Politics

Sumud Flotilla

Tunisia at the forefront of global convoy to Gaza

More than 50 boats are set to sail to Gaza in an attempt to break Israel's blockade. While European activists dominate headlines, the mission unites participants from over 40 countries, including many from Tunisia, where solidarity with Palestine runs deep.
By Miriam Tepes, Sofia Turati
The new Syria

A history of violence

For the first time in eleven years, Yassin al-Haj Saleh returned to his homeland. The Syrian writer and dissident found a country torn apart by internal conflicts and beset by worries about the return of tyranny. A historical analysis.
By Yassin al-Haj Saleh
Tunisia under Kais Saied

Civil society in survival mode

Since his re-election last year, Tunisian President Kais Saied has consolidated his authoritarian rule, silencing dissent and attacking marginalised groups. The EU must support Tunisian civil society rather than reinforcing Saied's populist narrative.
By Sophia Hiss
Political scientist Rahaf Aldoughli

"Al-Sharaa must be put under pressure"

Ahmed al-Sharaa promised a peaceful Syria, but violence continues to shape the country's transition. A genuine national dialogue, political participation and a strategy to integrate former fighters into the army are essential, says political scientist Rahaf Aldoughli.
By Hannah El-Hitami
Reporting on Palestine

Germany cannot imagine the suffering in Gaza

For some, the widespread publication of images of starving children from Gaza is a sign of a major shift in the German political and media discourse. Palestinian journalist Asmaa al-Ghoul disagrees.
By Asmaa al-Ghoul
Transitional justice in Syria

"Accountability is more important than punishment"

Can there be justice after the horrors Syria has endured? Sociologist Mohammed Bamyeh sees signs that the country's new leadership wants to confront the past, but warns against the dangers of selective justice.
By Morgane Llanque
New biography of Ali Khamenei

The man pulling Iran's strings

Ali Khamenei is one of the most powerful figures in world politics, with influence extending far beyond Iran. Who is the man who, since 1989, has steered the Islamic Republic with an iron grip? A new biography by Ali Sadrzadeh sheds some light on the mystery.
By Gerrit Wustmann
Stateless in Syria

Will al-Sharaa naturalise foreign fighters and their children?

Thousands of children born to foreign militia members and Syrian mothers remain stateless. As the government considers granting citizenship to fighters, their families—including the widows of deceased fighters—wait for clarity.
By Mayar Mohanna
Political Islam in Jordan

What's next for the Muslim Brotherhood?

An official ban on the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan has brought the movement to a critical crossroads. Its political arm is struggling to preserve its platform and avoid the fate of its counterparts in Egypt and Tunisia.
By Mahmoud El Tabakh
Öcalan's call for disarmament

Why the PKK failed

The Kurdistan Workers' Party has pursued multiple goals over the decades and failed to achieve any of them. Now the communist-nationalist movement is facing a turning point, and possibly its end
By Haleh Hosseini Ramandi
German foreign policy

Hunger in Gaza—made in Germany

Starving children in Gaza, growing criticism in Germany and political leverage that remains unused. Berlin must not stand idly by and watch this atrocious catastrophe unfold.
By Jannis Hagmann
Suwayda, Syria

Not a local conflict, but geopolitics in disguise

Sectarianism in Syria is a longstanding political project. Institutionalised under colonial rule and exploited by Assad, it's now being weaponised by the new regime and Israel, as the massacres in Suwayda make brutally clear.
By Maria Kastrinou, Salam Said