World Politics

“None of this is necessary. None of it is inevitable. It has been orchestrated by Israel.”

Digital campaigning is on the rise across the world, and political parties and candidates spend more of their financial resources online. Other aspects of political finance—such as fundraising and reporting of parties’ and candidates’ finances—have also moved to the digital realm. While this trend creates new opportunities for reaching voters and for political participation, regulators are confronted with new challenges in their approach to this phenomenon. Existing regulatory frameworks are often insufficient to cope with the digitalization of campaign finance and need to be adapted. Yet many questions remain on how the rules should be changed and which regulatory approach should be followed.

This report offers an overview of the recent developments regarding digital campaign finance. Building on insights and findings from in-depth case studies—on Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, the European Union, India, Kosovo, Mexico, Montenegro, Nigeria and the United States—it discusses the main challenges faced. While these countries might differ in their specific political and electoral contexts, they experience very similar regulatory difficulties. Studying these cases enables the identification of best practices and possible lessons that can be drawn for political finance oversight bodies, civil society organizations, political party officials and legislators worldwide.

After an introductory section, the first part of this report discusses the current landscape of online campaign finance and identifies the main regulatory choices that exist: from a total ban on online campaigns, to incorporating the digital aspects into the rules on traditional campaigning, to the development of specific rules for online advertising. Regulators can opt for self-regulation or binding rules and can concentrate their regulatory efforts on political actors or online platforms. In the second part of the report, the most important issues in the regulatory framework governing online campaign finance are discussed. These include the full extent of the definition of digital campaigning, the differences in regulating online and physical campaigns, and the difficulties regarding official campaign periods and the concept of electoral silence.

The third and fourth parts of this report focus on the oversight of online campaign finance, with particular attention given to the role of monitoring agencies, civil society organizations, the media and online platforms. The fifth part goes into the main regulatory challenges, such as online third-party campaigning and in-kind contributions, cross-border campaigning and foreign interference, microcredits and cryptocurrencies, and the use of influencers and digital marketing firms.

Zelensky for the win.

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/182912

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In a time when civil society voices are increasingly dismissed as radical or disloyal, new research led by Ph.D. student Lee Aldar and Professor Eran Halperin at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found that a discourse emphasizing shared values and common goals—like fairness, solidarity, and support for vulnerable communities—can significantly boost the legitimacy of controversial civil groups, even among skeptical or even hostile public.

From the study:

These interventions, emphasizing common interests (e.g., supporting communities, reducing disparities in the provision of health services) and common values (e.g., human dignity, fair due process), can be applied to amplify and include critical voices as part of the effort to combat the harmful consequences of democratic backsliding.

Step into the future through the lens of renowned geopolitical strategist George Friedman. In this eye-opening video, we explore his bold predictions for 2025 and beyond — a world shaped by shifting power dynamics, rapid technological disruptions, and brewing global tensions.

From the rise of China and the decline of Western influence, to the growing role of artificial intelligence in warfare and the collapse of outdated institutions — Friedman outlines a new reality we must all confront.

Key topics covered:

The fall of American global supremacy

China’s geopolitical strategy

The AI revolution and cyber warfare

Economic fractures and social unrest

What individuals and nations must do to adapt

Don’t just watch history unfold — understand it before it happens.

really Trump and Vance yelling at Zelenskyy

Israel has passed a new bill which criminalises the questioning of the official narrative regarding 7 October 2023. The law, passed without opposition, bars non-Israeli citizens from entering or residing in the country if they or the organisations they represent deny the 7 October attack, question the Holocaust, or support the prosecution at international courts of Israeli security personnel for war crimes. It also expands a controversial 2017 amendment that prohibited visas for individuals associated with groups supporting the peaceful Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a peaceful resolution to Russia’s now three-year war in Ukraine. VOA examined several approaches floated by think tanks recently aimed at achieving a lasting peace to the war.

Think this is effectively where the US stops pretending democracy is still a thing

Authorities’ Widespread Deprivation of Water Threatens Survival

• Israeli authorities have deliberately inflicted conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the population in Gaza by intentionally depriving Palestinian civilians there of adequate access to water, most likely resulting in thousands of deaths.
• In doing so, Israeli authorities are responsible for the crime against humanity of extermination and for acts of genocide. The pattern of conduct, coupled with statements suggesting that some Israeli officials wished to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, may amount to the crime of genocide.
• Governments and international organizations should take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza, including discontinuing military assistance, reviewing bilateral agreements and diplomatic relations, and supporting the International Criminal Court and other accountability efforts.

“At a fundamental level, it is an abandonment of the Geneva Conventions.”

Legal and humanitarian experts say that Israel’s attacks on aid in the Gaza Strip, detailed in a months-long investigation by The New Humanitarian, may be relevant to ongoing international cases about alleged Israeli genocide and war crimes against Palestinians and are part of a wider global pattern of striking aid activities with impunity.

The Assad dynasty’s demise will certainly remake Syria, but it will also reshape relations between Damascus and other capitals. Crisis Group experts offer a 360-degree view of how the Syrian crisis could shake up regional politics.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has been in power for a quarter of a century. During his tenure, Russia has actively participated in five wars. But not even Putin’s brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has been able to shake Russian society’s consolidation around the Kremlin, the so-called “Putin consensus” (i.e., Putin’s consistently high support among the majority of the Russian public). This report aims to dig into the origin of this phenomenon.