CSS Blog Network
This graphic maps the Western Balkans in Europe focusing on their GDP. With the exceptions of Croatia and Slovenia, the Western Balkans are unable to achieve growth rates that enable it to catch up with EU averages. The average GDP per capita for the six countries is half that of Central European countries and only one quarter of that of Western Europe.
For insights on the Western Balkans between the EU, NATO, Russia & China, read more of Henrik Larsen’s CSS Analyses in Security Policy here.
This graphic provides an overview of the composition of the UN Security Council. A common criticism is that this composition and the existence of permanent veto powers reflect the situation at the end of World War II. This is considered outdated by many UN member states, including Switzerland, which has been campaigning for reforms since 2005.
This year, Switzerland applied for the first time to take a seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Being a member would undeniably entail many opportunities, but also some risks. For insights on the Swiss candidacy for the Security Council, see Fabien Merz’s CSS Analyses in Security Policy here.
While religious issues are not the primary drivers of the conflict in and around Ukraine, religion has played a significant role in it. This graphic provides an overview of church constellations in Ukraine, including autocephalous, canonical (recognized) or with debated status.
For insights on the religious dimensions of the Ukraine conflict, read Cora Alder, Palwasha Kakar and Leslie Minney’s CSS Analyses in Security Policy here.
Colombia was one of the most violent countries until the early 2000s, with a yearly homicide rate above 70 per 100,000 inhabitants. This stands in contrast to the global average of roughly six and the European average of one. This graphic provides a comparison of the development of homicide rates in Colombia between the national level, areas with previous FARC presence & illicit crop substitution areas, from 2010 to 2019.
For insights on the Colombian peace process, see CSS’ Enzo Nussio’s CSS Analysis in Security Policy here.
Belarus’ importance as an independent actor in Eastern Europe is growing – a fact that is underlined by Swiss Foreign Minister Cassis’ attendance at the opening of the Swiss embassy in Minsk and meeting with Belarusian President Lukashenko in February 2020. This graphic illustrates four different integration projects, of which Belarus is a member. For more on Belarus’ foreign policies and strategies, read Benno Zogg’s addition to the CSS Analyses in Security Policy series ‘Belarus between East and West: The Art of the Deal‘.