Publications

Nordic Unity in Arctic Security

Navigating Tensions and Alliances

In recent decades, the Arctic region has increasingly attracted global interest due to its climatic, economic, and political transformations. The Arctic's strategic relevance has been particularly accentuated amidst rising tensions with Russia, especially post-2022 following its attack on Ukraine. This attention has, in turn, amplified the roles of Nordic countries in regional security dynamics. The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO in 2023 and 2024, respectively, exemplifies the momentum towards deeper Nordic integration in security domains. This trajectory was further highlighted by U.S. President Trump's comments in January 2025 regarding the control of Greenland, drawing international scrutiny to Greenland’s strategic importance and the internal dynamics within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The European Union and the Emerging Arctic Security Landscape

The European Union’s (EU) ever-evolving role as a foreign and security actor is currently being reshaped by a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape, marked most significantly by Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the current disruptions of the transatlantic relationship. While long defined by its soft power tools, internal diversity, and preference for multilateralism, the EU has found itself increasingly confronted with demands to de-velop a more assertive security posture. This shift is occurring not only in its eastern and southern neighbourhood but increasingly also in its northern backyard – the Arctic, a region that is presently (re-)emerging as a space of geopolitical competition. While the region has traditionally been marginal in, it now intersects with broader concerns over hybrid threats, energy dependence, climate change, and critical infrastructure—all areas where both the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) maintain significant (partly overlapping or complementary) competencies.

Iraq ’s Foreign Policy – Between Domestic Fragmentation and the Search for National Sovereignty

An Analytical Review of Non-State Actors and Implications of Current Conflicts in the Middle East

INTELIGENCIA ESTATAL: FALTA DE CONTROL DEMOCRÁTICO, TUTELA PARTIDARIA Y PRISIONES EN LLAMAS

Ecuador steht an einem Wendepunkt: Die Gefängnismassaker dauern an, und der staatliche Nachrichtendienst spielt eine entscheidende Rolle, um den Kreislauf der Gewalt zu stoppen.

Das Problem ist jedoch nicht nur operativer Natur: Der rechtliche Rahmen bestimmt, wie Nachrichtendienste handeln. Wenn Gesetze Ermessensspielräume zulassen, wird Nachrichtendienstarbeit parteiisch und verliert ihren öffentlichen Zweck; wenn hingegen klare Kontroll- und Nachverfolgbarkeitsmechanismen festgelegt sind, wird sie zu einem strategischen Instrument, das Leben rettet und die Demokratie stärkt.

Seminar for KAS Sur-Place Scholarship Holders: “Understanding Democracy – Political Parties and Ideologies, Christian Democratic Values, and the Mission of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.”

“Shaping Democracy Together!”

From June 18–20, 2025, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Office in the Republic of Moldova, organized an introductory seminar for its Sur-Place scholarship holders under the title “Understanding Democracy – Political Parties and Ideologies, Christian Democratic Values, and the Mission of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.” The aim of the seminar was to contribute to the civic and political education of young leaders, in line with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s mission to promote democratic values.

Hermann Gröhe visits the Palestinian Territories

Former Health Minister and Deputy Chairman of KAS, Hermann Gröhe, visited the West Bank to assess challenges in healthcare and humanitarian coordination across the Palestinian Territories.

Israel two years after October 7 attack

Visit of the Deputy Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation Hermann Gröhe.

Hermann Gröhe, Deputy Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, visited Israel and the Palestinian Territories from November 3 to 7.

Kenya’s Increase in Femicide

A Political Examination of Ruto’s 42 Members Task Force to address Gender Based Violence

Kenya has recorded its highest number of femicide cases since 2017, with over 600 murders of women between 2016 and 2024, exposing deep systemic and structural gender inequalities. President William Ruto’s establishment of a 42-member task force on Gender-Based Violence marks the first formal state acknowledgment of femicide as a national crisis, yet critics label it a performative response lacking structural power and accountability. The persistence of patriarchal governance, weak enforcement of gender laws, and political inertia have normalized violence against women as part of Kenya’s broader culture of im-punity.

Rückkehr zu Stabilität und Pragmatismus

Lee beweist diplomatische Kompetenz

Vom 31. Oktober bis 01. November richtete Südkorea in seiner ehemaligen Haupstadt der Silla-Dynastie, Gyeongju, den diesjährigen Gipfel der Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) aus. Dies war Koreas erste Bühne internationalen und multipolaren Formats unter der neuen Präsidentschaft von Lee Jae-myung und somit die erste Chance, Koreas Image aufzupolieren, nachdem dieses mit der Verhängung des Kriegsrechts durch Yoon Suk-yeol Ende letzten Jahres und seinem langwierigen Amtsenthebungsverfahrens bis April 2025 mächtig Schaden genommen hatte. Unsicherheiten und Sorge umrankten die Vorbereitungen der Veranstaltung im Land - nicht zuletzt, weil das eigentliche Rampenlicht auf die bilateralen Treffen am Bühnenrand der APEC gerichtet war. Doch die Vermeidung etwaiger großer Divergenzen mit den USA oder mit China und zwischen den USA und China sind Lee Jae-myungs leiser Erfolg: ein Zeichen für ein stabileres, pragmatischeres Korea.

Expertos alertan sobre retrocesos a la independencia judicial en Latinoamérica y en México

Durante el foro “El Futuro de la Justicia: independencia judicial en México y su entorno regional”, especialistas y ex integrantes del Poder Judicial Federal advirtieron sobre los retrocesos a la independencia judicial en América Latina, destacando que México no es un caso aislado. Organizado por el IIJ-UNAM, la AMJAC, la Fundación Konrad Adenauer (KAS), Documenta, Juicio Justo y Mujeres por la Justicia, el encuentro reunió a expertas y expertos nacionales e internacionales para analizar las amenazas a la independencia judicial, los riesgos de captura y los desafíos democráticos que enfrenta la región. El evento concluyó con un llamado a defender la independencia judicial como pilar del Estado de derecho y garantía esencial de los derechos humanos.