Stories Archive | Page 4 of 71

Analyses

After surpassing 90 percent approval in the first round of the presidential elections on October 6, incumbent Tunisian leader Kais Saied faces his new term in a political, social, and economic climate vastly different from that of 2019. We discussed this shift with writer and essayist Hatem Nafty, whose latest work, Notre ami Kaïs Saïed. Essai sur la démocrature tunisienne (Our Friend Kais Saied: An Essay on the Tunisian Dictatorship), was presented in late September.

International Affairs, Religion
Hezbollah’s Gaza War Stance Deepens Divides in Lebanon
Vanessa Breidy 31 July 2024

Twenty-four hours after Israel’s declaration of war following October 7, 2023, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hasan Nasrallah announced a “war of support for Gaza” from South Lebanon. This declaration was made solely by the political armed party Hezbollah, not the Lebanese government, thus constituting a clear violation of Lebanese state sovereignty and the rule of law. This breach has elicited varied reactions from Lebanese parties, with some Christian parties declaring the inevitability of political system reform and emphasizing the necessity of opening up the debate as soon as the war ends.
Political Theory
Is Labour’s Victory in the UK a Turning Point After the Long Neoliberal Season?
Seán Golden 26 July 2024

Labour’s victory might be seen as the final rejection of the revolution begun in the 1980s by Margaret Thatcher in the UK and by Ronald Reagan in the US, loyal followers of the theories of Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman. The immediacy of current affairs impedes historical hindsight, but many of the problems that led to the Tories’ demise and brought Labour back to power have their roots in Neoliberalism. Today the social, economic, and political models that evolved from classical liberalism have entered into crisis.
International Affairs
Kamala Harris’s Brat Summer
Sofia de Benedictis 25 July 2024

Corners of the internet collided this week as Kamala Harris’s campaign to be the Democratic nominee for president took off. The sometimes incomprehensible absurdity that makes virality blew new air into what was turning into an uninspiring electoral season. Kamala’s folksy, unscripted comments regarding “the context” and coconut trees have propelled her into the arms of Gen Z voters.
Political Theory
Yves Mény on the Long Ascent of the Far Right
Giancarlo Bosetti , Alessandra Tommasi 24 July 2024

The recent European elections confirmed a trend that began in the 1990s, showing that support for far-right parties has spread like wildfire across the continent. In France, Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National won 31.5 percent of the vote and reached the second round of the national legislative elections, although it ultimately lost. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party came first with 28.8 percent, while the Freedom Party of Austria also topped the polls with 25.4 percent of the preferences. Alternative for Germany achieved a startling result: Germany’s ultra-right party became the second-largest political formation (16 percent) after the CDU and ahead of Olaf Scholz’s SPD. Yves Mény, the first Director of the Robert Schuman Center at the European University Institute, delves into the political dynamics that have contributed to the rise of right-wing parties in Europe.
International Affairs
Biden’s Move Follows Tradition of Selfless Leadership
Hussein Ibish 23 July 2024

Political heroism is typically framed in terms of the acquisition and retention of power. But the US has a long tradition of celebrating, even venerating, those who have voluntarily given up power to promote the general welfare. President Joe Biden – who announced on Sunday that, in the interests of the party and the country, he is surrendering the Democratic presidential nomination, which he has earned in the primaries and fully controls – is the latest heir to that noble tradition.
Migrations
Rohingya Refugees Facing Exclusion and Deportation
with India’s Citizenship Amendment Act
Kristina Kironska 12 July 2024

The Rohingya have been forcibly displaced throughout Asia, including India, with repatriation to Myanmar deemed impossible. How are they being treated in India, a country lacking refugee laws and international commitments? According to Indian laws and the policies of the current BJP-led government, they are viewed as “aliens” who pose a security threat and are excluded by the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act. Do Indians endorse this view?
International Affairs
The French Elections: Descartes, Where Art Thou?
Massimo Nava 11 July 2024

A republican jolt, a democratic tremor, a belated injection of prudence and wisdom. The descriptions of the historical and incredible result of the snap elections in France have been abundant. In just seven days, between the first and second rounds, the political majority shifted from the far right to the far left. The majority of the French, from a host of backgrounds, blocked the path of the National Rally, the party of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, who went from euphoria to despair in the same breath.
Philosophy, Political Theory
The Salt of the Earth. In Memory of Fred Dallmayr
Editorial Board 11 July 2024

In memory of philosopher and political theorist Winfried “Fred” Dallmayr, one of the founding members of Reset Dialogues on Civilizations, who passed away on June 5, 2024. Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Dallmayr authored some 40 books and edited another 20.
International Affairs
Iranians Vote: A Chance to Break from the Khomeinist Core?
Renzo Guolo 3 July 2024

In the Iranian presidential elections, the moderate reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and the hard-line conservative Saeed Jalili are heading to a runoff. This is the result of the first round of elections held to designate Ebrahim Raisi’s successor, who died in a plane crash in May. The elections require a candidate to secure 50 percent of the votes to be elected in the first round.
International Affairs
Modi’s Third Term: A Pyrrhic Victory Amidst Growing Opposition
Maria Tavernini 28 June 2024

The re-election of Narendra Modi, who has taken oath as prime minister for a rare third consecutive term, came with a bitter taste and mixed feelings. As is often the case in India, opinion and exit polls that foresaw a landslide victory for the incumbent prime minister failed to accurately predict the outcome of the world’s largest elections, which were held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. When poll results started to roll in, it was clear that Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had lost their parliamentary majority for the first time in 10 years.