Publications

China’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including its effort to shape the narrative, is likely to have major geopolitical implications. For China, the pandemic is a double-​edged sword. The gove...chevron_right

The health emergency and its economic consequences bear risks and opportunities for Europe's armed forces, argues Amos Dossi in this CSS Policy Perspective. On the one hand, there are short-​term interventions in specifications and budgets, on the other hand long-​term constructive impulses. Whether the armed forces will have to accept major cuts or gain legitimacy depends to a large extent on whether the interpretation of the current crisis takes place against the backdrop of a broad spectrum of realistic crisis scenarios. Such a perspective views the armed forces as the backbone of an integral crisis insurance, which favors subsidiary synergies without putting core military tasks at risk.chevron_right

This issue of the Caucasus Analytical Digest focuses on Public Opinion in Georgia: New Caucasus Barometer Results. Firstly, David Sichinava discusses the evolution of people’s attitudes towards conflict resolution in Georgia. Secondly, Rati Shubladze and Tamar Khoshtaria analyze trends and inconsistencies in popular support for democracy in Georgia. Thirdly, Dustin Gilbreath tackles the trajectory of trust in the most trusted institution in the country, the Orthodox Church of Georgia.chevron_right

The COVID-​19 pandemic shows that the Swiss crisis management is working to a large extent. Nevertheless, there are coordination problems with respect to data, communication and actors that should be resolved, argues Matthias Leese in this CSS Policy Perspective. Data exchange and data processing between municipalities, cantons and the federal government should be automated. To gain a better understanding of measures, standardized visualizations and clear communication would be helpful. Furthermore, the role of security actors should be clearly defined and actors should be provided with the appropriate resources.chevron_right

This paper provides an overview of events in late July 2020 regarding the US-China rivalry. The author argues 1) that the US is moving towards a policy of fostering public opinion against the regime i...chevron_right

This paper contends that Lebanon is facing an economic crisis with little chance of aid from Western or Arab countries. With the US’ continued stance on sanctions and its block on reconstruction aid f...chevron_right

The paper argues that US is being targeted with hybrid warfare tactics that aim to destabilize the country. The author argues that by using tactics similar to those used in the Syrian war – including ...chevron_right

This publication contends that a perfect storm is expediting the consolidation of a Eurasian bloc around China, Russia and a Germany-led EU, and highlights this by focusing on events in July 2020. The...chevron_right

Diese Publikation beschäftigt sich mit politischen Stimmungslagen in der russischen Gesellschaft. Die Moskauer Forschungsgruppe Belanowskij unterschied in ihrer im Juni 2020 zu diesem Thema veröffentl...chevron_right

This paper contends that historically, many elections across the African continent have been marred with violence before, during and after election days. Be it authoritarian regimes or flawed democrac...chevron_right

This publication briefly takes stock of the West’s relations with China and asks how it can begin to reorganize its ties with Beijing. In particular, the author focuses on how the West can achieve a r...chevron_right

This edition of the RAD focus on social issues. First, Marina Khmelnitskaya examines how using policy ideas as a variable can help inform an understanding of policymaking and governance in Russia. By doing so, the author highlights how policymaking and governance varies between three state levels: the president, ministerial bureaucracy, and the regional and local levels. Second, Stanislav Klimovich and Ulla Pape look at how companies closely collaborate with state administrations in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Russia’s regions.chevron_right

The topic of this issue of the RAD is US–Russian Relations. More specifically, Alla Kassianova looks at US–Russia science cooperation; Pavel Luzin analyses the US–Russia space partnership; Oleg Anisimov, Robert Orttung, Kelsey Nyland, and Alexander Sergunin discuss the possibilities for US–Russian scientific cooperation in the Arctic, highlighting the success of the “Environmental Bilateral” agreement of 1972; and Tina Burrett focuses on reporting by four Russian-state-directed media outlets to answer the question of whether Russia sought to influence voting in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 US presidential election.chevron_right

The coronavirus pandemic has only added another layer of complexity to disaster risk reduction efforts. Nevertheless, this year marks the fifth year of the application of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction to risk reduction efforts around the globe, completing one-third of the framework’s life cycle. In this context, in this report Paul Barnes et al take stock of the challenges faced by Pacific island countries in incorporating guidance from the framework into policy, legislation and practice.chevron_right

Sophie-Charlotte Fischer, Kevin Kohler and Andreas Wenger note that in the context of the global effort to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, digital technologies are taking on a role that is both visible and controversial. Nevertheless, our authors suggest that the reciprocal relationship between technology and society is often being ignored. Further, states apply digital technologies in very different ways when it comes to crisis management measures.chevron_right