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Introduction Rising powers need not fear criticism of human rights abuses from Berlin, for trade trumps human rights in German foreign policy. This conventional wisdom is frequently invoked by human rights activists and journalists alike, but it is neither very informative nor entirely correct.…

As U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Berlin for a farewell visit on Wednesday, German policymakers were scrambling to develop a road map for dealing with the presidency of his successor, Donald Trump. Last week, in a congratulatory note to the president-elect, German Chancellor Angela Merkel…

While the US was debating Russian hacking and leaks ahead of its elections, EU leaders met last month to discuss Moscow’s efforts to influence European liberal democracies through misinformation and propaganda. “We don’t have the tools to look at this centrally,” one senior EU diplomat complained,…

Introduction Operating in insecure environments is one of the more critical tests for the humanitarian community. Access constraints, uncertainty, attacks and aid diversion make these unlikely settings for innovation. Yet several new approaches come from highly insecure environments. In these…

Background In insecure environments, where humanitarian staff have limited opportunities for face- to-face interactions with communities, achieving accountability to affected populations is more complex and often requires a mix of approaches. Community feedback mechanisms can be a valuable tool to…

Background Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) describes the practice of contracting third parties to collect and verify monitoring data. In insecure contexts, aid actors primarily use TPM to monitor the activities of partner organizations in places where their own staff faces access restrictions. This…

Executive Summary Promoting a rules-based, multilateral global order is a central goal of the EU global strategy on foreign and security policy, 2016. However, with the global shift of power towards Asia, the established multilateral system and international organizations are under increasing…

When visiting my native Hong Kong last September, I wanted to know what my friends and other locals had to say about recent political flare-ups that catapulted the city into the international spotlight. Days before I landed in the territory, six young, pro-democracy candidates had won seats in Hong…

Autoritäre Staaten nutzen die selbstverantworteten Schwächen offener Gesellschaften aus. Namentlich unsere allzu willfährigen Dienstleister bieten eine willkommene Angriffsfläche, dazu gehören Dienstleister aus der Finanzwirtschaft, Lobbyfirmen und Anwaltskanzleien. Die Hackerangriffe auf das…

Executive Summary With the US seeking to limit its international role amidst domestic political resistance, India and Europe are facing increased pressure to take on greater international responsibilities. Delhi and Brussels are both pursuing a more ambitious role in international security affairs,…

Donald Trump is Germany’s gift to America. After all, his grandfather left Germany for the US, where Friedrich Drumpf morphed into Frederic Trump. If he becomes president, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will feel a special responsibility to help make the world safe from a Trump presidency.…

Over the last several decades, India’s security interests have moved beyond the subcontinent, in response to its growing economic and geopolitical interests. This is especially evident by its increasing engagement with Africa. At the Third India-Africa Forum Summit in October 2015, India and many…

In recent years, Germany has emerged as Europe’s preeminent power not only because of the strength of its economy but also because of the extraordinary stability of its political system. Chancellor Angela Merkel is the embodiment of this stability: for most of the past decade, she has been able to…

Shale gas policies vary significantly across Europe, notably in Russia-dependent Central Eastern Europe. Most strikingly, Bulgaria banned shale gas, whereas Poland remains firmly committed to fostering it despite its drawbacks. This article uses a policy regime approach to explain the shale gas…

Just hours after the United Nations concluded its refugee summit, breaking news on the displaced could hardly be more sobering. A UN aid convoy in Syria was bombed, leaving 12 aid workers dead; Kenya is closings the world's largest refugee camp in Dadaab, pressuring refugees to return to Somalia;…

With this Sunday’s elections in Berlin, the right-wing populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is expected to enter the tenth regional parliament in Germany. While the AfD is drawing voters from all mainstream parties, the bleeding from Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is the…