Despite Indonesia’s reputation for a traditionally moderate brand of Islam, religious conservativism is gaining considerable political traction in the lead up to this April’s presidential election.

Although not akin to the protectionist policies practiced by the United States through the 1930s, the trade war launched by the Trump administration since early 2018 challenges the principles and institutions of free trade.

In 2016, Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the European Union (UE) reached a record high, in contrast to the steady decline in FDI flows from the EU to China. Beijing is looking for markets and strategic assets and particularly targets advanced technologies in major European economies, deploying an aggressive and sometimes opaque strategy.

In Germany, an important role is ascribed to development policy when considering the question of how to deal with the causes of displacement and irregular migration. Development policy seeks to enable (potential) migrants to enjoy brighter prospects in their countries of origin through job creation measures so that they do not embark on the dangerous journey to Europe (or Germany) in the first place.

Over the past decade, facilitating the widespread deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) and enabling their integration within the energy systems has become a central priority for various international organizations (IO) and initiatives. 

Since Donald Trump’s rise to power, American foreign policy has become more unpredictable. Nonetheless, several coherent strategies stand out, in particular those that advocate a nationalist approach. An examination of Trump’s entourage also reveals some more conventional figures, who may exert some degree of influence. However, there may yet be surprises to come.

In recent years, Russia has focused on developing its relations with Southeast Asia, particularly in the areas of economic ties and arms sales.

From May 23 to 29, over 300 million Europeans are set to elect a new Parliament for a five-year term.