The Georgian far right failed its electoral debut. But its season may not be over
Taken together, the emerging groups of the Georgian far right obtained less than 5% in the October 2020 elections to the national Parliament. But limited electoral success does not mean that the far-right has limited political power, in Georgia and elsewhere in the world.
Why Choose to Cycle in a Low-Income Country?
Research on the adoption of the bicycle as a means of transport has been booming in high-income countries. However, little is known about bicycle adoption in lower-income countries where air pollution is high and cycling infrastructure is poor. Understanding the drivers of cycling adoption in developing economies can increase the efficiency of transport policies while reducing local air pollution, improving health, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The objective of this study is to identify the factors affecting cycling uptake in a low-income country using the city of Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan as a case study. The analysis is based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, a questionnaire-based survey of 900 respondents, factor analysis, and a logit model. In contrast to studies carried out in developed countries, this study finds that students are less likely to adopt cycling than other population groups. Other findings suggest that support for public transport, a desire for regular exercise and perceptions of the environmental benefits of cycling increase the probability of the use of cycling as a mode of transport in a low-income country. The paper also identifies positive and negative perceptions of cycling among cyclists and non-cyclists
What’s in the new EU-UK relationship?
The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was reached on 24 December 2020, after more that four years of negotiation. Join this webinar to learn more on what the deal holds for the future, both in terms of EU-UK relations and their wider context.
Measuring Russia’s attention to Europe and the world
Based on a mapping of mentions of country names in more than 30,000 Russian official speeches, press conferences, meeting transcripts, and official statements, this brief provides insights into changes to Russia’s engagement with the world during the 21st century. Without disentangling the subtleties of relations – such as their security, economic, or cultural dimensions and their benign or adversarial features – this approach allows the brief to sketch answers to questions that would otherwise be left to guesswork.
Trade and trust: the role of trade in de facto state conflict transformation
De facto states – unrecognized secessionist entities that eke out a living on the margins of the international system – are often heavily dependent on external patron states for economic aid and investment. When the parent state – the state that the de facto state seeks to break away from – responds to the secessionist attempt by imposing sanctions or economic blockades, this further exacerbates such dependency. Moreover, due to their lack of international recognition, de facto states often have limited opportunities to engage with the outside world beyond the patron and the parent state. However, closer examination of one such de facto state, Abkhazia, reveals that de facto states can enjoy some bounded independent economic agency. Abkhazia’s maneuvering between Russia as “patron,” Georgia as “parent state,” and the wider international community (here exemplified by the EU) in the sphere of trade and economic interaction has important implications for de-facto state conflict transformation.
Norway, NATO and the Northern Flank
This chapter discusses Norwegian perspectives on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and security and defense policy. It begins with a short background discussion about the historical relations between Norway and Russia, and the Norwegian security and defense posture that has resulted in since the World War II. It describes Norway’s relations to NATO, popular support for the Alliance today, and Norway progress concerning the 2 percent target at the Wales summit in 2014. Current Norwegian security and defense policy reflects renewed concerns about developments in Russia, and the desire to enhance NATO and United States engagement in the north, while also strengthening European security cooperation. Norway, as a small state with limited national forces, must rely on NATO for its security and deterrence. Norwegian popular support for NATO is higher than in a long time, and even voters on the far left appear predominantly supportive.
Is France in a no-win situation in Sahel region?
Leaders of a group of five West African Sahel nations are currently meeting for the second day in Chad’s capital N'Djamena. The summit seeks to find ways to boost security, and comes as France prepares to drawdown its troops in the volatile region. Andrew E. Yaw Tchie from the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs weighs in.
Nordic research cooperation is more important than ever in a rapidly changing world: concrete proposals for developing cooperation
The Nordic Ministers of Foreign Affairs were meeting 10 February. Their virtual meeting was an opportunity to discuss the potential for increased Nordic research cooperation at a time where the world around us is changing rapidly.
Ingen troverdig leder
US' International leadership was in crisis long before Donald Trump.
Tax compliance, culture and local institutions: The legacy of pre-colonial centralization in Uganda
We are excited to announce that this semester’s first webinar in our Tax for Development Webinar Series featuring Merima Ali (CMI and Syracuse University)