Understanding politics across borders and divides
Published: July 22, 2026 Overview Five years ago Tunisia was the Arab Spring’s one success story, a fragile but real democracy. This summer marks five years since President Kais Saied suspended parliament and seized emergency powers, and the democracy is gone. Saied governs largely alone, his major opponents are in jail, exile, or barred … Read more
Published: July 21, 2026 Overview Uzbekistan is running one of the world’s clearest experiments in economic liberalisation without political liberalisation. Real GDP grew 7.7 percent in 2025, the country is in the final stage of World Trade Organization accession, and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has committed 250.5 trillion sum to a 2026 reform programme covering everything … Read more
Published: July 18, 2026 Overview Vladimir Putin is heading into the fifth year of full-scale war in Ukraine, governing under a term that runs to 2030 after his re-election in March 2024. Russia is also preparing for its first State Duma election since the invasion began, with voting set for September 18 to 20, … Read more
Published: July 18, 2026 Overview Egypt’s macroeconomic numbers look better than they have in years. Net foreign reserves hit a record above $55 billion at the end of June 2026, and inflation has come down sharply from crisis-era peaks. Households are still waiting to feel it, and that gap between headline stability and daily … Read more