Africa Watch With Major Attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso, the Sahel Keeps Sliding Toward ‘Chaos’ Andrew Green Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 Even for a region that has witnessed the growing entrenchment of extremist groups and skyrocketing violence, it was a particularly deadly week in Africa’s Sahel, with major attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso. Amid all the unrest, governments are attempting to reverse a relatively hapless security response.
Q&A After an Electoral ‘Tsunami,’ What’s Ahead for Switzerland’s Greens? The Editors Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019 Switzerland’s Greens outdid high expectations in October elections to become the fourth-largest party in the National Council, the lower house of the Swiss parliament. In an interview, Pascal Sciarini explains what drove the Greens strong finish—and the obstacles they face to join Switzerland’s executive Cabinet.
China Note The EU Worries It Could Be the Collateral Damage of a U.S.-China Trade Deal Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019 European leaders reportedly fear that the anticipated “phase one” trade deal between the U.S. and China will harm EU interests. “We don’t want Europe to be a collateral victim of a U.S.-China trade deal,” a French official said this week, as President Emmanuel Macron traveled to China for a two-day visit.
Q&A Nigeria’s ‘Islamic Schools’ Crisis Is Actually Masking a Public Health Crisis The Editors Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019 A series of recent police raids in Nigeria revealed inhumane and abusive conditions in what news reports called “Islamic schools.” In an interview, Hannah Hoechner and Sadisu Salisu Idris explain why calling these centers “Islamic schools” is misleading, and why the government’s response to the raids is inadequate.
Africa Watch Magufuli Is Bulldozing Human Rights in Tanzania Andrew Green Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 The space for dissent in John Magufuli’s Tanzania is closing rapidly. A new report form Amnesty International accuses Magufuli, who was elected president in 2015, of creating a “climate of mounting fear with growing restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.”
Q&A Will Tunisia’s Popular, Outsider President Be Hobbled by a Divided Parliament? The Editors Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 Retired law professor Kais Saied won by a landslide in Tunisia’s presidential runoff in mid-October, days after parliamentary elections resulted in a fractured legislature. In an interview, Mohamed-Dhia Hammami explains how the recent elections have reshaped Tunisia’s political landscape.
Q&A In Local Elections, Hungary’s Opposition Punctures Orban’s Air of Invincibility The Editors Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019 Hungary’s populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, and his right-wing Fidesz party incurred significant losses in local elections earlier this month. Péter Krekó explains how opposition parties were able to notch so many wins against Fidesz and why the election results were a personal blow for Orban.
China Note At Its Secretive Plenum, China’s Communist Party Looks Inward Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019 President Xi Jinping convened a full meeting this week of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee amid unrest in Hong Kong, slowing economic growth and a protracted trade war with the United States. Despite these challenges, the plenum is expected to focus instead on weaknesses within the party.
Is the U.S. Out of Options on North Korea? Elliot Waldman Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019 Given recent failures of both working-level and leader-to-leader talks to persuade North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear arsenal, some experts argue that the U.S. must shift its focus from denuclearization to arms control. But what would that approach look like? And can it succeed?
Africa Watch At the First Russia-Africa Summit, Putin Tells African Leaders: Let’s Make a Deal Andrew Green Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 President Vladimir Putin had a message this week for 43 African leaders who were assembled in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi for the first-ever Russia-Africa Summit: Moscow is ready to make some deals. Putin’s government is eyeing trade ties and resources across the continent.
After a Grisly Cartel Shootout, Many in Mexico Doubt AMLO’s Security Promises Laura Weiss Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 The city of Culiacan in northern Mexico looked like a war zone last week as members of the Sinaloa cartel attacked Mexican security forces trying to arrest one of the sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has faced intense criticism for the botched operation.
Q&A Can Portugal’s Socialists, Governing Alone, Prove Skeptics Wrong Again? The Editors Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019 After expanding its plurality in parliament but falling short of a majority in elections this month, Portugal’s Socialist Party decided to forego the formal agreements with smaller parties that allowed it to govern over the past four years. Sofia Serra-Silva explains what that could mean for Portugal going forward.
