Analysis | Friedrich Naumann Foundation

The newcomer Jakov Milatović, only 36 years old, beats Milo Djukanović, the "permanent president" of Montenegro who had dominated for decades, with an outstanding result. Six weeks earlier, his victory was still considered almost impossible. Since Djukanović dissolved parliament shortly before the presidential election, the future course of the country will only become clear after the parliamentary election on 11 June and the formation of a new government.

Israelis protesting with flags in front of Supreme Court

Politics

04.04.2023 Jonathan Brüls

Understanding Israel’s Constitutional Nightmare

Over the last few years, Israeli politics have undergone a deep polarization. Parties have been cornered into two opposing blocks, with support for Netanyahu as the fault line. His detractors see him as a corrupt leader who seeks to cling onto power, even if it means undermining liberal democracy in Israel. His supporters accuse the opposition of pushing extremists to the forefront of the political landscape by refusing to enter into a coalition with Netanyahu.

Turkey

30.03.2023 Aret Demirci

Miracles happen all the time

According to official figures, the devastating earthquake in south-eastern Turkey on 6 February killed almost 50,000 people and destroyed entire regions. But in addition to all the damage and suffering caused by the earthquake, there were also many miracles - such as the rescue of numerous people from the ruins even after almost 300 hours after the earthquake. Another miracle concerns the rapprochement between the eternal enemies Greece and Turkey.

One Foundation

27.03.2023 Gréta Kiss

FNF Connects - One Month in Istanbul

Greta Kiss from the Brussels office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom worked in Istanbul for five weeks as part of the "One Foundation Worldwide" programme and gained insights into the work of the team on the ground and the challenges facing Turkey, an indispensable but very challenging partner of the EU. The country was mourning thousands of losses in the earthquake of the century, and all eyes turned to the region in Southeastern Turkey. This, of course, has had a significant impact on Turkish society and also on the staff and local partners of FNF’s Istanbul office.

Tourism

24.03.2023 Anwar Zibaoui

Mediterranean tourism: towards a positive change

The economic outlook for the tourism sector in the Mediterranean region is encouraging. Pre-pandemic figures are expected to be reached by the end of 2023, but we need to rethink the model, innovate and find new ways of marketing. The tourism sector enriches economies and the labour market, but it must also care for heritage and be more sustainable. Tourism needs a positive approach.

Netherlands

23.03.2023 Jeroen Dobber

"New Kids on the Block" – Farmer party wins Dutch elections

A new populist party has rocked the political landscape in the Netherlands by winning the provincial elections last Wednesday. The BoerBurgerBeweging (Farmer-Citizen Movement/BBB) won more than one in five votes nationwide, with a campaign that capitalised on rural anger at the current government’s environmental policies. The result will put pressure on the government’s ability to pass legislation, as the provincial elections determine the makeup of the Dutch Senate, and may lead to increased tensions within the four=party governing coalition.

International politics

21.03.2023 Hayk Toroyan

Circumventing Russia: Can the South Caucasus connect the West to the East?

“The South Caucasus - a region considered by its inhabitants as the center of the world and by outsiders as the edge of nowhere” goes a saying. However, the Russian war in Ukraine and the war in Nagorno-Karabakh shifted the geopolitical situation radically. The region can play a bigger role because of recent geopolitical events: the Russia-West conflict, Chinese expansion, EU energy crisis. Probably one of the biggest in the long history, if communication networks are opened: potential East-West corridor that will connect China with Europe and the South-North corridor that will connect India with Europe.

Presidential Elections in Montenegro

17.03.2023 Dušan Dinić

The identity question as a sticking point

About 540,000 Montenegrin citizens are called to vote for one of the seven presidential candidates on 19 March. Incumbent Milo Djukanović wants to do it again, although he has already held this position twice. Even 17 years after the proclamation of independence, the political disputes in the capital Podgorica are marked by the question of identity: Do the country's inhabitants feel they belong to the Montenegrin or Serbian nation? Which language do the inhabitants speak - Serbian or Montenegrin? Does the Serbian or the Montenegrin Orthodox Church exercise spiritual power in Montenegro? These questions determine the political reality of the small country and have already brought down several governments.

Technology

16.03.2023 Edurne Martínez Martínez

Barcelona's Mobile gets bigger: from mobiles to telecommunications networks

The Mobile World Congress is consolidating its position as one of the main international trade fairs. The big technology companies come together on this stage, which shows that we are immersed in a technological world, although not all countries are advancing in the same way. While in Europe, for example, there is talk of the G5, metaverse or artificial intelligence, in some African countries there is no internet connection.

Macron-Sunak Meeting

14.03.2023 Sir Graham Watson

"Je t’aime, moi non plus"

In recent years, disputes have increasingly strained British-French relations. Accordingly, the meeting between British Prime Minister Sunak and French President Macron on 10th March was eagerly awaited. But one thing seems clear: the relationship between the two countries remains strained. The pressure on the leaders of Europe's two nuclear powers to agree on a common strategy for Europe's greatest foreign policy challenge will continue to intensify.

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Change in Montenegro: Long-term president voted out of office