Global Affairs 

About: Global Affairs is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): European union & Foreign policy. It has an ISSN identifier of 2334-0460. Over the lifetime, 379 publications have been published receiving 2317 citations.

Political order and political decay: from the industrial revolution to the globalisation of democracy

Abstract: With state institutions under profound stress and democracy menaced in all regions of the world, Francis Fukuyama's latest book provides invaluable analytical and historical ballast that helps shed...

It's geopolitics, stupid: explaining Russia's Ukraine policy

Abstract: What lies behind Russia's annexation of Crimea and its confrontational policies towards Ukraine? This article challenges the widely held perspective that President Putin's personality and his security-service background is the central driver of Russia's Ukraine policy. Instead, it puts forward a geopolitical explanation that emphasizes three factors: Ukraine's geographic location; the EU's increased activism in Eastern Europe; and the pro-western orientation of the new government in Kiev. Together, these three factors provide Russia with a strong incentive to pursue an assertive policy towards Ukraine. Moscow's main aim is to regain some control over Kiev's foreign policy orientation and, if that is not possible, to establish a belt of pro-Russian provinces in Ukraine's east. The findings of this article suggest, moreover, that the West's current policies towards Russia are ineffective and potentially counterproductive. A major readjustment is urgently needed.

The Great Delusion: liberal dreams and international realities

Abstract: In the The Great Delusion, John Mearsheimer takes on the big game and effectively provides two books in one. The first is a study of the relationship between the three isms – liberalism, realism, a...

Where to go from Paris? The European Union in climate geopolitics

Abstract: The EU’s strategic re-orientation to coalition and bridge building after the failed Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009 paved the way for its success in securing the Paris Agreement on climate change in December 2015. This orientation will largely remain relevant in climate geopolitics characterized by multipolarity and a diversification of interests away from a North–South divide, both headed towards growing support for decarbonization. Various fora beyond the multilateral UN negotiations deserve systematic attention as climate governance has become “polycentric”, requiring careful prioritization as well as further enhanced coordination of climate diplomacy across the EU. The EU’s position in climate geopolitics will not least depend on the development of its internal climate and energy policy framework for 2030 and beyond. Advancing decarbonization and fostering low-carbon innovation towards the new climate economy in the EU will help enhance the EU’s power base and role in future climate geopolitics.

Wars, guns and votes: democracy in dangerous places

Abstract: The end of the Cold War, which provided a big push for the idea of liberal democracy around many corners of the world, prompting many serious political commentators to coin phrases like the “end of...