Four years after it cut all ties with Afghanistan, the Indian government’s strategy towards the Taliban regime is undergoing a transformation. Sonia Sarkar argues that India’s deteriorating relationship with Pakistan appears to have prompted this, and suggests it damages India’s pluralist reputation
Next year’s UN study on Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones offers non-nuclear states a rare chance to reshape the global disarmament agenda. Jorge Alberto López Lechuga says they must use this moment to strengthen, connect, and expand NWFZs — turning regional commitments into a coherent global force against nuclear proliferation
Luca Verzichelli explores the crisis of democratic representation and the shrinking space for citizen-institution engagement. Launching a series on 'democratic disconnect', he calls for a new democratic pedagogy, fresh analytical tools, and innovative solutions to reconnect actors, strengthen institutions, and adapt democracy to twenty first-century challenges – before it's too late
To kickstart a new round of blogs in the Gendering Democracy series, Paloma Caravantes, Laura Eigenmann and Francesca Feo recap the discussion so far, explaining why we need to keep gender at the centre of research on the politics of our time – and where we should go next
Discussions about democracy have never been more vibrant. Yet, debates often unfold in a highly simplistic or unreflective way. Dimitris Kastritis joins the Science of Democracy 2.0 to argue for the necessity to continue raising new questions in democratic theory
African states have long championed nuclear disarmament, from resisting colonial-era testing to advancing the Pelindaba and Prohibition Treaties. Yet frustration is growing over the slow pace of progress and exclusion from global forums. Robin Möser argues that African experiences offer lessons to revitalise inclusivity ahead of the 2026 Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference
Will Edmonds argues that the UK’s targeted, means-tested social housing is permitted by a culture that criminalises poverty, and has enabled tragedies like the Grenfell fire. A look through the history of UK public housing shows that the government should adopt a humane, universalist approach
Brought together by a shared ideology, converging around global events, and united in their support for radical-right leaders, populist audiences on social media are becoming increasingly global. Francesco Vittonetto discusses why we can now start talking about transnational populist publics
This new phase in the Science of Democracy series sets a brisk and insightful agenda for overcoming the gridlock in democracy studies. While he embraces its key points, Peter A. Kraus argues that the ultimate and inescapable challenge in developing a democratic epistemics is the politics involved
Chad's 20-year conviction of opposition leader Succès Masra reveals how African courts have become weaponised against dissent. Across the continent, writes Michael Asiedu, from Benin to Uganda, authoritarian regimes are increasingly using fabricated charges to silence opponents. This, he says, masks repression behind democratic facades, erodes judicial independence, and weakens the prospects for genuine democratic transition
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