Die fortdauernde Legitimitätskrise in den Palästinensischen Gebieten

Der Beginn des Jahres hielt viele Debatten und internationale Reaktionen für die Palästinenser bereit. Die Veröffentlichung des Trump-Plans, regionale Konflikte und die Bekämpfung des Corona-Virus beanspruchten den Großteil der öffentlichen Aufmerksamkeit. Dabei rücken jene Vorhaben in den Hintergrund, die eigentlich die Politik des Jahres bestimmen sollten: die Vorbereitungen von Parlaments- und Präsidentschaftswahlen.

Between Yurts and Skyscrapers

Mongolia’s Youth are Grappling with a Corrupt Elite

Young people in Mongolia are fighting for a say in politics. Internet activists are protesting against corruption in politics and business. In Ulaanbaatar, young women are fighting against sexual violence, and for more political participation. Meanwhile, traditional ways of life are in retreat. Are profound social changes, coupled with an ossified political elite, splitting Mongolian society?

Democratising Deepfakes

How Technological Development Can Influence Our Social Consensus

The dissemination of fake news as a political instrument has long been an issue in contemporary political discourse. It is important to react to technological innovations that continue to expand the potential for disinformation campaigns, threatening our domestic security. Nauel Semaan talked to Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director of the Counter Extremism Project, about the “new superweapon of fake news” – so-called deepfakes.

Digital Cooperation – An Opportunity to Advance Sustainable Development

In today’s complex digital world, we see enormous advantages of digital technologies, which will play an increasingly important role in sustainable development in the coming years. Of course, we are also experiencing risks and challenges in the rapid development of these technologies. These challenges can no longer be met by individual organisations or countries. Instead, the answer to these challenges depends on cooperation between different groups, sectors, stakeholders, and countries.

Digital Democracy in Action

How Greece Wants to Catch Up with Europe

The new government in Greece is not wasting time and has a clear plan to make up for the lost years of financial and economic turmoil. There is still a lot to do: in 2019, Greece ranked only 26th among the 28 EU member states on the European Commission Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). Without digitalising, and slashing its bloated and overstaffed bureaucracy, the country will not achieve its aim of becoming an attractive destination for investment. The current efforts offer the chance to change the perception of Greece as the sick man of Europe.

E-Currency

Digital Money for the Digital State

Facebook wants to enter the financial sector in 2020 with Libra, its cryptocurrency. With its two billion users worldwide, the social media company could become a serious actor overnight, developing clout that is comparable to that of traditional central banks. Several concerns have recently been expressed around the world, although even governments are developing e-currencies of their own.

Invented in China

High Technology in the Service of Illiberalism

30 years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, international politics is facing some fundamental questions once again. Whereas during the Cold War it was the socialist doctrine of the USSR, now it is China’s digitally empowered authoritarianism that poses a challenge to the West. In this conflict between two different systems, the focus is no longer solely on military capabilities, but also on key digital technologies and emerging industries. If the West is to prevail, it has to make an objective assessment of China’s capacity to innovate and find answers that take the factuality of globalisation in research, innovation and business into account.

Ludovic Orban erneut als Premierminister gewählt

Coronavirus beendet Pläne für Neuwahlen in Rumänien

In Rumänien wurde am 14.3. Ludovic Orban erneut und mit einer breiten Mehrheit von 286 Stimmen von Parlament als Premierminister bestätigt. Orban war seit dem 5.2. nur noch kommissarisch im Amt, nachdem er ein Misstrauensvotum gegen die eigene Regierung herbeigeführt hatte, um angesichts des faktischen Fehlens konstruktiver Mehrheiten im Parlament vorgezogene Neuwahlen zu ermöglichen. Unter dem Eindruck der sich verschärfenden Krise um die Verbreitung des Coronavirus bildete sich jedoch ein weitgehender Konsens unter den politischen Kräften, dass Rumänien jetzt eine stabile und reguläre Regierung brauche. Noch am Abend wurde Orban von Präsident Klaus Iohannis erneut vereidigt. Unterdessen hält das Coronavirus das Land in Atem. Präsident Iohannis rief noch am selben Abend den Notstand aus.

The Second Generation of Climate Minilateralism

Building a New Mitigation Alliance

With multilateral progress on climate change lagging behind, a range of “minilateral” climate alliances have emerged over the past years. However, most of these climate clubs only had a limited impact in practice. In order to accelerate global climate action, there is a need for a second generation of climate minilateralism – a new Mitigation Alliance that provides exclusive benefits, comprises enthusiastic actors, and is closely aligned with the Paris Agreement.

Who Holds Sovereignty Over the Internet?

Social Media and Democracy in Africa

In Africa, the continent with the greatest democratic deficits, the internet, and above all social media, offers new opportunities for civic participation, transparency and public access to information. Yet the initial euphoria about the emancipatory potential of social media is increasingly being tempered by scepticism. It is hard to ignore the internet’s dark side, such as the spread of hate speech and fake news. Meanwhile, Africa’s autocratic regimes are becoming more adept at instrumentalising social media to serve their own ends.