This week’s featured graphic compares the results of two Freedom House reports on political freedom and Internet freedom, which suggest there’s a link between the two.
For more on how Internet freedom is in retreat, read Julian Kamasa’s CSS Analysis in Security Policy here.
How resilience can help cope with the corona pandemic
Research shows that close social ties, personal networks and helping each other are crucial in dealing with severe crises. This includes the current corona crisis. Thus, fighting the virus is about physical and not “social distancing”.
This graphic charts changes in resilience (using the EU’s definition of resilience) of select EU member states from 2015 to 2017. For more on the role of resilience in contemporary deterrence efforts, see Tim Prior’s chapter for Strategic Trends 2018 here. For more CSS charts, maps and graphics on defense policy, click here.
Russia’s actions in Ukraine reminded many that states use a mixture of tools to achieve their political objectives. Analytically troublesome but politically useful terms such as hybrid war emerged. Russia’s neighbours were thought to be particularly vulnerable. Yet Finland is structurally relatively resistant to hybrid campaigns due to a foundation created over decades.
First, Finland is fundamentally a stable and functioning state. On measures of democracy, the rule of law, anti-corruption, free speech and the media, education, and socio-economic equality, Finland scores well. In the Fragile State Index (compiled annually by the Fund for Peace and consisting of over one hundred individual measures), Finland is ranked year after year as the most sustainable country. Trust in the authorities is also high.