World Climate Conference in Dubai. The parliamentary approval of the mining agreement a few days before the conference led to protests by the population and shows the conflict between climate protection and the demand for raw materials, which are necessary for a green transition.
Julia Sandner
November 16, 2023
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IMAGO / Fotoarena
Sincerity or showmanship
What's behind Lula's efforts to build international alliances to protect rainforests?
With the Amazon Summit, an international summit for the protection of the rainforest took place in August 2023 in Belém, Brazil, with high-ranking participants from the Amazon riparian states. It was agreed to improve cooperation on topics such as water management, infrastructure, health, human rights and biodiversity protection, however, it was not possible to agree on concrete goals. Moreover, a new economic program presented by President Lula shortly after the summit raises the question as to where Brazil's environmental policy is actually heading.
Julia Sandner
September 7, 2023
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Adobe Stock / VectorMine
Global Finance Summit
Is there an opportunity for climate finance reform?
On June 22-23, 2023, the summit for a new global finance pact will be held in Paris to kick off a fundamental reform of climate finance.
Anja Berretta
June 23, 2023
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Growing tensions in the West African "anchor of stability" Senegal
The campaign for the 2024 presidential election has begun
Senegal still has a reputation as a stable and peaceful democracy. The country is perceived as an anchor of stability in a troubled region, mainly associated with the Sahel crisis. President Macky Sall has been in power since 2012, currently in his second term. According to the constitution, a third is not foreseen. However, there are increasing indications that one cannot be ruled out - Macky Sall himself has not yet clearly stated his intentions in this regard. This is being received negatively by the population and comparisons are being drawn with the situation in 2012: Macky Sall's predecessor, Abdoulaye Wade, harboured similar aspirations then and lost the election campaign. Political opponents like Ousmane Sonko are building their own election campaign in large part on the rejection of such a third term. In this respect, the next elections could be a turning point in the country's longstanding democratic tradition.
Caroline Hauptmann
March 24, 2023
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Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz reist nach Hanoi
Am 13. November reist Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz nach Vietnam. Ob es zu konkreten Ergebnissen im Zuge der Reise kommen wird, bleibt abzuwarten.
Im Mittelpunkt der Reise befindet sich die seit 2011 bestehenden Strategischen Partnerschaft zwischen Deutschland und Vietnam. Der Arbeitsbesuch von Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz bietet die Chance für eine Wiederbelebung und Vertiefung der Partnerschaft. Neben der Diversifizierung der Wirtschaftsbeziehungen und der Zusammenarbeit zu Klimaschutz und Energie wird es auch um die großen Fragen der Politik gehen.
Florian C. Feyerabend
November 11, 2022
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Die Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) – reformbedürftig, aber unverzichtbar
Neue Dynamik der WTO in schwieriger globaler Großwetterlage
Die WTO ist ein zentrales Instrument zur Förderung des regelbasierten Handels. Trotz widriger Umstände gelangen bei der Ministerkonferenz im Juni 2022 einige unerwartete Erfolge. Um auf Dauer zukunftsfähig zu sein und eine Rolle bei der Bewältigung neuer Herausforderungen zu spielen, bedarf sie jedoch einer umfassenden Reform. Der EU kommt eine entscheidende Rolle zu, dieses Gelegenheitsfenster zu nutzen.
Dr. Olaf Wientzek
October 11, 2022
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About this series
Concise, reduced to the essentials, but always highly topical. In our series “in short”, our experts summarise an issue or problem on a maximum of two pages.
