All publications - Security – Innovation – Democracy
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IMAGO / Xinhua
Azerbaijan - Election without a choice
Aliyev has a new Azerbaijani parliament elected: The voter turnout of 37% speaks for itself
In the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, which were moved up due to the COP 29, President Ilham Aliyev's ‘New Azerbaijan’ party, which has been in power since 1995, won on paper. Although it only won 67 out of 125 seats, there will de facto be no independent representatives in the new Azerbaijani parliament.
Stephan Malerius, Florian Binder
September 9, 2024
Country Reports
Imago / Xinhua
Daring More Democracy in Jordan
In the Shadow of the War in Gaza, the Hashemite Kingdom Elects a New Parliament
Jordan seems more than ever committed to encourage its citizens to participate in politics – although in a carefully crafted way and under strict state supervision. The parliamentary elections on September 10 are a milestone in the “political modernization” that King Abdullah initiated three years ago – and a sparkle of hope for more democracy.
Dr. Edmund Ratka
September 4, 2024
Country Reports
Imago / Xinhua
Escalation in the Middle East intensifies
Is a regional war inevitable?
• In just over a month, we will mark the first anniversary of the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since then, Israel has been at war with attacks from several fronts.
• The situation dramatically peaked over the summer months. Twelve children were killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack. The Israeli army (IDF) then took out a high-ranking Hezbollah commander in Beirut with a targeted airstrike. A few hours later, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyya was killed in Tehran. Although not officially confirmed, the attack is attributed to Israel.
• Iran and its proxies vowed retaliation and announced to attack Israel. The IDF and Israeli security services have been on high alert ever since. On August 25, 2024, an imminent Hezbollah attack was repelled by a pre-emptive strike. Over 100 Israeli fighter jets attacked numerous targets in Lebanon and destroyed over 6,000 Hezbollah missiles and drones.
• At the end of August representatives of the Israeli government announced that the war aims will be extended so that the evacuated inhabitants of northern Israel could return to their homes.
• Negotiations on an agreement between Israel and Hamas to free the Israeli hostages abducted on October 7th and a ceasefire appear to have reached an impasse. Since August 28, 2024, Israel has also been conducting a major military operation in the West Bank with the aim of preventing further attacks from there.
Michael Rimmel, Johannes Sosada
September 2, 2024
Country Reports
Społeczna Gospodarka Rynkowa w dobie transformacji energetycznej w Unii Europejskiej i Ukrainie
Biblioteka Myśli Ekonomicznej
Monografia ta powstała po ubiegłorocznym seminarium, poświęconym Społecznej Gospodarce Rynkowej i zawiera artykuły wybitnych ekspertów, którzy brali udział w seminarium. Skierowana jest nie tylko do ekspertów, lecz także osób zainteresowanych tematem, a przede wszystkim do kreatorów i regulatorów życia społeczno-gospodarczego. Praca ukazała pod redakcją naukową prof. Elżbiety Mączyńskiej, prof. Piotra Pysza i prof. Marii Urbaniec
August 29, 2024
Single title
Adobe Stock/Pavel Losevsky
Russia's War Economy – an Assessment of Russia´s Military Industrial Complex
A Long-Term Plan
Since the beginning of the brutal Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, analyzes have been carried out about the strength and endurance of the Russian military. Considering the importance of the military-industrial complex (MIC) during the Soviet era and its place in Putin's Russia leaves no doubt about the Kremlin's determination. There is no price we wouldn't pay for victory, is the message.
Daivis Petraitis
August 2, 2024
Monitor
IMAGO / ITAR-TASS
Peking's Reach for the Sea of Japan
China's Geopolitics and Russia's Concessions
While Western media continues to speculate about China's role in Russia's war of aggression, Beijing is focused on maximizing its benefits. China aims to exploit Moscow's dependence on the People's Republic and expand cooperation on its own terms, not just economically. Geopolitically, this involves China's access to the Sea of Japan and extends to the Arctic. A seemingly insignificant passage in a joint statement by Presidents Xi and Putin could have far-reaching geopolitical implications, posing a serious security challenge for Japan and South Korea.
Johann C. Fuhrmann
July 31, 2024
Country Reports
Adobe Stock / Diki
CO2 compensation – climate protection instrument, fraudulent labelling or modern indulgence trade?
On the controversial role of CO2 offsetting and the importance of binding global standards to avoid greenwashing – with insights from Latin America
In order to combat the consequences of advancing climate change, all appropriate instruments should be used. In addition to the urgently avoiding and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this also includes offsetting them in areas where damage limitation is (still) the only way to contribute to climate protection. However, internationally valid quality standards for offsetting projects must be defined and appropriately communicated to producers, consumers, and people in the implementing regions.
Patricia Ehret, Gisela Elsner, Dr. Arnd Küppers, Denis Denis Machnik, Roberto Stohmann, Dr. Christina Stolte, Maximilian Willner, Sabina Wölkner
July 31, 2024
Sustainability Monitor
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
2024 High-Level Political Forum: The SDGs Caught in Geopolitical Tensions
Seeing the visible signs of fragmentation on common issues in the UN’s foremost platform for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The United Nations (UN) High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development is an annual forum under the auspices of ECOSOC for the review of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, the Forum convened at UN Headquarters in New York from 8-17 July 2024. Taking place under the theme "Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”, this year's Forum reviewed 5 SDGs: SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 16 (peaceful institutions), SDG 17 (partnerships).
While the HLPF does not tend to make global headlines in the same way that the UN General Assembly does every September, the Forum remains the UN's primary gathering for high-level representatives to draw global attention to their national and political commitment to the 2030 Agenda, and in turn, to the multilateral system. The Forum consisted of a three-day Ministerial segment with speeches from 115 Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Permanent Representatives and others. Further, more than 250 high-level special events, Voluntary National Review (VNR) labs, side events and exhibitions took place in person and online.
Thomas Tödtling, Erica Mumford
July 31, 2024
Country Reports
IMAGO / NurPhoto
Georgia Meloni caught in the middle
The positioning of the governing party ‘Fratelli d'Italia’ between the far-right and the bourgeois centre
‘Montagna Russa’ is what they call the rollercoaster in Italy. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has had a political rollercoaster ride before she soon starts her summer holiday. Between the glamour of the summit and the pitfalls of Brussels, she tried to send out signals, for example with the surprising vote of her MEPs against Ursula von der Leyen. Has the head of government overplayed her hand? Where does she want to go strategically with her right-wing conservative party, which has become the dominant force in the centre-right camp in the third-largest EU member state? Many things seem confused at this point, the gun smoke has yet to clear. We try to reconstruct the events and look to the future.
Michael Feth, Dr. Nino Galetti
July 29, 2024
Country Reports
IMAGO / Petr Stojanovski
Presidential and parliamentary elections in North Macedonia: victory for the opposition VMRO-DPMNE
VMRO-DPMNE returns to government after seven years
This may in the Republic of North Macedonia presidential- and parliamentary elections took place. The EPP-party VMRO-DPMNE could celebrate an outstanding victory in both elections. The president of VMRO-DPMNE Hristijan Mickoski becomes new primeminister and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova was elected as first woman as president of the country. The main topics of the elections were the dysfunctionality of the state, corruption and the dramatic situation in the healthcare and education system. The EU accession was not an important topic during the electoral campaigns. The ruling social democrats suffered a devastating defeat. The future government will be coalition of VMRO-DPMNE, Albania opposition alliance and the small party ZNAM of former social democrats. The new government will face a lot of challenges in the country but also on international level. The unsolved identity issues with Bulgaria and new discussions about the Prespes-agreement may continue to obstacle the path towards EU. The new government has to act wisely and less emotionally. Indeed at the moment there are more opposite moves. Domestically the new government will focus on economic development and attract foreign investments.
