Political Systems
At the end of the Cold War, the idea spread that liberal democracy was going to take over the world. In reality, authoritarian regimes have resisted, and political systems remain varied.
Can Politics and Business Align? Policy, Transparency and Logistics
Politics and business can be intertwined in many ways but also conflicting. This is especially the case regarding foreign investments and possible influence by third countries in Europe, for example.
Ethics and Responsibility in Space Exploration: The Rise of Soft Law to Regulate New Practices
Europe's Space Sector: Caught in a Strategic Stranglehold
Europe's space sector is currently faced with great difficulties, marked by the temporary loss of autonomous access to space, strong competition from the USA, and the transformation of the satellite market.
European Union: A Geopolitical Illusion?
The European Union (EU) is holding firm in the face of the war in Ukraine—perhaps better than expected. But what long-term effects will the war have on European institutions and policies? The institutions will need to be changed to cope with the forthcoming expansions. The EU has certainly made progress toward common industrial and technological policies. But will this dynamic do away with a conception of strategic autonomy, encompassing both diplomacy and strategy? The European Union, which will undoubtedly be a key mover of future changes for the continent, remains largely uncertain in terms of its future configurations.
Between Inertia and Openness. Germany Reforms Its Labor Immigration System
With its new Skilled Immigration Act (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz) of 23 June 2023, Germany aims to become the country with "the most modern immigration law in Europe". A new points system and new entry rules for experienced workers having a degree from their home country demonstrate the willingness of the German government to open up its labor market to third-country nationals. While immigration law was already the subject of a previous reform in 2020, the new law is a real paradigm shift in Germany’s migration policy.
Türkiye’s Stifled Ambitions
As its elections have unfolded this spring, Türkiye has again shown itself to be symptomatic of the times. Across the world, numerous political regimes oscillate between democratic forms of government and an authoritarian concentration of power; impressive periods of growth give way to inflation and recession; and international deregulation gives rise to widespread diplomacy in an effort to juggle a myriad of shifting political loyalties. Faced with the war in Ukraine, Ankara is playing a strong hand by enlarging its areas of presence and intervention. Türkiye is more important to its partners than ever, independent of its eventual domestic trajectory.
Western discourse predicted the advent of Chinese dominance in the very short term, but events have taken a rather different turn. The drivers that enabled the unprecedented growth of recent decades seem to have run out of steam. Moreover, the outcome of Beijing’s economic strategies is still uncertain, in a context shaped primarily by U.S. policies. China’s influence in the future will be considerable, but the direction its rebound will take remains unclear.
For Europeans, the events in Ukraine and the thorny issue of the Sino-American rivalry cannot paper over the other security problems we face: On what common vision of our history and future will we build the Europe of tomorrow? Has drug trafficking already changed the nature of our societies? Can we afford to turn away from instances of destabilization in Africa, from the Horn to the Sahel?
China/United States: Europe off Balance
As French President Emmanuel Macron (accompanied by Ursula von der Leyen) is on a state visit to China, some twenty Ifri researchers decipher the stakes of the U.S./China/Europe strategic triangle.
The Cumbersome Legacy of the SPD’s Policy Towards Vladimir Putin’s Russia
The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) looks back with pride on the history of its Ostpolitik, which it sees as having paved the way for German reunification. With the firm will to continue this Ostpolitik after the end of the Cold War, SPD politicians of the last 20 years have, within the framework of their government responsibility, focused on a partnership with Russia, which had the goal of contributing to the democratization of Russia through bilateral trade and mutual interdependence.
Macron is weak both at home and abroad. He eventually pushed through a breakthrough reform without a vote.
Since the war against Ukraine, France has been on the edge of the European Union, according to an expert on French politics.
Saving the Liberal Order from Itself
The election of Donald Trump is a symptom of a general crisis in international liberal order.
Japan and Russia’s Small Steps Strategy
On the eve of the Vladivostok Summit, should we expect any significant progress in the laborious rapprochement between Japan and Russia?
Meeting Macron in the Middle. How France and Germany Can Revive the EU
Macron's presidency offers a rare chance to revive the French-German relationship just when Europe needs it most.
Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe: the Endgame?
The descent into the morass of failure seems relentless for a country that used to be, at the aftermath of its independence in 1980, the “jewel in Africa” to be carefully preserved, as former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere advised an acclaimed Mugabe ascending into power.
South African Local Elections 2016. From One Party Dominance to Effective Plural Democracy
The South African political landscape experienced a shock from an unlikely source; the country’s local government elections on August 3, 2016 representing the last tier of government and often overlooked in favour of national and provincial polls.
War and Democratic Decision Making: How do Democracies Argue and Decide Whether or Not to Intervene in Distant Wars?
What is the proper place and forum for decisions about war and peace in a democracy? There is surprisingly little consensus on this matter, not in theory and not in practice. While in Iraq, Libya and Syria, all Western actions have ended in failure, it seems necessary to analyze the place and importance of this aspect of the democratic decision making.
China’s rise: the view from South Korea
Monitoring China-South Korea relations is key for the EU, as both countries have been designated strategic partners. Moreover, the Union has important economic ties to both, and signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Republic of Korea (ROK) in 2011.
The BJP and State Politics in India: A Crashing Wave? Analyzing the BJP Performance in Five State Elections
In May 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Narendra Modi, decisively won India’s sixteenth General Elections. For the first time in thirty years, a party secured a single majority of seats in the lower house of parliament – the Lok Sabha (282 out of 543) – and for the first time since independence, that party wasn’t the Congress.
EU Reform: Mapping out a state of flux
“EU Reform” is widely discussed across Europe but rarely defined. This report analyses how the 28 member states of the European Union understand “EU reform” and provides an insight into how their views might play out in debates on the future of the EU as well as on day-to-day politics.
U.S.-Russian Relations: The Path Ahead after the Crisis
CSIS expert Jeff Mankoff explains the reasons of the crisis in Ukraine, and how the U.S. should try to reestablish a more stable situation in central Europe, mixing containment and engagement of the Russian partner.
Calais Migrant Crisis: Refugees Risk Their Lives To Leaves France For UK
The distance between Dover, England, and Calais, France, is only 30 miles. For migrants and refugees trying to cross from France to Britain through a tunnel underneath the English Channel, however, that short distance represents a dangerous journey and a risk of deportation, grave injury and even death.
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