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German Social Democracy: Hollowed Out But Still (Almost Always) in Government
Get PDFBetween 1998 and 2024, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) was in government for twenty-three out of twenty-seven years - either as the senior partner in a coalition (from 1998 to 2005 with the Greens and from 2021 to 2024 with the Greens and liberals (FDP)) or as the junior partner in a coalition with the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) from 2005 to 2009 and from 2013 to 2021. The party's overall electoral performance during this period has been devastatingly poor, with its vote share declining from 40.9 per cent in 1998 to 16.4 per cent in 2025. This almost steady decline is due to its failure to devise a strategic response to neoliberalism. As a result, the SPD's former electoral coalition disintegrated—blue-collar voters turned to the Alternative for Germany (AfD), while centrist voters abandoned the SPD for the CDU/CSU or the Greens. In 2025, the SPD also lost many voters to the Left Party and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). The party's long-term track record of participating in coalition governments without delivering progressive reforms suggests that another coalition government with the CDU/CSU after the 2025 federal election is likely to undermine the SPD's political standing further
Monitor Menschenhandel in Deutschland: Erster Periodischer Bericht
Get PDFDer Bericht beschreibt umfassend, wie sich das Phänomen Menschenhandel in Deutschland seit dem 1. Januar 2020 entwickelt hat und welche Anstrengungen Bund und Länder unternommen haben, um ihren menschen- und europarechtlichen Verpflichtungen in diesem Bereich nachzukommen. Der Bericht gibt außerdem umfangreiche Empfehlungen zu gesetzlichen Änderungen und Maßnahmen zur Verhütung und Bekämpfung von Menschenhandel in Deutschland und zum Schutz der Betroffenen ab
Beyond Debt-Trap Narratives: How the Lao State Manoeuvres the Hybrid Governance of a Chinese Hydropower Project
Get PDFOver the past years, Chinese debt-financed investments under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Laos have increased considerably. This development has drawn the attention of many analysts, and consequently, narratives such as the Lao state losing its sovereignty or becoming the recent victim of China's "debt-trap diplomacy" have held sway over international press coverage. Drawing on the case of the Nam Nua 1 (NNua1) Project - the BRI flagship hydropower investment in Laos - this article aims to move beyond the dominant narratives of China's debt-trap diplomacy and sovereignty relinquishment by scrutinizing the Lao state's strength in manoeuvring the NNua1 Project's hybrid governance arrangements. The NNua1 project developer's great concentration on the economics of dam construction and operation, its hands-off approach to local political issues, and heavy dependence on the host state in dealing with relocation concerns have boosted the Lao state's strength in controlling the active engagement of the project's stakeholders in hydropower decision-making and planning. The article argues that the Lao state's strength in governing the NNua1 Project hinges on its capacity to mobilize hydropower resources from the external environment by negotiating relations with powerful foreign entities of hydropower development while maintaining internal control over its remote populations through decentralization techniques. This article contributes to the critical discussion of the influence of multi-stakeholder governance engagement on the Lao state's statehood
'Have Your Say' in practice: assessing citizens' use of the EU's public consultation platform
Get PDFArticle 11 of the Treaty on European Union stipulates that the Commission shall consult citizens and civil society. The breadth, frequency, and user-friendliness of consultations have increased considerably since the Lisbon Treaty of 2007 and Better Regulation Agenda of 2015. This study examines the extent to which individual citizens in member states use the consultation process; the policy areas in which they are predominantly active; and the degree to which individual citizen engagement correlates with organizational engagement, including different organizational types. To better understand the conditions that help produce stronger or weaker citizen vis-à-vis organizational responses, we compiled a corpus of more than 850 open public consultations (OPCs) that closed between 2014 and 2021, and randomly selected a subset of nearly 400 OPCs of which approximately 200 reported response data. We find rather low and inconsistent participation rates of citizens, even for consultations in policy areas generally known to rank higher on issue salience as well as substantial dominance of for-profit vis-à-vis individual citizen input. More concentrated citizen activity in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries might indicate stronger individual commitment in new member states to 'have their say' in specific policy areas. Implications for the EU's engagement architecture and democratic model are discussed
The effect of terrorism on economic inequality in democracies and non-democracies
Get PDFWe examine the relationship between terrorism and economic inequality for 163 countries between 1980 and 2018. We provide robust evidence that more terrorist activity results in higher levels of income inequality, where this relationship is especially pronounced for democratic countries. As an extension, we also study the role of terrorism in wealth inequality, uncovering similar linkages. Our findings imply that democracies see lower levels of income inequality in the absence of terrorism but increases in inequality as terrorist activity grows, while inequality in non-democratic countries is not affected by terrorism. Exploring potential transmission channels, we show that terrorism does not have distributional consequence by damaging the economy. Rather, in democracies terrorism leads to lower levels of redistribution via taxation and transfers. This finding is consistent with our theoretical argument that terrorism elicits a policy response in the form of lower levels of redistribution especially from democratic governments due to their dependence on broad electoral support to stay in power
Cross‐sectional online survey on the perspectives of more than 1100 Austrian therapists on integrating nature in psychotherapy
Get PDFBackground: Integrating natural environments into therapeutic practices is increasingly recognised for its positive effects on mental health recovery. However, there is limited research on how nature is utilised in psychotherapeutic treatments. This study aimed to fill this gap by providing initial data on the frequency and application of nature-integrating psychotherapy. Additionally, it explores psychotherapists' attitudes towards the potential and limitations of integrating nature into psychotherapy under practical conditions. Methods: A total of N = 1190 Austrian psychotherapists (mean age: 53.75 ± 10.84 years; 74.9% female; 19.9% psychodynamic, 47.9% humanistic, 23.0% systemic, 9.2% behavioural) participated in a cross-sectional online survey assessing personality traits (Big Five Inventory), connectedness to nature (NCI), professional experiences in integrating aspects of nature in psychotherapy and estimated potentials and risks of nature-integrating interventions. Results: The majority of participating psychotherapists reported experience with conducting psychotherapy in nature (65.9%) and with integrating nature materials into their treatments (79.1%). Differences in some personality traits among psychotherapeutic orientations were observed, whereas the NCI did not differ. Overall, systemic therapists had the most positive attitude towards integrating nature into psychotherapy, whereas the opposite was observed for psychodynamic psychotherapists. Several aspects were found to also be affected by an interaction between orientation and gender. Conclusions: Results indicate that nature-integrating psychotherapy is both common and valued among Austrian psychotherapists, with differences observed across therapeutic orientations and genders. These differences highlight the need for further research to better understand the factors influencing psychotherapists' approaches to nature integration in clinical practice
Patterns of Development of Athletes in Muaythai Sports Pengprov Aceh in Improving Achievement
Get PDFThe coaching pattern is a fixed form of structure, providing stability to a series of elements that describe how a behaviour works. Sports coaching is a pattern that serves as the main guideline and forms the basis for preparing training programs aimed at achieving the highest possible results. The objectives of this study are 1) to find out the coaching pattern of Aceh Provincial Muaythai athletes; 2) to find out the achievements of Aceh Provincial Muaythai athletes; 3) to find out the obstacles faced by Aceh Provincial Muaythai athletes. This research employs a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. The informants in this study included the daily chairman of Pengrov, coaches, and athletes, with data collection techniques employed through interviews. The study's results are as follows: 1) The Pengrov MuayThai Aceh athlete coaching program, which entered the Pelatda preparation stage for PON XXI Aceh-Sumut from 2023 to 2024, involved both central and decentralised athletes. All coaching funds were sourced from KONI, APBN, and APBD. 2) The results of the Coach interview found that according to the coach, the important point that athletes must have is stamina because stamina is the first foundation for an athlete and technique as a body in making movements and mentors as a brain how the brain can respond to every good technical movement in terms of fighting. 3) The results of the Athlete interview revealed that the achievements attained by athletes have been at the National and International levels, including West Java PON in 2016, Papua PON in 2021, and the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines. Furthermore, the future of Aceh Muaythai athletes depends on the individual, but some have gone on to join the TNI or POLRI
Environmental Intelligence and Globalization: Redefining Educational Paradigms through an Iranian Perspective
Get PDFBackground: Despite advancements in environmental policies and education, many individuals remain disconnected from nature, leading to ecological neglect and unsustainable behaviors. Aims: This study explores the institutionalization of environmental intelligence in education, emphasizing an Iranian perspective within the context of globalization. It argues for an educational paradigm that integrates traditional ecological wisdom with contemporary learning models, fostering a holistic, experiential, and culturally grounded approach. Methodology: Using literature synthesis and philosophical interpretation, this research draws on the spiritual and ethical teachings of Attar and Rumi alongside modern educational theories, including experiential, interdisciplinary, and quantum education. Discussion: The study examines how globalization and urbanization have reshaped traditional environmental perceptions, particularly in Iranian culture, where mountains once held deep ecological and cultural significance but have become overlooked in modern urban life. Additionally, it investigates the role of global communication and virtual education in shaping environmental consciousness. Rather than proposing a replacement for existing environmental education, this study introduces a complementary framework that blends Iranian philosophical heritage, contemporary pedagogy, and digital learning. By fostering spiritual, ethical, and ecological awareness, this paradigm encourages a collective, participatory approach to sustainability.
Conclusions: It envisions an education system where cultural wisdom and modern innovation work together to cultivate deep, empathetic connections between people and the environment
