Elections
The electoral process sets the pace for democratic life and international news. In some countries, elections are no more than a façade for democracy.
Post-Nkurunziza : The Total Supremacy of the CNDD-FDD
Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the passing of President Pierre Nkurunziza on June 8, 2020, the election cycle (presidential, legislative, senatorial, communal and hillside elections) have been upheld and went smoothly. Not only has the ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) remained in power, but it has also consolidated its dominance over an institutional system that had been modified with the 2018 constitutional revision.
Baden-Württemberg under Green Leadership – Balance Sheet of Two Government Periods under Winfried Kretschmann
Baden-Württemberg's economic and social structure offered good starting conditions for center-right parties from the beginning, which the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) initially knew how to use for itself. From 1953 to 2011 the Prime Minister belonged to the CDU. In 2011 the Greens and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) won an election over the CDU for the first time. Winfried Kretschmann was elected the first Green Prime Minister in a German state.
Tanzania’s 2020 Election: Return of the One-Party State
Beginning with early voting in Zanzibar on October 27, 2020, Tanzanians went to the polls in a general election for district councilors, Members of Parliament (MPs) and the President. As official results began to be declared, it became clear that Tanzania’s long-time ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, had won a landslide.
Towards the Second Crusade?
Europeans first grew aware of a possible pandemic exactly one year ago. The wave is here. It has submerged the world, claiming many lives and causing tremendous collateral damage.
The German Green Party, a new People's Party?
In the context of increasing awareness of the climate crisis, environmental parties across the EU obtained high scores in the European elections of May 2019, reaching 20% in Germany, 17% in Ireland, 16% in Finland and 13 % in France. Meanwhile, far-right parties gained strength.
Joe Biden's America: the Calm after the Storm?
In the aftermath of the November elections, Ifri's Program on North America held the 19th edition of its annual conference on the United States.
Uncertain Times Lie Ahead. The CDU at the End of the Merkel Era
Since 2018, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU - Christlich Demokratische Union) has been confronted with a long-lasting leadership crisis. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel’s favorite candidate for the position of party leader, was not able to maintain herself at the top of the party and resigned after only 15 months.
The US-China Trade War: What Is the Outcome after the Trump Presidency?
One of Donald Trump’s campaign promises in 2016 was to end China’s “cheating” on trade and to reduce America's trade deficit by imposing significant tariffs on U.S. imports of Chinese products. This study draws up a first assessment of his policy - and of the "trade war" which stemmed from it.
The Biden-Harris Election: A Respite In View Of What?
I am writing this seventh letter on Sunday, November 8. Yesterday, the world press proclaimed the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. However, Donald Trump has filed lawsuits in several states, which few people believe have any chance of succeeding. At this point, then, the present occupant of the White House can be said to have joined the narrow circle of one-term presidents. Other immediate observations come to mind.
Tanzania’s 2020 General Elections between Repression and Manipulation. A Consolidation of Magufuli’s “Authoritarian Turn”?
Tanzanian voters were called to the polls on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 to elect the country’s main political institution – the President, the National Assembly, and the District Councillors (diwani). Without surprise, the outcome of the sixth general elections since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1992 reaffirmed the longstanding grip on power of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
L’inégalité du Collège électoral aux États-Unis : comment réparer la démocratie américaine ?
Since the start of the 21st century, the flaws of the Electoral College, which completes the election process of the president of the United States by indirect universal suffrage, are the target of stronger than ever criticism.
The American Elections and Beyond
The next few years will be tumultuous ones in the United States. The dependency of foreign policy on domestic policy is unlikely to diminish. Whether in the rivalry with China or the predominance of Israeli interests in Middle East policy, for example, it is hard to imagine Biden taking a big step backward. Many Europeans want to believe that a victory by Obama’s former vice president will signal a return to the good old days of transatlantic consultation and multilateralism.
Trump-Biden Debate Prompts Shock, Despair and, in China, Glee
The chaos of the event has left allies and rivals alike questioning the state of American democracy and the country’s place on the global stage.
Justice and Might
Looking back on the last few weeks, a famous quote by Goethe (from his report on the siege of Mainz in 1793) came to mind: “Better to commit an injustice than to countenance disorder.” In other words, disorder engenders more injustice than it eradicates. But, if one word characterizes the world at the end of summer 2020, it is disorder.
“Trumpism” in Foreign Policy: Vision and Practice
In 2016, Donald Trump ran as the candidate for change, and, once elected, he set about deconstructing the legacy of his predecessors.
What Will US Foreign Policy Look Like After 2020?
The results of the US presidential election in November 2020 are very uncertain.
COVID-19: A Public Health and Geopolitical Shock
The COVID-19 crisis has hit the countries of the European Union (EU) hard.
Embattled at Home, Trump Finds Himself Isolated Abroad, Too
With American cities burning and the coronavirus still raging, killing more people than in any other country, President Trump also has growing problems overseas. He has never before been so isolated and ignored, even mocked.
Allies despair as Trump abandons America's leadership role at a time of global crisis
The United States has scaled back its role on the world stage, taken actions that are undermining efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic and left the international community without a traditional global leader, according to experts, diplomats and analysts.
Alternative for Germany (AfD): An Extreme Right-Wing Party?
The AfD - Alternative for Germany - was founded in 2013 to protest the Euro rescue policy. Originally conservative-liberal, but to the right of the CDU/CSU, the party presented itself after 2015 as the main opponent to Angela Merkel's migration policy. It subsequently achieved electoral success, including its entry into the Bundestag in 2017.
The Resurgence of Conflict in Mozambique. Ghosts from the Past and Brakes to Peaceful Democracy
2016 proved to be a most challenging year for Mozambique. Small-scale conflict, which started reappearing between the government and the opposition party, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), in 2013, intensified over the course of the year, whilst peace negotiations stalled.
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.
Trump's Vice President: Attempting to heal the Republican rift
The announcement of Mike Pence as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate on July 15 was decidedly lackluster, if not downright awkward. Far from his normal persona of self-assurance to the point of hubris, Trump seemed uncomfortable and even nervous throughout, shifting plans and issuing contradictory statements in the days leading up to his running mate’s finalization.
As Pence’s name began to circulate last week, Trump signaled his malaise by insisting that the leaks were not a “final, final decision,” revealing his inability to confidently stick to Pence. Trump cancelled his first joint event with Pence scheduled for Friday, citing a desire to pay tribute to the victims of the attack in Nice, France the day prior; regardless, Trump drew attention back to himself and announced his choice on Friday evening anyway, via Twitter. Insiders reported that Trump sought assurance from advisors that Pence was the man for the job, even as Trump’s campaign fielded a last-minute appeal from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
The selection of Pence represents Trump committing himself to the Republican Party and its unification. Alliance building is Trump’s strategy, but drawing in Republicans is risky as it requires shunning others. A polarizing candidate is what Trump feels his campaign needs but comes with the unease of sacrificing his ability to say or do whatever he pleases, Trump’s characteristic trademark.
Hillary Clinton's Email "Scandal": How Will It Affect the Election?
With the Democratic Presidential Nomination in sight, Hillary Clinton must still contend with a continuous conversation about her email practices. How will this scandal, or non-scandal, affect the presidential race yet to come? A look at the perspectives of the American constituency and pending investigations may predict Clinton's likely future... and the future of the American presidency.
Iran's Presidential Election: a Distorted Western Perspective?
The election of a religious leader at the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran contradicts many of the analyses of western media and experts on Iranian politics.
Algeria: Cosmetic Change or Actual Reform?
Algeria has emerged as something of an “exception” across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and while the recent elections have been marred by widespread allegations of fraud, the results have effectively consolidated the regime’s grip on power thus ensuring its complete monopoly over the country’s reform process.
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