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NL Alexei Navalny: symbol of the fight for democracy
Photo: Opposition leader Alexei Navalny during a march - Wikimedia Commons Less than a month before the Russian parliamentary elections, Alexei Navalny, the opposition leader and political arch-enemy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in the Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence. According to prison authorities, Navalny felt unwell and lost his [...]
Oppression of Tunisian political dissidents: opposition leader sentenced to three years in prison
Photo: Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the Ennahda party - Flickr On 31 January, Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouci was sentenced to three years in prison. Ghannouci, who is 82, is the leader of Tunisia's largest opposition party, the Ennahda Party. Ghannouci received this sentence over allegations that Ennahda received illegal foreign contributions. The [...]
Visit Georgia and fact-finding mission
Photo: Georgian flags in the old centre of the capital Tbilisi - Flickr In late October, a seven-member delegation from the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity (EFDS) visited Georgia. The group included MPs from several European countries and representatives of political foundations. The focus was mainly on foreign [...]
Unrest in Serbia after elections and attack on LGBTIQ+ centre
Photo: The Pride centre in Belgrade after an attack in May 2023 - Wikimedia Commons It is unsettled in Belgrade, Serbia. Large-scale protests have been taking place weekly since the 17 December elections. The results are being questioned due to alleged fraud and other disturbances. In addition, the LGBTQ+ community still suffers from exclusion [...]
"Super election year 2024": what is the FMS looking forward to?
Photo: Mohamed Hassan/ PxHere 2024 is also being called the election year by political analysts. People in more than 70 countries will be allowed to cast their votes which amounts to 3.7 billion people, almost half of the total world population. Just because elections are organised does not automatically mean they are democratic. In some elections, the winner is [...]
Stalemate Ukraine highlights undiminished importance of support
Photo: Demonstration in support of Ukraine in February 2022 - Wikimedia Commons Almost two years ago, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With support for Ukraine no longer a foregone conclusion, a good outcome of the war is increasingly uncertain. The fighting lingers on and the risk of another frozen conflict lies [...]
Presidential elections in Taiwan: a continuation of the status quo?
On 13 January, the eyes of the world were on Taiwan. Lai Ching-te, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) since 2023, won the election with a clear lead. The DPP is now delivering the president for the third time in a row. It is the first time in Taiwan's history that a party [...]
The Belarusian revolution did not end in 2020 - it is still ongoing
Photo: Protest rally against Lukashenko, 30 August 2020. Minsk, Belarus (WikiMedia Commons) August 2020. More than three years have passed since the massive protests in Belarus following the dubious presidential election won by Alexander Lukashenka. Tens of thousands questioning the election results took to the streets. These mass protests were then harshly [...]
In conversation with Egypt correspondent Eduard Cousin: "Due to huge inflation, poverty on the streets has become increasingly visible"
There are presidential elections in Egypt from 10 to 12 December. Incumbent president Sisi, himself brought to power by a coup in 2013, has stood for re-election. Economically, Egypt is doing badly and there is a lot of unrest in society about this. Nevertheless, Sisi's position does not seem to be in danger and he will [...]
China's growing influence in Europe's backyard
Photo: Construction of a bridge over the Morača Valley, Montenegro, as part of the Bar-Boljare highway - Wikimedia Commons China has been pushing for some time to become the new global superpower. The Belt and Road Inititave been part of this expansion drive. China is keen to expand its global footprint and [...]
