Following the horrific attacks in Paris, this Alert shows how ISIL is, in fact, a cult: an authoritarian organisation which brainwashes its members to the point where mass murder and self-annihilation become not only logical, but desirable.
Two weeks ahead of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris, the international community appears to be on the cusp of clinching a global deal on mitigating climate change. This Alert takes a fresh look at the state of play of the negotiations.
The last in a mini-series of EUISS publications on hybrid warfare, the Alert assesses the tactics employed by terrorist groups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) such as ISIL. How do they differ from those of state actors in other parts of the world?
This Alert shows how disquiet in the West about Russia's use of hybrid tactics has elevated concern about the phenomenon to the strategic level, in particular due to fears that hybrid operations may undermine the credibility of deterrence.
This Alert takes a look at the successes and failures of Turkish refugee policy. What domestic factors are driving the debate in Ankara? And what do Turkish policymakers want and expect from the EU?
This Alert, written in the wake of the presidential elections in Belarus which saw Alexander Lukashenko win a fifth term in office, examines the dilemma facing the EU as it alternates between carrot-and-stick tactics in its relations with ‘Europe’s last dictatorship’.
Why do so many analysts fall into the trap of simply labelling Africa as either ‘cursed’ or ‘rising’? This Alert looks at how the validity of the empirical assessments on which both interpretations are based has been put into question.
This Alert examines China’s elaborate celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of its victory in the Pacific War. What do they reveal about Beijing’s military priorities? And perhaps more importantly, what do they indicate about the country’s domestic politics?
Highlighting improving cooperation in this field between the EU and individual CELAC countries, this Alert shows how in particular the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) might be a suitable partner in the area of crisis management with which the EU could work more closely.
The recent appointment of Mikheil Saakashvili – a restless yet error-prone reformer – as governor of Odessa is a gamble for Ukraine. Will he be able to introduce or force through the reforms the country so desperately needs? Or does he have his sights set on an even bigger prize?