WATCH: My escape from North Korea

As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thought her country was “the best on the planet.” It wasn’t until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 14 to begin a life in hid...
by Natasha Lipman
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The Lion’s Claws, or Flemish Nationalism in a European Perspective

“So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.” It is a sad time indeed. Flanders fell to the claws of populist nationalism, and if Belgian politicians continue their current strategy, so will Belgium in a ...
by Gilles Pittoors
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International Political Forum

Why We Should Encourage U-Turns by Politicians

Conviction politicians are applauded while those who flip flop around issues or commit U-turns are lambasted for not being decisive enough. This second sort are not leaders who inspire confidence in the electorate. But why is t...
by Joe Corry-Roake
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International Political Forum

Why Some Minorities In France Vote For The Far-Right Political Party Front National

[All links lead to French-language pages unless otherwise stated] When France’s Eurosceptic right-wing Front National (FN) party topped the country’s polls in last month’s European elections, it had its hardl...
by Global Voices
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What’s The Modi Operandi? Potential Indo-Pakistan Relations After The Election

Two related events will come to dominate Indian politics in the coming general election year, and both lead to the same questions about India’s relationship with her northern neighbour and sister state, Pakistan. On February ...
by Christopher Cannell
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America Pulls Up the Draw-Bridge

Syria, Iran, Israel please form an orderly queue. The United States is out for lunch, closed for refurbishment, putting you on hold.  OK, OK I’ll stop with the metaphors. Reading through any world news of late, be it conflic...
by Anna Burt
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International Political Forum

Zambian Government Revives Dead Conglomerate

On New Year’s eve, Zambia’s President Michael Sata addressed the nation in a speech that at first did not generate a lot of excitement among citizens until, bit by bit, it was picked apart by people with different interests...
by Gershom Ndhlovu
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Disciplined Growth: a new Franco-German engine for Europe?

From the very beginning of the European integration project, France and Germany have been at the core of the whole enterprise. It was German Chancellor Willy Brandt who joined French President Georges Pompidou at the very first...
by Gilles Pittoors
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The democratic conundrum: Wasting money and alienating voters

Plato regarded social democracy as an immense concern. Aristotle called it a ‘deviant’ – the opposition to majority rule’s nobler version, the polity. In fact, throughout political philosophy’s history, influential sc...
by Miro Ralston
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