Romani electoral politics and behaviour

Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht Wahlpolitik und Wahlverhalten von Roma in Osteuropa. Nach wie vor sind die Roma unterrepräsentiert in nationalen und lokalen politischen Bereichen. Der Autor analysiert die Probleme, die die Roma im Zusammenhang mit Wahlen haben, überprüft die Beziehungen zwischen Roma und wichtigen politischen Organisationen und erforscht das Wahlverhalten der Roma. Der politische Wandel vom Sozialismus zur freien Marktwirtschaft gab den Roma die Gelegenheit, ihre politische Marginalisierung zu verringern. Nach einer Dekade der Mobilisierung bleiben sie aber weiterhin unterrepräsentiert in der osteuropäischen Politik. Hierfür gibt es zahlreiche strukturelle Gründe auch innerhalb der Ethnie selbst. (ICD

Desmilitarización, seguridad y democracia en Panamá

Demilitarization always occurs as a result of critical historical junctures. Panama is one of only two states in the post-World War II era, however, that – having experienced such a formative moment – abolished its military and stood by that decision. The luster of this extraordinary achievement may have faded in past decades, but it should not have. This article makes four arguments: (1) Panama had a more difficult task in eliminating its military than Costa Rica; (2) it has also faced more trying security challenges than its neighbor to the north; (3) despite some setbacks and problems, it has managed the obstacles posed by its unique environment well; and (4) Panamanians enjoy the benefits and strongly support their country’s demilitarized status.La desmilitarización siempre ocurre como resultado de coyunturas históricas críticas. Panamá es uno de los dos únicos Estados en la era posterior a la Segunda Guerra Mundial, sin embargo, - que después de haber experimentado un momento tan formativo, - logró abolir el militarismo y se mantuvo firme en esa decisión.  El esplendor de este extraordinario logro puede haberse desvanecido en las últimas décadas, pero no debería haber ocurrido.  Este artículo presenta cuatro argumentos: (1) Panamá tuvo una tarea más difícil para eliminar a sus militares que Costa Rica; (2) también ha enfrentado desafíos de seguridad más difíciles que su vecino del norte; (3) a pesar de algunos contratiempos y problemas, ha manejado bien los obstáculos planteados por su entorno único; y (4) los panameños disfrutan de los beneficios y apoyan fuertemente el estatus desmilitarizado del país

The Cold Peace: Russo-Western Relations as a Mimetic Cold War

In 1989–1991 the geo-ideological contestation between two blocs was swept away, together with the ideology of civil war and its concomitant Cold War played out on the larger stage. Paradoxically, while the domestic sources of Cold War confrontation have been transcended, its external manifestations remain in the form of a ‘legacy’ geopolitical contest between the dominant hegemonic power (the United States) and a number of potential rising great powers, of which Russia is one. The post-revolutionary era is thus one of a ‘cold peace’. A cold peace is a mimetic cold war. In other words, while a cold war accepts the logic of conflict in the international system and between certain protagonists in particular, a cold peace reproduces the behavioural patterns of a cold war but suppresses acceptance of the logic of behaviour. A cold peace is accompanied by a singular stress on notions of victimhood for some and undigested and bitter victory for others. The perceived victim status of one set of actors provides the seedbed for renewed conflict, while the ‘victory’ of the others cannot be consolidated in some sort of relatively unchallenged post-conflict order. The ‘universalism’ of the victors is now challenged by Russia's neo-revisionist policy, including not so much the defence of Westphalian notions of sovereignty but the espousal of an international system with room for multiple systems (the Schmittean pluriverse)

Pitfalls of Professionalism? Military Academies and Coup Risk

Military academies tend to be strongly linked to the professionalization of the armed forces. This explains why many countries in the world have created such institutions. The following article studies a potential negative externality stemming from military schools: increased coup risk. We argue that military academies may create, inculcate, and strengthen cohesive views that could conflict with incumbent policies, and that these schools establish networks among military officers that may facilitate coordination necessary for plotting a putsch. We also contend and empirically demonstrate that these negative side effects of military academies are in particular pronounced in nondemocracies, that is, military academies have diverse effects across regime types. This work has significant implications for our understanding civil–military relations. Furthermore, we contribute to the literature on military education and professionalization, as we suggest that military academies are important vehicles through which coups can emerge predominantly in authoritarian states

Selective Reconciliation: The Rapprochement Between Israel and the Gulf Monarchies

The September 2020 Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain was the culmination of a multi-year process. Later two other Arab monarchies, Morocco, and Jordan jointed them in improving their relations with the Jewish State while the remaining Gulf Cooperation Council members opted not to join the Accords. This article focuses on Gulf Kingdoms and argues that the improvement in Israeli-Arab relations is explained by a growing realization that in Iran, both sides have a common enemy; the failings of America’s Middle East policy; the anticipated economic and security benefits to be gained from improved relations; and the diminished importance of the Palestinian issue for Arab societies and governments.</jats:p