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.
The Free Democratic Party (FDP): Liberal Corrective Again After the 2021 Bundestag Election?
After the regional elections in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg in March 2021, the FDP is attracting more attention again, mainly because of its traditional role as a coalition party.
How Can American Democracy Be Fixed?
The end of the Trump presidency has demonstrated both the strength of institutions and their weakness.
European asylum and immigration policy: what role for the Franco-German couple?
EU policy on migration and asylum is being built for the last 20 years. But this process is today on hold although France and Germany support the same position on this matter. However, the “migration crisis” in 2015 highlighted the weakness of the Franco-German alliance and the extend to which France’s support to Germany was timid although Germany was facing an extraordinary circumstances.
President Zelensky’s Increasingly Critical Stance toward the West
After the recent intensification of dialogue between official Kyiv and President Biden’s administration, in the wake of the rising threat to Ukraine posed by Russia and in anticipation of President Biden’s visit to the UK and EU, President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team began sharpening their rhetorical stance toward Ukraine’s Western partners.
Ituri : Resurgence of Conflict and Failure of Peacebuilding Policy
In the far northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the province of Ituri experienced a decade of relative peace between 2007 and 2017 and is nowadays victim of the resurgence of its historic inter-communal conflict between the Hema and the Lendu.
The Economic and Political Consequences of Falling Oil Production in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030
The sharp rebound in oil prices since the second half of 2020, to nearly $70 per barrel in May 2021, represents only a temporary respite for oil-dependent African economies that must change their economic model very quickly.
75 millions de nouveaux pauvres en Inde: le modèle de développement indien à l’épreuve du COVID-19
The pandemic has revealed the fragility of the Indian economy.
East Asia Confronted with China
China is now an undeniable heavyweight on the international scene, wielding a remarkable range of political strategies. Studying its position in the surrounding area of Southeast Asia in relation to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, as well as Australia, gives us an understanding of both the strength and the limits of such a diverse range of actions.
Towards Health for All in Côte d'Ivoire? The Universal Health Coverage as a Means to Redefine the State and to Legitimize the Regime
Based on a field survey carried out in Côte d'Ivoire as part of the research program “Faire des politiques publiques en Afrique”, the author questions the genesis of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the field of global health and its appropriation in the Ivorian context.
EU-Japan Relations: Moving Forward
EU-Japan relations have undergone a major uplift over the past 5 years. Bound by the Economic and Strategic Partnership Agreements, as well as the Partnership on Sustainable Connectivity, the two once-distant players have been stepping up efforts to address the many shared security concerns in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Ahead of the upcoming EU-Japan summit, this Policy Brief takes stock of the current state of play and offers some food for thought on how to move forward with the bilateral relationship.
What Is Left and to Whom? Germany’s Left-wing Party Die Linke and the Search for Its Identity
In late February 2021, Germany’s left-wing party Die Linke gave themselves a new party executive. The new team is supposed to lead the party into the federal elections in September and, if possible, into a national center-left government.
A Kingdom in Troubled Waters: Lesotho's Forgotten Political and Security Crises
Lesotho is a landlocked mountain kingdom encased in South Africa for which it is a reservoir of water and labor. This kingdom of tormented creation is in a structural political and security crisis. Since 1993 and the return to multiparty politics, all elections, except that of 2002, needed regional mediation.
Germany calls for closer cooperation with France over security threats
German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has called for closer bilateral cooperation with France in light of the tense security situation in Europe marked by the Russian “threat”, the rise of China and spreading “Islamist terrorism” in the Sahel region.
From the Digital Levy to the Taxation of Multinationals: Joe Biden's Tax Revolution
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is conducting important negotiations this spring to reform international taxation.
Consequences of the coal phase-out on the electricity production in Germany: a best practice model for Europe?
2020 marked the beginning of the total phasing out of electricity production based on coal, as well as coal extraction in Germany. Laws implemented in 2020 concluded a governmental process started in 2015, which itself resulted from a prior broader debate on the role of coal in a viable and sustainable energy and economic system.
The Automotive Industry: The Achilles’ Heel of German Economy?
The global car market has been shrinking since 2018. This is a key economic sector for Germany whose producers belong to the Top 15 carmakers worldwide. Yet they are running the risk of being outclassed and eventually replaced, given emerging actors in the USA and China.
Central African Social Media at the Dawn of the Elections : An Advanced Symptom of a Coming Political Crisis
Although the Central African Republic remains a very weakly connected country with an Internet penetration rate of 14% in 2020, citizens begin to appropriate the use of social networks.
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.
Is Russia Fascist? Unraveling Propaganda East and West
The charge of "fascism" has become a strategic narrative of the current world order.
The African Union’s Migration Agenda: An Alternative to European Priorities in Africa?
While migration from Africa is the priority of European policies for the control of the European Union’s external borders, African migration dynamics are above all regional. Sub-Saharan migration is poorly connected to transcontinental flows: more than 70% remain in Africa.
Rethinking the Confederate Legacy
The battle flag of General Robert E. Lee’s famed Army of Northern Virginia, commonly known as the Confederate Flag or the Southern Cross, has become the symbol of the 1861-1865 Southern secession and the most widespread sign of Southern regional identity. Today it can be found flying across the South and on everything from clothing to bumper stickers.
Best friends, eh? The Arctic, Keystone XL and the Canada-United States Relationship in 2015
Canada and the United States enjoy one of the most fruitful relationship in the world. Yet, several points of contention have appeared in recent years over the Northwest Passage and, more importantly, the Keystone XL pipelines. Such disagreements must be analyzed in order to fully grasp the state of the bilateral relationship in 2015.
The Changing Face of Migration Flows
Migration continues to be an integral part of the political landscape in several European capitals, especially at a time when national or local elections are approaching. Nearly all EU member states are under pressure in one way or another from external challenges, but some are under constant pressure from migration flows.
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.
Migration Flows and Policies: India at a Turning Point
India hosts millions of economic migrants from neighboring countries, especially Nepal and Bangladesh. It is also a haven for large refugee communities from Tibet or Sri Lanka. In the past years, India’s dynamic economic growth has brought in new types of migrants: young European graduates, entrepreneurs and highly skilled Indian migrants returning home.
Are Europe's Migration Funds Adequate to Meet Growing Challenges?
Europe’s history books have always identified the Mediterranean as a bridge between different civilisations and cultures. Scholars, such as Fernand Braudel, have portrayed the Mediterranean as the bedrock of Western culture from which dialogue, mutual understanding and trade have been promoted since the very origins of our civilisation.
The Left in Turkey: A Fragmented History
The Gezi protest movement gripped Turkey throughout the summer of 2013 and reignited observers’ interest in Turkey’s left-wing activist groups, which participated in the protests.
Emerging Markets and Migration Policy: China
China’s development has given rise to massive flows of both domestic migration and international emigration.
Political and Economic Effects of Qaddafi's Death on Chad
On 24 August 2011, President Idriss Déby Itno of Chad recognised the National Transitional Council (NTC) as the only legitimate authority in Libya. Until then, the Chadian president had been a firm ally of the Guide of the Great Jahamiriya, President Qaddafi of Libya. Déby had sustained his long-time friend and helper with military equipment and soldiers from Chad from the beginning of the uprisings.
European States and their Muslim Citizens
Ifri, a foundation recognized as being of public utility, relies largely on private donors – companies and individuals – to guarantee its sustainability and intellectual independence. Through their funding, donors help maintain the Institute's position among the world's leading think tanks. By benefiting from an internationally recognized network and expertise, donors refine their understanding of geopolitical risk and its consequences on global politics and the economy. In 2026, Ifri partners with over 90 French and international companies and organizations.
