Political Science and International Studies

Hungary was once a frontrunner of democratization. However, since Viktor Orbán came to power in 2010, the country has been the subject of critical media coverage and concerns due to illiberal policies and anti-EU rhetoric. The book helps to analyze and evaluate the developments by providing relevant case knowledge. It provides sound insights into Hungary’s system of government, society, parties and media, as well as selected policy areas. It focuses on how different policy areas have been influenced by the EU, traces important lines of development over the past decades, and compares the findings with other states of the region. The authors’ professional expertise and broad knowledge of the political systems of Hungary and Europe provide a well-founded analysis of the developments in the region.

The notes that Ludger Kühnhardt wrote in 235 countries and territories around the world create a fascinating panorama, reflected in the personal impressions, encounters and experiences of a political scientist and journalist working all over the world. The book reconstructs the connections between Europe's transformations and the emerging global era over six decades from 1960 to the threshold of the post-Corona world of 2020.

The textbook is primarily aimed at students and younger researchers and offers a concise but systematic practical guide to planning and conducting qualitative expert interviews in political science. It provides a methodologically sound and application- or problem-oriented approach to this form of independent qualitative data collection.

The English translation of this book, originally in German, was facilitated by artificial intelligence. The content was later revised by the author for accuracy and adapted to an international readership.

While the issue of Ukraine is engaging the public and fostering a greater interest in foreign and security policy topics, global economic policy issues and debates largely pass most people by and are primarily discussed by economists and economic historians. Unlike during the Euro crisis, whose complexities overwhelmed society as a whole, questions about supply chains, resource security, and technological change have now reached the press and media. However, for most people, the necessity of a related paradigm shift in German foreign and economic policy is not evident. This is particularly true for the increasing importance of using economic means to enforce (power) political interests – in other words, the new "geoeconomics". This book situates the scientific findings and debates surrounding this term within the global confrontation between the USA, China, and Europe, translating them into language that everyone can understand. The author contributes to the public debate in Germany with this essay and therefore addresses the interested public.