What is seen as a symbol of pride in one country may be viewed as a provocation in another. Reflecting on the recent controversy over a footballer’s hand gesture linked to Turkish nationalism, Süleyman Güngör explores how physical expressions of cultural identity triggered international tensions
Democracy in Africa is at a crossroads. While regimes do hold elections, many still fail to deliver on their democratic promises. Mebratu Kelecha argues for a non-adversarial form of democracy inspired by Africa's rich Indigenous Gada system, which emphasises inclusivity, consensus-building, and cooperation
Covid-19 border closures were intended to protect public health, but their symbolic effects reached far beyond controlling the virus. Lisa Herbig argues that temporary closures significantly weakened support for European unity and increased hostility toward immigrants. Policymakers should bear in mind that even brief border closures notably shape political attitudes
Populist rhetoric often pits a virtuous people against a corrupt elite. But when populist leaders invoke these definitions, do they always mean the same thing? Maurits Meijers, Robert A. Huber, and Andrej Zaslove explore the role of ideology in such definitions, shedding light on why populism remains a powerful political force
Leila Hennaoui examines the historical legacies of nuclear colonialism, the leadership of the Global South in reimagining nuclear governance, and the transformative shift represented by the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Marc Sanjaume-Calvet challenges the widespread belief that independence referendums are definitive acts of self-determination. Drawing on cases from Western Sahara to Bougainville, he argues that these votes often serve merely symbolic or strategic functions. Here, he reveals the persistent gap between democratic aspirations and the real politics of statehood
Nicușor Dan’s narrow victory over far-right challenger George Simion on 18 May averted the election of Romania's first openly illiberal president. Yet Simion still managed to attract 46.4% of the vote. Vera Tika reveals how ideas born under the Iron Guard, refined under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s national-communism, and weaponised by TikTok, now dominate Romanian politics — and are testing Europe’s eastern frontier of democracy
In Romania's 2025 presidential election, far-right political actors portrayed intellectuals as not just ineffective, but as a threat to Romanian values. Mimi Mihăilescu reveals how their rhetoric, which frames expertise as liability rather than an asset, is winning votes – and reshaping how an entire country determines what is true
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine forced the EU to revive its enlargement agenda, but growing politicisation risks sidelining the Western Balkans yet again. Miruna Butnaru Troncotă argues that the EU's future credibility and cohesion hinge on treating Western Balkan integration just as urgently as Eastern enlargement
Valentina Cassar examines the motivations for US-Russian diplomacy and arms control in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape. What role do these countries' nuclear postures play in sustaining their international primacy? China, certainly, will play a key part, while the outcomes will influence all states in the broader nuclear order
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