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Angola Since the Civil War Based on three years of research in and extensive first-hand knowledge of Angola, Magnificent and Beggar Land is the definitive account of the fast-changing dynamics of this important yet misunderstood African state; a major exporter of oil, minerals and other raw…

An Unlikely Middle East Mediator Works in the Shadows Three days before the media reported the deaths of Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Shaier, and Naftali Fraenkel, I was tipped off to their tragic fate. In early June 2014, the three Israeli teenagers had gone missing while hitchhiking in the West Bank; their…

„Aus dem Wahlerfolg Ihrer Partei erwächst eine besondere Verantwortung, Ihre erneut große Mehrheit mit Augenmaß und Sensibilität zu nutzen.“ Mit diesen Worten gratulierte Bundeskanzlerin Merkel Anfang April dem ungarischen Ministerpräsidenten Viktor Orbán zur klaren Wiederwahl. Seitdem hat der…

In April, when German Chancellor Angel Merkel congratulated Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on his reelection, she let it be known that his large majority implied a “special responsibility” to use good judgment and behave with sensitivity toward opponents. He has done exactly the opposite.…

In the future, who – or what – will govern the Internet? The answer to that question could also shed light on one of the biggest foreign policy questions of the decade: As power is shifting among states and diffusing, what is the future of the world order? That first question was in the spotlight in…

Over the past five years, states have become increasingly engaged in a series of regional and international policy discussions and debates over "cyber security." This engagement stems from a growing sense of insecurity regarding vulnerabilities in computer systems and related technologies, and how…

The Group of 7 leaders did not mince words in a joint statement on Wednesday. They called the referendum in Crimea a "direct violation of the Constitution of Ukraine" and labeled Moscow's support for Crimea's bid to join the Russia Federation a "violation of international law" not covered by the…

Berlin didn't mince words: A "taboo" has been broken and "a crime against civilization" has been committed. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle used the strongest possible terms to denounce the large-scale use of chemical weapons in Syria. Merkel's spokesperson…

Exactly ten years ago, on August 19 2003, a terrorist attack in Baghdad killed Sergio Vieira de Mello, then chief of the UN mission in Iraq. 21 UN colleagues and local staff from 11 countries died in the rubble of the Canal Hotel where the UN had set up shop after the US invasion. The attack sent…

The Brandenburg gate as a backdrop. A reference to the John F. Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech from almost exactly 50 years ago. A few warm words on the continuing relevance of the transatlantic alliance. It could be so easy for President Barack Obama to win over the German public and…

The Indian Finance Minister dismissed British aid to India as “peanuts” in the midst of the heated debate over Britain’s overseas expenditures last year. This cheeky remark signposts that India’s transformation to a net donor, first announced in the 2003-2004 budget speech, has drawn to an end.…

Recent years have seen energy placed at the top of policy agendas. Against the backdrop of a rise of new consumers such as China and India, climate change and the geopolitical challenges stemming from scarce and unevenly distributed fossil resources, energy policy is now a global concern. The first…

"We want a peaceful strategy because you don't want to play with fire by developing cyber weapons." This is how EU Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes, a driving force behind the new EU "cyber security strategy" that was unveiled in Brussels on Thursday, sums up the EU approach to cyber defense.…

Libyen, Elfenbeinküste, Südsudan – in diesen Fällen berief sich der UN-Sicherheitsrat 2011 in seinen Resolutionen auf die Schutzverantwortung (R2P). Doch in Syrien und im Sudan geht das Morden bis heute weiter, die internationale Gemeinschaft kann sich nicht auf ein gemeinsames Vorgehen einigen. Was…

Introduction The common dependency on energy, shared by societies around the world, entails policy challenges of global nature and scope. From dealing with the negative externalities of greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to dwindling low-cost reserves of fossil fuels in the context of massively…

The Libya intervention presents an unsettling paradox, says Thorsten Benner. While it was the right decision to prevent a massacre in Benghazi, NATO's subsequent actions could harm future efforts to protect civilians. We are witnessing the heyday of the Libya intervention triumphalists. Presented…

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is in jail, and the debate over his successor as IMF head has already begun. German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to see another European get the job. But that would be a fatal signal to emerging powers such as China and India. It seemed as if they had the best of intentions.…

Just four weeks ago, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle was cheered by the crowds on Cairo’s Tahrir Square for his support of the cause of freedom. An early champion of the Tunisian & Egyptian protest movements, Germany led Europe’s increasingly unified response to the revolutions across the…

Ab dem 1. Januar findet sich das Schild „Germany“ wieder auf dem hufeisenförmigen Tisch des mächtigsten Klubs der Weltpolitik: Deutschland wird für zwei Jahre als nichtständiges Mitglied in den Uno-Sicherheitsrat einziehen. Wie Bundesaußenminister Guido Westerwelle treffend bemerkte, war die Wahl…

This Tuesday, the German chancellor, freshly anointed for a second term, will speak before the US Congress in a deeply symbolical event: an East German woman on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall addressing the parliament of the world's superpower - the first German…