Publications

The 80th Session of the UN General Assembly

The 80th General Assembly of the United Nations began under the theme ‘Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,’ on 9 September 2025 in New York. To mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations on 22 September 2025, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung's Multilateral Dialogue Geneva provided a brief overview of the work of some of the Geneva-based UN organisations and their achievements.

Greece's new course after the summer break

Between demographic crisis and hope for reform

After the summer break, it is a tradition in Greece for the Prime Minister to outline the political agenda for the coming year at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF). In 2025, this happened under special circumstances: Kyriakos Mitsotakis (New Democracy - ND) appeared noticeably under domestic political pressure at the beginning of September. In the polls, his party is currently only at around 25 percent – a significant slump compared to previous years. Inflation, the inherited corruption scandal in agricultural subsidies and the reappraisal of the Tempi train accident are currently leaving more people undecided. This made it even more important to send a positive and forward-looking message that Mitsotakis wanted to send from TIF: a political roadmap that combines short-term social relief with a long-term reform agenda. The focus was on solving the demographic crisis: tax breaks for young people and families, housing construction programmes and targeted aid for rural regions are intended to counteract low birth rates and emigration. In addition, the prime minister presented measures for the economy and the middle class, such as tax breaks and impulses to strengthen purchasing power. Finally, he underlined the need for far-reaching reforms with a European dimension – towards a modern state that asserts its role as a reliable partner in the EU.

Law Enforcement Agencies and the Prosecutor's Office of Belarus: Careers Before/After 2020

The study “Law Enforcement Agencies and the Prosecutor's Office of Belarus: Career Trajectories Before and After 2020” focuses on the professional career paths of Belarusian law enforcement officials before and after 2020, using case studies of the Investigative Committee, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), and the Prosecutor’s Office of Belarus. It analyses the biographies of senior officials, examines open sources, and incorporates insights from expert interviews to explore changes in the leadership of these institutions in the context of the 2020 political crisis and the subsequent repressions.

Less paperwork, greater presence. Why Global Gateway disappoints on the ground.

By Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

This study, written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy and commissioned by the Multinational Development Policy Dialogue of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Brussels, examines why the Global Gateway falls short on the ground in ASEAN countries. It looks more closely at case studies from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Hybrid Power Projection by Authoritarian Small States

The UAE´s Strategic Engagement in East Africa from 2011 Onwards

An academic analysis of the UAE'S strategic investment in Sudan, South Sudan and Somaliland since 2011 by author Laurence N. Jost. Ninth volume of the research and policy paper series "Security Dialogue for East Africa: Insights & Perspectives".

Russia's Hybrid War: The Northern Front

Tracking Russia’s Hybrid Warfare

Northern Europe is not at peace. The battle is real and far more dangerous than the public has grasped. In this war, there are no frontlines. Attack vectors shift daily, probing weaknesses, exploiting vulnerabilities, and seizing opportunities. The weapon of choice is what we in the West call hybrid warfare, targeting our institutions, our infrastructure, our alliances, and our minds. Resilience is necessary, but not sufficient, to win this hybrid war. This book shows how countries on the northern flank are strengthening national capabilities and deepening crossborder cooperation to detect, disrupt, and respond to hybrid threats—offering a blueprint for hybrid deterrence.

Parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova – a decisive election, not only for Chişinău

The election on 28 September is crucial for the European Union, too.

Alongside President Maia Sandu, the government and the parliamentary majority of the PAS (Party of Action and Solidarity) have been regarded as reliable and surprisingly resilient partners for the European Union in the Black Sea region over the past three years. The party founded by Maia Sandu has been governing without coalition partners since 2021. However, a repeat of its previous election success with just under 53 per cent of the vote is currently considered unlikely. The presidential election in autumn 2024 also showed that Russia's illegitimate influence – whether through vote buying or massive disinformation campaigns – can potentially be decisive in elections. For this reason, the support from Brussels and many European capitals for the PAS in the election campaign is unprecedented. This is because a democratic and pro-European Republic of Moldova is now considered by the EU to be an important building block for its own security interests in Eastern Europe.

Update Belarus about Zapad 2025

Newsletter of 16th september about Zapad 2025

Top news in the period under review: • After the final play held within the framework of the Zapad 2025 exercise in the 227th combined-arms training area on September 16, Chief of the International Military Cooperation Department, Aide for International Military Cooperation to Lukashenka’s Defense Minister Valery Revenko reported on a complex of measures Belarus had taken to enable the transparency of Zapad 2025. He also stated that Belarus demanded that Poland clarify its military activity and a response was received. Revenko saw in the Polish response to the Belarusian request an opportunity for a constructive conversation. The Chief of the General Staff - First Deputy MoD Pavel Muraveyko noted that the active phase of Zapad-2025 is ending. At the same time, the maneuvers will end when all units return to their deployment locations.

Between nuclear threats and diplomatic initiatives: The Zapad 2025 military exercise in Belarus

Even after the military exercises, the country remains a Russian staging area

The active phase of the Russian-Belarusian military exercise Zapad 2025, held from September 12 to 16, 2025, ended—just as expected—without major incidents. However, in recent weeks, the threat to countries bordering Belarus has reached a new level. On September 10, at least 19 Russian drones, mostly flying over Belarus, penetrated deep into NATO member Poland. According to security experts, Russia likely intended to test NATO’s defensive response. In reaction, NATO announced Operation "Eastern Sentry" to strengthen defense along its eastern flank. Although only 8,000 troops (including just 2,000 Russian soldiers) were deployed in Belarus this time, with an estimated 30,000 more stationed in Russia, the exercise brought back grim memories of Zapad 2021, after which Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory. Back then, however, 200,000 troops participated in the drills. This year’s joint exercises were meant to demonstrate just how closely Belarus and Russia now cooperate militarily. It was also a show of force aimed at the West, with Russian leader Putin maintaining a firm grip on his junior partner, Lukashenko.

Case Studies on How to Deal with Right-Wing Populist Parties in Europe

Between Exclusion, Co-optation and Toleration

This publication explores the diverse strategies of different EPP parties in responding to right-wing populist and far-right actors. Covering ten national case studies, it shows that such parties vary in ideology, radicalisation, and readiness to cooperate with mainstream politics. The analysis demonstrates that neither consistent exclusion nor unconditional inclusion ensures success. Instead, effective approaches depend on context, require clear red lines on democracy, rule of law and Europe, and should combine principled distancing from extremist actors with credible engagement of their voter bases. The study proposes a threefold typology: (1) authoritarian, (2) nationalist, and (3) moderate right-wing populist and conservative parties; and highlights best-practice examples from Spain, Greece and Finland. Ultimately, it calls for a differentiated and resilient strategy that enables centre-right parties to confront the challenges posed by right-wing populism in Europe.