November 17, 2025 -

The Fading Glow: How the West Is Losing Its Soft Power and What That Means Geopolitically

For decades, the West was not only militarily and economically strong but also culturally and politically influential. Its social and political model functioned as a global reference point and conveyed a widely recognized promise. Individual freedom, economic opportunity, the rule of law, and institutional stability. For many people around the world, Western societies represented a place of possibility or a benchmark for development. In recent years, however, this perception has begun to shift. The gradual decline in soft power, the

What the Geneva Talks Reveal About Brussels’ Limited Influence

The talks in Geneva between the United States, Ukraine, and several European states have, for the first time, provided a clearer picture of how international diplomacy currently envisions a possible end to the war in Ukraine. The discussions were based on a 28-point plan presented by the U.S. administration. In its original form, the plan required Ukraine to make significant concessions to Russia, including territorial cessions, limits on its armed forces, and a formal renunciation of a potential NATO membership.

Influence Without Expansion – Turkey Between Potential and Skepticism

Viewed through a geopolitical lens, Turkey appears as a natural crossroads. Its location links the Eastern Mediterranean with the Black Sea region and the Middle East, while simultaneously extending toward the Caucasus with cultural reach stretching even into Central Asia. This position provides Ankara with strategic depth that few other countries possess. Added to this is a demographic profile significantly younger than that of Europe, a large domestic market with nearly 90 million inhabitants, and a growing security-industrial base that

The New Appetite for Nuclear Energy

Who Stands to Benefit from the Renaissance For many years, nuclear power was regarded in much of the Western world as a fading technology. After Fukushima, the political trend seemed unmistakable. Decommissioning reactors, expanding renewables, and moving toward an energy future without nuclear power. Yet this phase of withdrawal now appears to be over – for the moment. Global uncertainty in energy markets, the geopolitical pressure of climate change, the need for reliable baseload power, and the desire to reduce

The Geopolitics of Motorsport

How motorsport became a mirror of global power shifts Motorsport – most prominently Formula 1- is commonly viewed as a sporting discipline focused on technical innovation, speed, and driving precision. Yet beneath the surface lies a complex web of political, economic, and technological interests that extends far beyond the sporting arena. Over the past decades, motorsport has developed into a global stage for geopolitical dynamics. The relocation of racetracks, the involvement of state actors, the influence of technological standards, and

When Terrorists and Cartels Walk the Same Paths

In public debates, “terrorist groups” and “drug cartels” are often portrayed as two separate categories of threat: the former ideologically motivated, the latter profit-oriented. Various studies, however, indicate that today’s reality is significantly more complex. In several regions, from West Africa and the Sahel to Europe and Latin America, security analyses show that terrorist organizations and actors within organized crime are intertwined in key areas. Overlaps can be observed in routes, service networks, financial channels, and occasionally even tactical methods.

How Kamikaze Drones Are Reshaping the Global Order

A new kind of war is emerging. One not defined by tank columns, cruise missiles, or infantry assaults, but by the faint hum of small propellers. The wars of the twenty-first century are increasingly decided by inconspicuous machines: drones that are cheaper than anti-tank missiles, more precise than artillery, and psychologically more effective than any propaganda. What began with the first targeted drone strikes by the United States in Afghanistan has, in less than two decades, evolved into a global

Without a Strategic Compass: How the EU’s Climate Policy Weakens Europe and Strengthens Its Competitors

There is hardly a policy field in which ambition and reality collide as violently as in Europe’s climate policy. For years, the European Union has regarded itself as a pioneer in the fight against climate change. At summits, leaders speak of “historic responsibility,” “green leadership,” and a “new social contract.”´The goal is ambitious: by 2050, the EU intends to generate no additional CO₂ emissions, and by 2040 it aims to cut greenhouse gases by 90 percent compared with 1990 levels.

“MADE IN GERMANY“ under pressure: How China Is Turning the German Auto Industry into a Geopolitical Lever

Germany has never been only a nation of poets and thinkers. It has above all been a nation of engineers. Few sectors embodied that claim as visibly as the automobile industry. “Made in Germany” stood for precision, reliability, craftsmanship and for decades conferred foreign-policy weight on the Federal Republic. That very foundation is now under pressure. Not by chance, but by design: China’s industrial policy offensive is targeting a sector with maximum leverage. In the logic of great competitors, that

When Cybercrime Becomes Foreign Policy – The Case of North Korea

Viewed soberly, it was no coincidence that the trail of one of the largest digital heists in history did not lead to ordinary hackers but to one of the most hermetically sealed states on Earth. When, in 2022, more than six hundred million dollars vanished from the blockchain of an American gaming company, few initially suspected that behind the anonymous wallet addresses lurked what appeared to be the extended arm of North Korea’s intelligence apparatus. The so-called Lazarus Group –