Authoritarianism
All topics-
Kuwait’s political futureCan semi-democracy survive?
Six months after Kuwait's new emir dissolved parliament, its members have yet to resume their work. Still, there are strong indications that the country’s unique parliamentary system will prevail.
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Middle East conflictTwo peoples' experience of displacement
The Israel-Palestine conflict is multilayered and very complex. The greatest problem is that both sides have reason to believe the other wants to destroy them
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Egypt's New CapitalCounter-revolution completed
With Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's move into his new presidential palace and the inauguration of the new administrative capital, the Egyptian military's counter-revolution of 30 June 2013 is complete
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Elections in IndonesiaWorld's third largest democracy at a crossroads
On 14 February 2024, some 205 million Indonesians are going to the polls to choose a new president as well as new national and regional parliaments. Over the past 25 years, the nation with the world's largest Muslim population has evolved into a stable democracy. Yet observers now fear autocratic tendencies
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Turkey"Red Buds" – a TV series divides the country
The Turkish media authority has imposed a two-week broadcasting ban and fine on the series "Red Buds", in which religious and liberal worlds collide. The series is apparently too close to the bone
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Germany and the Gaza warArab criticism of German hypocrisy
Germany used to be a role model for the Arab world. That has changed since the Israeli army killed thousands of civilians in the war against Hamas – with barely a murmur of opposition from German politicians
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Germany's policy on EgyptNeither value-driven nor feminist
Germany's policy on Egypt is based on economic interests and a fear the country may collapse. As a result it contributes to stabilising Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's brutal regime
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Arab popular support for GazaHow pro-Palestinian protests threaten Middle East autocrats
In some Middle Eastern countries, pro-Palestinian rallies recall pro-democracy protests from 2011. Now, the region's authoritarian leaders are worried the conflict in Gaza could alter the political status quo at home
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RefugeesBattling public mood, Turkey quietly assimilates Syrians
Mahmud Abdi came to Turkey hoping to return once the bloodshed ebbed. Almost a decade later, the 30-year-old carpenter is looking to open his own workshop in the southeastern Turkish city of Sanliurfa, where a quarter of the two million inhabitants are Syrian
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Christians in IraqThe demons of Karakosh
Christians in Iraq are under massive pressure. With the burning of a Koran by Christian Iraqi Salwan Momika in Sweden, the nationwide ban on alcohol, as well as the tragic fire at a recent wedding reception, life isn't getting any easier for them
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Turkey at 100What will become of Ataturk's legacy?
A century ago, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Turkish Republic based on secular values. Today, many fear his vision is under threat by conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
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The deserted villages of the soulYavuz Ekinci's new novel
Armenian genocide denial is a great and enduring lie by the Turkish state, characterised by ongoing violence and racism. Yavuz Ekinci takes up the subject in an unsparing and powerful novel: "Das ferne Dorf meiner Kindheit" – 'the distant village of my childhood'. Gerrit Wustmann read the book