After the revolutions of 1989, Central and Eastern Europe was an exciting place to watch, with democracy seemingly poised to take root. Yet, nearly thirty years later, Westerners who had… Read more »
China, Russia and other authoritarian countries inflate their official GDP figures by anywhere from 15 to 30 percent in a given year, according to a new analysis of a quarter-century of satellite data,… Read more »
In all the turmoil of the Middle East, the most significant development of the year thus far may be the democratic election Iraq held on Saturday. It was competitive,… Read more »
The mayor of an Australian city has admitted that, at the request of a Chinese official, its local council got rid of a Taiwanese flag that some school students painted… Read more »
Islam is exceptional in how it relates to law, governance and politics, and plays an outsized role in public life in the Arab world, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Shadi Hamid… Read more »
The FIFA World Cup starting on June 14, 2018, will take place during the worst human rights crisis in Russia since the Soviet era. FIFA should use its leverage… Read more »
All around the world, democracy is looking shaky, says Natasha Ezrow of the University of Essex. While consolidated democracies are struggling to stay healthy, many flawed ones have turned into… Read more »
Human rights groups are calling for an urgent intervention in the case of an Egyptian activist arrested after she posted a video criticizing the government for failing to protect women… Read more »
Allegations of Azerbaijani attempts to buy support from members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) gained significant traction last month with the publication of a report commissioned by… Read more »
An Iraqi nationalist cleric who led two uprisings against US troops has taken a surprise lead in parliamentary elections, fending off Iran-backed rivals and the country’s incumbent prime minister, the… Read more »