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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.
Daniel Braun
July 12, 2024
Country Reports
KAS RP Parteiendialog und Demokratie in LA
Primaries in Uruguay
Starting signal for the hot election campaign phase
The primaries on June 30 marked the beginning of an intense campaign season leading up to the parliamentary and presidential elections in Uruguay this autumn. As anticipated, Alvaro Delgado secured a decisive victory in the Partido Nacional. However, the unexpected selection of Valeria Ripoll as his running mate sparked considerable discontent within the party. Meanwhile, the Partido Colorado witnessed a generational shift with the election of Andrés Ojeda. Although, the opposition left-wing Frente Amplio has started strongly with a united front, early signs of fractures are already apparent. The race in October promises to be thrilling.
Jonathan Neu, Sebastian Grundberger
July 10, 2024
Country Reports
i.Law TH
Thailand's Quest for Democracy and the Rule of Law
Trials and setbacks since the formation of the government in 2023
After a decade under a military junta (2014-2019) and a military-dominated government (2019-2023), Thailand held a successful general election in May 2023. The results signaled a rejection of pro-military and conservative factions. The Pheu Thai Party (PTP), which came second in the election, formed a coalition government with eleven other parties, including conservative and military-aligned factions such as the United Thai Nation (UTN) led by former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who had ousted a PTP government in the 2014 coup. Meanwhile, the election winner, the progressive and reform-oriented Move Forward Party (MFP), remains in opposition despite winning 14 million out of around 39 million votes nationwide, making it the largest faction in the National Assembly with 151 MPs. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his ministers have emphasized Thailand’s commitment to democratic principles. However, in its annual report on political rights and civil liberties published in March 2024, Freedom House rated Thailand as only "partly free", giving the country a score of 36 out of 100.1 This Country Report presents Thailand’s challenges and efforts in pursuing democracy, human rights, and the rule of law since the 2023 government formation.
Dr. Céline-Agathe Caro, Sarita Piyawongrungruang
July 9, 2024
Country Reports
CANVA Ai Image Generator / Elias Marini-Schäfer
End of Hindu nationalism or return of caste politics?
Lessons from the Indian parliamentary elections
In the wake of the Indian parliamentary elections, a number of German media outlets saw the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) loss of its parliamentary majority as a victory for democracy and a sign of the Indian population's resistance to Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalism. Headlines included slogans such as: "India decides against Hindu nationalism and authoritarian tendencies” and “Democracy won instead of Modi”. But did the voters really turn against the Hindutva ideology of the BJP? Has the BJP overplayed its Hindu nationalist card? This article attempts to find answers to these questions and explain why the general election result was much more than a vote against Hindutva and perceived authoritarian tendencies.
Elias Marini Schäfer
July 9, 2024
Country Reports
IMAGO / Cover-Images
The start of a Labour era?
Dramatic defeat of the Tories in parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom
The Conservative Party under the previous Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was the big loser of the election. They lost 251 parliamentary seats, and with a vote share of 24.7%, they will only be represented by 121 seats in the British House of Commons in the future. On the winning side, a clear picture emerged: the Labour Party gained 211 seats and, with a vote share of 33.7%, will form the government with a total of 412 seats. Other winners included the Liberal Democrats, who, with 72 seats and 12.2%, achieved their best result in over 100 years. The right-wing populist Reform UK also made a statement with 14.3% of the vote, although they received only five mandates due to the British first-past-the-post system. The new government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces enormous challenges in domestic and foreign policy. The British Conservatives must first deal with a personnel and strategic party reboot in the opposition.
