Pakistan Outlook
The Pakistani political and institutional system is currently marked by sharp conflict between the government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an anti-government coalition representing the interests of various opposition parties. The PDM’s objectives include the end of the Khan government and early elections […]
Middle East Outlook
In the years 2019 and 2020, the entire Middle Eastern region was marked by significant issues: the long-standing crises (the war in Syria, that in Yemen or the Iraqi situation) were accompanied by new and complex events that often pushed regional tensions to the highest level. The political strategy followed by the past US administration […]
Outlook West and Central Africa
The work of the government and the administrative apparatus in several West and Central African countries is slowed down or completely compromised by governance problems. The latter are often linked to persistent tensions between the different political factions both within the ruling governments and between majority and opposition parties. The presence of high levels of […]
Outlook Iraq
The structural problems of Iraq, resulting from an endemic sectarian conflict and a difficult economic situation, are still making the country vulnerable to major external influence. The plans of many international actors to steer the national political agenda of Iraq (through economic pressure and proxy conflict, often in violation of national sovereignty itself) have contributed […]
Outlook Asia Pacific
China-US relations and regional implications The difficulties that characterise the bilateral relationship between the US and China are structural, not cyclical, and will therefore be a major issue during 2021. US foreign politics in relation to Beijing will not change significantly, but rather readjusted, retaining a strategy based on competitiveness nevertheless, without the confrontational orientation […]
Outlook Americas
2020 was one of the most turbulent years in the recent history of the American continent, hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic (with over 500,000 fatalities, the United States and Brazil are the two hardest hit countries globally) and struggling with major political balance changes. The one-sided and protectionist measures taken by the Trump administration […]
East Africa Outlook
Ethiopia-Eritrea The Ethiopian security situation deteriorated due to the conflict in the Tigray region and this trend seems likely to continue in 2021. In 2020, the number of victims of violent actions was three times higher than in 2019, mainly because of the Tigray conflict (which claimed around 1,100 lives, more than half of the […]
The jihadist threat in India: trends and outlook
In recent years, India has witnesses a sharp reduction in jihadist terrorist attacks (the last significant event dates back to October 2013, when the Indian Mujahideen group struck in Bihar state, killing seven civilians). Better intelligence capabilities and more effective coordination between central and local authorities are just some of the factors explaining this decreasing […]
In-dept report: Venezuela
December 2020: the legislative election and the “Popular Referendum” On 6 December 2020, elections took place in Venezuela to renew the National Assembly (277 seats), the country’s main legislative body, ruled by forces opposed to Nicolás Maduro since 2015. The official bulletin released by the National Electoral Council (CNE) points out that President Maduro (‘Great […]