The AfD party’s current success in Germany was built on social trends that had already become entrenched before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Rather than reflecting a sudden break from the moderate center right, the AfD offered a viable political home for far-right milieus that had always been lurking at the edge of party politics.
After more than four decades of strained relations, Egypt and Iran have reportedly been pursuing mediation efforts for months. Several Iranian officials have publicly endorsed these efforts to end one of the Middle East’s longest-running but often-neglected feuds. For its part, Cairo has maintained a cautious stance on the issue.
Last week, Brazil’s electoral court ruled that former President Jair Bolsonaro cannot run for public office for the next eight years. While there are many reasons to support Brazil’s ban on Bolsonaro, it is necessary to explain why his case differs from other countries in the region where the same practice is used to erode democracy.
In mid-June, attackers allegedly belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, murdered 42 people, including 37 students, at a school on the border with Congo. The attack has raised complex questions about the assailants’ goals, as well as the domestic implications of Uganda’s cross-border security operations in eastern Congo.