Kjetil Selvik, Banafsheh Ranji, Elena Şimanschi and Elisabeth Johansson-Nogués discuss the role of media in authoritarian states, illustrated by the examples of Iran and Russia. President of Russia Vladimir Putin addressing Russian citizens about the developing situation with PMC Wagner on TV in June 2023. Photo by Artem Priakhin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images. The discipline of International Relations has increasingly looked at how authoritarian states, especially in comparison to their democratic counterparts, have a tendency of manipulating narratives around political ev ..read more

The International Affairs team is pleased to announce the four articles shortlisted for our Early Career Prize 2024. The six issues of International Affairs published in 2023 on display. Photo taken at Chatham House, London, in February 2024 by Rheea Saggar. In 2017, the editorial team at International Affairs launched the Early Career Prize to celebrate research published in the journal by authors who have less than seven years of experience in the field of International Relations post-PhD. After a rigorous selection process, we are pleased to announce the four articles which have m ..read more

Seven experts discuss the unique ways in which Latin American scholars and policy-makers enrich our understanding of world politics. A woman walks on a ramp decorated with the flags of various countries of Latin America. Photo by ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP via Getty Images. Voices from the global South are visibly marginalized in the field of International Relations (IR). Whether in relation to the novel theories of scholars or crucial solutions to global challenges by policy-makers, IR suffers from a distinct knowledge gap due to this marginalization. One region whose contributions are notably ..read more

Amitav Acharya, Antoni Estevadeordal and Louis W. Goodman introduce ‘multiplexity’ to understand changing global dynamics. U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly on 21 September 2021 in New York City. Photo by Eduardo Munoz-Pool/Getty Images. Few would deny that the global order is undergoing transformations. From shifting patterns of international cooperation to renewed power hierarchies, a changing world order is clearly emerging. In this context, it is only fitting that the conceptual tools we use also be revamped to help us make sense of the evolvi ..read more

Jonathan Pass reflects upon the collapsing liberal international order and the extent to which neo-Gramscian ideas help us make sense of it. Thick fog envelopes the U.S. Capitol dome behind the U.S. House of Representatives on 4 November 2022 in Washington, DC. Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images Mainstream International Relations scholars blame contemporary global turmoil on a collapsing liberal international order (LIO). Neo-Gramscians attribute the turmoil to a ‘global organic crisis’. In this blogpost, I build upon my International Affairs article to critically analyse neo-Gramscian th ..read more

The first issue of the 100th volume of International Affairs features 35 brand new book reviews. In this blogpost, Book Reviews Editor Mariana Vieira distils some unmissable titles covering a range of timely topics, from NATO enlargement, the colonial origins of the European Union, to lessons learnt from financial crises and the role of women in the military. This promising selection will enrich your ‘to be read’ pile for the new year! 1) Seven crashes Written by Harold James. Published in New Haven, CT by Yale University Press. In Seven crashes, Harold James presents a new history ..read more

Twelve experts come together to discuss the biggest issues confronting the European Union today. Charles Michel, President of the European Council and Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, at the EU Summit on 13 December 2019. Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images. The liberal international order (LIO) faces a great many challenges today, bringing with it serious implications for the European Union. In this blog symposium, in collaboration with The Loop, authors from the November special section of International Affairs unpack what the LIO’s crisis means ..read more

Sara (Meg) Davies discusses the need for greater dialogue on human rights issues in the digital age. Photo by Salya T via Unsplash. This week marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) — rights that were created at a very different time, long before artificial intelligence (AI) and technology transformed our lives. To meet the needs of a digital future and shape the next 75 years of human rights, the public needs a say in defining the global tech agenda. This will require digital literacy and empowerment and for research to move from small-scale one-off ..read more

Lisbeth Aggestam, Isabell Schierenbeck and Arne F. Wackenhut discuss how the Kurdish diaspora shapes Sweden’s bid for a NATO membership and, in turn, its relations with Turkey. Thousands of people demonstrated in solidarity with Kurdish fighters in northern Syria and condemned attacks by Turkish military forces. Photo by Magnus Persson/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images. When Sweden decided to overturn more than 200 years of non-alignment and rapidly apply for a NATO membership following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the expectation was that Sweden, together with Finland, wo ..read more

At first glance, the books presented in this year’s Christmas reading list reflect Martin Wright’s pessimism about peace on a global scale. On the one hand, this is intentional — the books below offer a reminder that many conflicts quickly disappear from headlines, even when they are far from over. On the other hand, this selection was carefully chosen by our Book Reviews Editor Mariana Vieira to inspire hope. The books featured offer lessons from the past, reflect on ongoing developments and chart practical and theoretical paths forward. Covering topics from intelligence to natural reso ..read more