David Francis

A state of fear and tension currently hangs over Nigeria, a country that is increasingly at odds with itself. The divide between the Muslim north and the Christian south grows larger and more volatile by the day. Faith in the political process is nonexistent. The only certainty people express is that the ending to the current phase in Nigerian history is going to be unpleasant and most likely violent.

Germany is fighting a war in Afghanistan in all but name. Constitutional prohibitions on warfare are joined by public opinion against involvement in the conflict to produce a government that denies the real nature of Germany's engagement in Afghanistan. The German government engages in campaign of willful ignorance to contradict reports that would dispute the official line. Nonetheless, Germany has been proactive in seeking to counter what it sees as a rising threat from radical Islam.
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On May 9, voters in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia take to the polls to decide what in the past has typically been a quiet, local parliamentary election. This year, however, is different. A loss for Chancellor Angela Merkel could have a profound impact on Germany's foreign policy agenda in three key areas. It also could signal the beginning of a new German position within the European Union and beyond. more

BONN, Germany -- Since forming a coalition government with the conservative Free Democratic Party, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Christian Democratic Union have been pulled toward more fiscally conservative policies. The pragmatic Merkel, who was often accused of leaning too far to the left in her previous coalition, is now being accused of swaying too far to the right. more

BERLIN -- For weeks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Christian Democratic Party have been locked in tough negotiations with the Free Democrats over both cabinet appointments and tax policy. In the end, Merkel was the one to compromise, suggesting that she might increasingly find her centrist roots at odds with her preferred coalition partner on the right.
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BERLIN -- After four years of an uncomfortable alliance with the liberal Social Democratic Party marked more by inaction that by any major initiatives, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her conservative Christian Democrat party won a sweeping victory in federal elections here yesterday, putting the legislative pieces in place to make significant policy changes in her second term. more

BERLIN -- Just days ahead of Sunday's general election that will decide the next German chancellor, there is a noticeable lack of interest among the public, the media, and even the candidates themselves. The widespread indifference comes at a time when Germany nevertheless faces a number of difficult issues, including an unpopular war in Afghanistan and the country's tenuous economic recovery. more

BERLIN -- The German public and many left-leaning members of parliament have expressed shock and anger over Germany's role in an airstrike in Afghanistan last week that killed an as-yet-undetermined number of Afghan civilians. German opinion is largely opposed to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. But until now, the war had remained largely absent from the campaign for upcoming general elections. more

BERLIN -- Setbacks in local elections threaten Merkel's coalition plans. more

CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico - Despite a number of significant steps to increase security along the U.S.-Mexican border in recent years, violence along the frontier is growing as Mexican drug cartels increase their involvement in human and drug smuggling into the United States. Meanwhile, a Bush administration initiative to provide significant law enforcement aid to Mexico is stalled in Congress amid old questions about the best way to fight the drug war. more

BRUSSELS -- NATO and European Union officials in Brussels met the landslide election victory of former Russian President Vladimir Putin's chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev, with ambivalence this week. Officials of both bodies expressed little optimism that a change of leadership will bring any great change in the state of Russia's democracy. A NATO official said the body's main concern is that the strategic partnership between the security alliance and Russia continue under Medvedev's government. more