Algeria’s Rentier-Authoritarian Regime in the Aftermath of the Energy Crisis

Europe’s drive for energy security and a green transition has intensified cooperation with Algeria and the wider MENA region. Initiatives like the Taqathy+ programme, backed by the EU and Germany, aim to position Algeria as a regional hub for renewable energy, building on megaprojects such as Medlink and the SouthH2 Corridor. While these projects are promoted as tools for sustainable development and decarbonization, they primarily serve European energy interests. Local populations are often excluded from decision-making, and renewable energy exports risk reinforcing Algeria’s centralized, rentier-authoritarian structures rather than democratizing the sector. In practice, these initiatives advance Europe’s net-zero goals while leaving Algerians marginalized from the energy transition, even as climate change increasingly affects the region.

Taxing U.S. Big Tech: Europe’s Countermove to Trump’s Tariff Agenda

The EU is ramping up efforts to tax Big Tech through Digital Services Taxes (DST) and new digital competition laws like the DMA. Once a fiscal tool, the DST is now emerging as a geopolitical instrument amid US-EU trade tensions. With Apple and Meta facing fines and the European Court backing the EU’s regulatory authority, digital policy is becoming a new front in global power politics.

[REPORT] Hugs No More, Bullets Galore? Mexico’s Security Policy One Year Into Sheinbaum’s Presidency

Overview of Claudia Sheinbaum’s first-year security policy, addressing the improvement of inherited tools and the persistent disjunction between reported outcomes and public perception.

Reevaluating development through a postcolonial lens

This article reevaluates development through a postcolonial lens, exploring how colonial legacies, dependency theory, and institutional structures continue to shape global inequalities. By analyzing concepts such as Samir Amin’s center–periphery model, it highlights the challenges of the Global South and calls for inclusive, historically informed approaches to sustainable development.

Suspension No More? Hong Kong Extradition Shift Under Fire

n 2019, Hong Kong’s proposed extradition bill sparked months of mass protests and marked the beginning of a profound shift in the city’s political landscape. A year later, Beijing’s imposition of the National Security Law was widely viewed in London as a breach of the Sino–British Joint Declaration, which had guaranteed Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy.

The New Path for Romania on the European Chessboard

Romania’s 2025 elections mark a turning point between pro-EU liberalism and rising far-right nationalism. As digital interference and foreign influence reshape its political landscape, Romania must now decide: will it become a central player in European security or remain a pawn in broader geopolitical games?

Unseen and Under Siege: What’s Next for Queer Lives in the MENA Region? (Analysis)

LGBTQIA+ communities in the MENA region have long been the subject of headlines and news reports. From having their basic rights publicly debated to experiencing multiple forms of discrimination for their mere existence, queer individuals residing in such countries have often found themselves under scrutiny or even attack. Given its longstanding, complex history characterized by patterns of legal and social repression of LGBTQIA+ individuals, the MENA region, whose political scene is largely influenced by conservative views and traditional values, has sparked heated conversation about the extent to which it has become particularly hostile for queer communities.