Governance
Georgia’s Parliamentary Dispute Deepens as Opposition Challenges Democratic Legitimacy
Georgia’s political crisis has become a test of whether a country can retain the formal institutions of democracy while gradually weakening the conditions that make those institutions meaningful. The governing Georgian Dream party has continued…
BRICS Summit in New Delhi Shows Both the Promise and Limits of a Multipolar World
The BRICS summit in New Delhi has produced exactly the kind of image India wanted: Narendra Modi hosting Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Masoud Pezeshkian and leaders from across the Global South, with Xi visiting India…
France Faces Another Political Crisis as Government Struggles to Control Debt
France is entering another difficult political autumn as its government struggles to reconcile two realities that increasingly seem incompatible: voters want the welfare and public services associated with the French social model, while the state…
Trump’s Fed Clash Reopens the Debate Over Central Bank Independence
Donald Trump’s confrontation with the Federal Reserve has become one of the most consequential institutional disputes of his second presidency. Trump has repeatedly attacked the Fed for keeping interest rates too high, arguing that monetary…
Israel Approves Major West Bank Settlement Expansion as Two-State Solution Shrinks Further
Israel has approved another major expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, intensifying an argument that has become increasingly difficult to avoid: governments can continue declaring support for a two-state solution while simultaneously allowing…
Colombia Elects Iván Cepeda as Petro’s Left-Wing Project Survives
Colombia has elected Iván Cepeda president, keeping the political left in power after Gustavo Petro and challenging the assumption that Colombia’s 2022 turn to the left was simply a temporary reaction against the traditional establishment.
Philippines Election Tests Marcos as Duterte Alliance Collapses
The Philippines is approaching another major political confrontation as the alliance that brought Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte to power has effectively collapsed into open rivalry. Their partnership in 2022 was electorally formidable because…
US-Iran Peace Talks Stall as Oil Prices Surge Above $108
The apparent breakthrough in the Iran conflict has proved much less durable than it looked a week ago. Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled again, the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted, and the…
Iran War Expands as Khamenei’s Son Mojtaba Is Chosen as Supreme Leader
Iran has selected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader while the war with the United States and Israel continues. The succession is extraordinary not…
US and Israel Launch New War on Iran as Khamenei Is Killed
The Middle East has entered a far more dangerous phase. On 28 February, the United States and Israel launched a large joint military campaign against Iran, striking leadership compounds, missile forces, air defences and military…
Bangladesh Election Returns BNP to Power After Hasina Era
Bangladesh has completed one of the most consequential elections in its recent history, the first national vote since Sheikh Hasina was removed from power by the 2024 student-led uprising. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has…
Takaichi Wins Historic Supermajority in Japan Snap Election
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has converted personal popularity into one of the largest parliamentary victories in modern Japanese history. In today’s snap election, her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 316 of the 465 seats…
