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This dashboard examines how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced executive personalization in 32 countries. Each bubble represents a country and its number of personalization events. Select one or two, then use the buttons to explore the events and their underlying mechanisms.

In a historic verdict on 11 September, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Tribunal convicted former president Jair Bolsonaro, sentencing him to more than 27 years in prison. GIGA expert Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos explains in an interview why this trial is so important and to what extent it could serve as a model for protecting democracy worldwide. 

Indonesia has recently seen intense nationwide protests, with a number of people dying and thousands more arrested. What is happening in the country? Who is protesting, and why? GIGA researcher Adhiraaj Anand puts these events in context. 

What went wrong with two decades of EU aid in Afghanistan and what must change? The Study Commission and Committee of Inquiry highlighted key failures. Drawing on interviews and multilayered Afghan perspectives, new insights and concrete policy recommendations for future aid intervention are given.

Germany is facing important foreign policy decisions: How can the new government best interact with the Global South between democratic crisis, power competition, and ongoing economic interests? In this GIGA Forum, experts analyse challenges, opportunities, and possible strategies here. 

The recent diversification of external actors present in Africa has served to increase the agency of its governments but may also bolster poor governance and fuel conflict in the long run. Western powers must clarify their priorities regarding goals and partners, as well as examine own biases here.

Julia Gurol-Haller joined the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies as a Research Fellow in February 2025. She holds a PhD from Freiburg University, where she was most recently a post-doc and lecturer at the Chair of International Relations. Get to know more about Julia in this interview.

Frauke Steglich joined the GIGA as Research Fellow in November 2024. She has a PhD in Economics from Kiel University. Prior to joining the GIGA, she has worked as a researcher at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Get to know more about Frauke in this interview:

Jonas von Hoffmann joined the GIGA as Research Fellow in November 2024. Prior to joining the GIGA, he received a DPhil in Politics at the University of Oxford in the UK and worked for three years at the CIDE in Mexico. Get to know more about Jonas in this interview:

India is an active BRICS member also deepening its ties with the West. With its strategy of “multi-alignment,” India claims to be a leader of the Global South. The GIGA’s team of India experts, Sharinee Jagtiani (German Marshall Fund), and Germany’s ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, debate the country’s geopolitical sweet spot.