Israel’s assault on Gaza is about more than a fight with Hamas
How collective memories of historical trauma factor into Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks.
Good Playlist: Eurovision 2024! ▶️
You know you want to sing and dance along.
Today is International Day of Peace. Can you measure what peace is?
One way is to see whether people feel safe going about their daily lives, the Everyday Peace Indicators project finds
Why the E.U. can’t get Kosovo and Serbia to end their conflict
A new survey suggests many in Kosovo don’t approve of the E.U.’s efforts
Ukraine is an E.U. candidate. Full membership is an obstacle course.
The European Union had little choice but to open the door
The Ukraine crisis may reinvigorate Eastern European democracies
Countries are now focused on Russia vs. Europe, rather than internal corruption
Putin is discovering that overwhelming military power can be a curse
As Stalin learned in Finland, small countries can inflict serious damage on invading superpowers
Zelensky isn’t the first leader to feel frustrated by the E.U.
Other countries committed to joining, yet have no clear path to full membership
20 years after 9/11, the U.S. is again in a great power confrontation
The end of the Cold War scrambled U.S. foreign policy — and then 9/11 scrambled it again. Here’s what remains the same.
The Kremlin has a new toolkit for shutting down independent news media
Worldwide, authoritarians are finding less overt ways to shut down independent news — and independent outlets are finding new ways to stay alive
China sent masks, gloves and gowns to many U.S. states. Here’s who benefited.
Critics of Beijing’s ‘mask diplomacy’ may have overlooked long-established sister-state ties
Serbia’s ruling party just scored a landslide victory. Here’s why the opposition boycotted the election.
Many Serbians distrust the way elections are run.
Some European governments acted quickly to fight the pandemic. But not the ones you’d expect.
Here’s why more open governments weren’t as nimble
Trump says the U.S. will pull out of the World Health Organization. China will happily fill the void.
Trump complains that China has “total control” over the WHO, but his action will probably increase China’s influence.
60 or so secessionist movements around the world want independence in 2020. Guess which one might succeed.
International pressure helped these South Pacific islands move toward statehood
North Macedonia won’t be joining the E.U. anytime soon. Did the E.U. lose its peak leverage?
Here’s a look at what happened — and what it means for Europe and the Balkans
When the Berlin Wall fell 30 years ago, it shook up U.S. politics. Here’s how.
Republicans have been divided on foreign policy ever since the Cold War ended.
Is the impeachment inquiry really ‘unconstitutional’?
There’s a long history of White House lawyers saying what the boss wants to hear.
Turkey’s ruling party is splintering. Here’s why.
Defections could be a bigger threat to Erdogan’s rule than the recent election losses
Kosovo and Serbia might redraw their border. Could this keep them from going to war?
[caption id="attachment_77510" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A woman sits by a grave
Austria now holds the E.U. presidency. Expect a tougher stance on immigration.
[caption id="attachment_76260" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz speaks with
Bulgaria’s turn to lead the Council of the European Union just ended. How did things go?
[caption id="attachment_75346" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The European Union flag flutters on
For Albanians, it’s not just an eagle. Here’s the deeper story on those World Cup fines.
[caption id="attachment_75214" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Switzerland's Granit Xhaka celebrates with the
Why Russia is openly violating sanctions against North Korea
[caption id="attachment_72203" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool/AP)[/caption]
How to make sense of our collapsing global order
[caption id="attachment_72332" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Boys stand on the rubble of
The odds of a military coup in Venezuela are going up. But coups can sometimes lead to democracy
[caption id="attachment_66271" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A man holds the new 100,000-bolivar
How World War I could have ended a whole year earlier
[caption id="attachment_66123" align="aligncenter" width="960"] British infantrymen occupy a shallow trench
When and how can foreign aid slow migration?
[caption id="attachment_40696" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Children play in a makeshift refugee
Kurdistan and Catalonia are voting on independence. Welcome to the age of secession.
[caption id="attachment_63871" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A crowd of protesters gather outside
Why are the Western Balkans in crisis? These are the three primary tensions.
[caption id="attachment_58968" align="aligncenter" width="960"] In Macedonia, the Social Democratic Party's
This is why the West should pay attention to the drama in Macedonia
A series of dramatic events have been unfolding in the
Did pictures in the news media just change U.S. policy in Syria?
[caption id="attachment_56652" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Residents of Khan Sheikhoun, Syria, hold
Serbia’s prime minister just became president. What’s wrong with this picture?
[caption id="attachment_56361" align="alignnone" width="960"] Presidential candidate and Serbian Prime Minister
Americans are united on retaliating against Russian cyberattacks
[caption id="attachment_52677" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a
When the Russians fake their election results, they may be giving us the statistical finger
[caption id="attachment_46299" align="aligncenter" width="960"] People walk in Red Square, with
The number of countries with female political leaders has plummeted
[caption id="attachment_49686" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Hillary Clinton makes a concession speech
What does Putin really want? Trump’s presidency will show us.
[caption id="attachment_51837" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A billboard by a pro-Serbian movement
People are in the streets protesting Donald Trump. But when does protest actually work?
[caption id="attachment_49738" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Students march against President-elect Donald Trump
Russia has a years-long plot to influence Balkan politics. The U.S. can learn a lot from it.
[caption id="attachment_46382" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during
After 15 years, the political power of the 9/11 victims endures
[caption id="attachment_46105" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A woman places a hand on
Kosovo’s parliament is being tear-gassed because of a border dispute. Here’s how it could get worse.
[caption id="attachment_45958" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Kosovo police officers in gas masks
Why Thailand just voted on another constitution — and why this matters to democracies elsewhere
[caption id="attachment_45033" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A Thai taxi motorbike rider holds
Most nations going to the Olympics won’t bring home a medal. Here’s why they compete anyway.
Sending a delegation to the Olympics builds national identity.
Two myths about nationalism and anti-Semitism in Ukraine
[caption id="attachment_44640" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Voters show their Ukrainian passports as
No, White House lawyers would not prevent a President Trump from overstepping his constitutional bounds
[caption id="attachment_42060" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] (Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)[/caption] A recent New
Why unarmed revolutions topple some dictators but not others
[caption id="attachment_40505" align="aligncenter" width="908"] An anti-government protester flashes a V
What the siege of Sarajevo can teach us about Aleppo
[caption id="attachment_40293" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A man walks past destroyed buildings
There are 4 reasons countries dissolve their parliaments. Here’s why Serbia did.
[caption id="attachment_39498" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Serbian Radical Party supporters light torches
Putin can’t last forever. Will a post-Putin Russia look like Syria today?
Russian politicians often suggest that a post-Putin future would look
Who should pay for the refugees? Here are five possible answers.
[caption id="attachment_35404" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A man holds his baby while
How to understand Trump’s appeal to resentful whites
[caption id="attachment_35222" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Donald Trump arrives to address his
20 years after Dayton, here’s what Bosnians think about being divided by ethnicity
[caption id="attachment_35152" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Alija Izetbegović, center, president of
Refugees in Europe? Here’s a different reason people are saying no to them.
[caption id="attachment_33864" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan
20 years later, this is what Bosnians think about the Dayton peace accords
[caption id="attachment_33464" align="aligncenter" width="908"] On Nov. 21, 1995, near Dayton,
6 reasons not to worry about Russia invading the Baltics
[caption id="attachment_32090" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Serbian
When he bombs Syria, Putin is sending these four messages to the world
On Sept. 30, the Russian Parliament unanimously approved the use
The migrant crisis is exposing Hungary’s slide toward autocracy. Here’s why the E.U. hasn’t cracked down.
Article 2 of the European Union’s governing treaty declares that
The migrant crisis is exposing Hungary's slide toward autocracy. Here's why the E.U. hasn't cracked down.
Article 2 of the European Union’s governing treaty declares that
Migrant or refugee? That shouldn't be a life or death question.
[caption id="attachment_29090" align="aligncenter" width="4651"] Refugees walk through a field after
Migrant or refugee? That shouldn’t be a life or death question.
[caption id="attachment_29090" align="aligncenter" width="4651"] Refugees walk through a field after
Is Hungary run by the radical right?
[caption id="attachment_28365" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and
Srebrenica at 20 years: How do we study genocide?
[caption id="attachment_27291" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A Muslim woman visits the Potocari
The real vs. the surreal options on Iran
[caption id="attachment_24001" align="aligncenter" width="620" class="center"] File: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad
Why Russia tried to curb same-sex partner rights at the U.N. (and why it lost)
On Tuesday, member states of the United Nations voted
Will AFRICOM’s Ebola response be watershed moment for international action on human security?
[caption id="attachment_16301" align="alignnone" width="620"] President Obama speaks at a meeting
Can soccer unite the Belgians?
[caption id="attachment_11721" align="aligncenter" width="474" special=""] The Belgium national football team,
Five lessons for China about 'peaceful rise' from 1914
[caption id="attachment_9904" align="alignleft" width="228" special=""] Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II, 37,
Five lessons for China about ‘peaceful rise’ from 1914
[caption id="attachment_9904" align="alignleft" width="228" special=""] Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II, 37,
What World War I can tell us about international commerce and war today
[caption id="attachment_8823" align="aligncenter" width="800" special=""] Russian trenches in the forests
How people in South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Transnistria feel about annexation by Russia
Gerard Toal (Gearóid Ó Tuathail) is Director of the Government
Vladimir Putin: Ethnic Russian Nationalist
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special=""] A staff person watches a
What is so great about 'territorial integrity' anyway?
[caption id="attachment_8111" align="aligncenter" width="500" special=""] Victor Drachev | AFP |
What is so great about ‘territorial integrity’ anyway?
[caption id="attachment_8111" align="aligncenter" width="500" special=""] Victor Drachev | AFP |
For kin or country: Why the Crimea crisis is not about a Greater Russia project
[caption id="attachment_7525" align="aligncenter" width="606" special=""] (Sergei Grits/AP)[/caption] R. William Ayres is
How social media spreads protest tactics from Ukraine to Egypt
[caption id="attachment_6628" align="aligncenter" width="600" special=""] Pro-democracy activists flash Rabaa signs
Six reasons to be cautious about likelihood of opposition success in Ukraine
[caption id="attachment_4180" align="aligncenter" width="480" special=""] The author on the streets
The recriminalization of homosexuality in India and the potential for broader backlash
In 2009, the Delhi High Court declared unconstitutional a colonial
Kosovo preelection report: Why who participates is more important than who wins
[caption id="attachment_2483" align="aligncenter" width="486" special=""] Ethnic composition of Kosovo (Source:
The Imperfect but Real Effects of International Institutions on LGBT Rights in Europe
So far I have made two points in my mini-series
Cross-National Diffusion of Protest
Why does protest that starts in one country sometime spread
The Beginning of the End of the Putin Regime as We have Known It
When I am not writing for The Monkey Cage, I
The Palestine Vote: Who Will Vote How?
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is not a legislature.
Serbia and the EU
I have an "op-ed today":http://www.tnr.com/article/world/89437/ratko-mladic-serbia-european-union-croatia-euro at "The New Republic":http://www.tnr.com/ in
Voices from Bosnia and Serbia on the Arrest of Mladic
As is now being widely reported in the media, "Bosnian
Russia and Libya: What’s Going On?
"Dmitry Gorenburg":http://russiamil.wordpress.com/ has an "excellent post up on his Russian
Why Do Protests Bring Down Regimes? A Follow Up
"Professor Graeme Robertson":http://www.unc.edu/depts/polisci/faculty_pages/robertson.htm of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Is Bahrain the next Andijan, Uzbekistan?
The "NY Times is reporting":http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/world/middleeast/18bahrain.html the following from Bahrain: bq.
What Eastern Europe teaches us about Egypt: Short Term Optimism and Medium Term Pessimism
I am pleased to welcome back frequent Monkey Cage contributor
Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence Revisited
George Washington University professors "Harris Mylonas":http://elliott.gwu.edu/faculty/mylonas.cfm and "Eric Grynaviski":http://www.gwu.edu/~psc/people/fac_grynaviskie.htm send
More Press Freedom and Nobel Attendance
It turns out that several of the countries that had
Press Freedom and (Not) Attending the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony
**Update**: See here for an "updated analysis":https://themonkeycage.org/2010/12/more_press_freedom_and_nobel_a.html. A few days
Who Should Lead a Multipolar World?
Below is another guest post from the formidable James Vreeland
More World Cup Ramblings
It's been fun so far, except of course if you
Stopping Ethnic Pogroms in Kyrgyzstan
For those of you out there not closely following Central
Random World Cup Observations
I had wanted to organize a true Monkey Cage pool,
Politics Everywhere: Who Gets to Be “Macedonia”?
bq. The European Union is a club with a long
Lessons from the Orange Revolution Learned in Iran?
Drawing together the themes of protest, Twitter, and Iran that
Just What is Iran?
As Iranians head to the polls today for presidential elections
Are a lot of us potential militant extremists?
A fascinating new study of militant extremism contains a useful
The Rise of the Rest
p. At the end of the Cold War, international relations