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Since the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with mass media and social media playing a key role, anti-vax protests have received sustained attention. The first comments often pointed at the heterogeneity of the events, whose participants seemed to belong to different milieus, from the far right to exoteric groups that opposed mainstream medicine, suggesting alternative ones. In reality, in their forms and claims, these protests developed as a regressive response to the health crisis. Conspiracist beliefs - from the politicized QAnon and Great Replacement conspiracies widespread on the far right to the Chemic Trails and 5G ones present in an exoteric milieu that promoted alternative health practices - were clearly expressed in the slogans and symbols used by the protestors. In different moments in different countries, the contestation of the anti-COVID-19 measures proceeded with picks and ebbs, following the waves of contagion and the related increase in policy measures to curve them. Increasing especially during the vaccination campaigns, they seemed to subside however quite quickly as the COVID-19 virus started to become endemic, with vaccination reducing its lethality. This volume builds upon social movement studies in the attempt to illuminate the dynamics of these protests in the various steps of their emergency, growth and decline. Referring to most recent developments in social movement studies, it in particular contributes to the analysis of contentious politics in emergency times, characterized by deep disruption in everyday life and rapid structural transformations in the society. In order to understand how specific strains are transformed into actions, it considers the opportunities and challenges for different actors in moments of intense mobilization in which different and contrasting claims are put forward. While these moments are rich in innovation, they built upon existing social movement infrastructures, that contribute to give meaning to dissatisfaction by proposing a shared definition of problems and solutions. Looking at the wave of anti-vax protests through the lenses of social movement studies, the analysis addresses the spread of the protests, their forms, but also their quick decline.

Der vorliegende Kommentar behandelt die in den 1990er und 2000er Jahren von den sog. neuen Ländern mit den evangelischen Landeskirchen und dem Heiligen Stuhl geschlossenen Verträge auf der Basis des Wittenberger Vertrages von 1993, der - stil- wie inhaltsprägend - zum Modell für alle weiteren staatskirchenrechtlichen Verträge der dritten Generation geworden ist. Damit wird das in seiner Bedeutung teils über- teils unterschätzte Vertragsstaatskirchenrecht der jüngsten Generation erstmals in der klassischen Form der Kommentierung rechtsdogmatisch durchdrungen und zugleich praxisgerecht aufbereitet. Kommentiert wird unter Berücksichtigung seiner Entstehungsgeschichte in erster Linie der Wittenberger Vertrag. Die vergleichbaren Bestimmungen der übrigen Verträge werden ergänzend herangezogen. Eine vorangestellte Synopse erleichtert das Auffinden der jeweils einschlägigen Regelungen.

Ein radikal neuer Freiheitsbegriff von einer leidenschaftlichen Stimme der Gegenwartsphilosophie. Selten wurde Freiheit so intensiv diskutiert wie in der Pandemie: die Freiheit zu reisen, sich uneingeschränkt zu bewegen, Menschen dort zu treffen, wo man möchte. Doch wie zukunftsfähig ist ein derart räumlich abgesteckter Freiheitsbegriff, da wir Zeiten entgegensehen, in denen die Orte schwinden, an denen es sich leben lässt und Klimakrise oder Kriege ganze Landstriche unbewohnbar machen? Die Philosophin Eva von Redecker denkt Freiheit darum ganz neu: als die Freiheit, an einem Ort zu leben, an dem wir bleiben könnten. Bleibefreiheit entfaltet sich zeitlich. Als auch künftig lebbare Freiheit rückt sie nicht nur die Erhaltung unserer Lebensgrundlagen in den Blick, sie verringert auch den Abstand zwischen dem Freisein Einzelner und ihrer Gemeinschaft. Bleibefreiheit lässt sich nur gemeinsam herstellen. Und sie wächst, wenn wir sie teilen. "Kundig, genau, spielerisch und lesbar, gleichzeitig in der Welt und über ihr schwebend, ist von Redecker eine brillante und wundersame Intellektuelle, angetrieben von der philosophischen Frage, wie wir aus dem, was wir jetzt tun, eine bessere Zukunft machen können." Wendy Brown. "Seit jeher wird Freiheit mit Bewegung assoziiert: Thomas Hobbes definiert sie mit der Abwesenheit von Hindernissen, die EU durch offene Grenzen für Waren und Menschen. Doch ist dieser Freiheitsbegriff in Zeiten globaler Krisen noch zeitgemäß? Die Philosophin Eva von Redecker entwickelt einen radikal neuen Ansatz: Wo Lebensräume schwinden, ist frei, wer bleiben darf" (Platz 1 der Sachbuch-Bestenliste für Juli-August 2023)

Intro -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- 1 Introduction: African Security in the Age of the Anthropocene -- 1.1 Introduction -- References -- 2 (Re)Thinking Security for the African Context -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Defining Security in the African Context -- 2.3 Two Securities and the Human Subject -- 2.4 Whither the African State? -- 2.5 Conclusion -- References -- 3 Homer-Dixon's Environmental Scarcity Theory and Potential for Conflict in the Nile River Basin (NRB) -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Environmental Scarcity Theory -- 3.2.1 Demand-Induced Scarcity -- 3.2.2 Supply-Induced Scarcity -- 3.2.3 Structural-Induced Scarcity -- 3.3 Theoretical Application: Environmental Scarcity Theory in the Nile River Basin -- 3.3.1 Demand-Induced Scarcity: Population Growth in the Nile River Basin -- 3.3.2 Supply-Induced Scarcity: Water Depletion and Degradation in the Nile River Basin -- 3.3.3 Land Degradation -- 3.4 The GERD Dispute: A Recipe for Nascent Conflict -- 3.5 Recommendations -- 3.5.1 African Union -- 3.5.2 Third-Party Involvement -- 3.5.3 Political Will Deficit -- 3.5.4 Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) -- 3.5.5 Third-Party Involvement -- 3.5.6 Political Deadlocks in the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) -- 3.6 Conclusion -- References -- 4 Climate-Security and the Anthropocene: The Case of Mali -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 The Anthropocene -- 4.3 Climate-Security Nexus -- 4.4 Contextualizing Mali -- 4.5 The Origin of Mali's Contemporary Conflict -- 4.6 Mali's Climate Violence -- 4.7 Conclusion -- References -- 5 Exploring the Interface Between the African State, African Security, and the African Union in the Anthropocene Age -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.1.1 State Security, Human Security, and Inter-State Collaboration: Africa's Regional Conundrum -- 5.1.2 Can the African Union be Less State-Centric? -- 5.1.3 How Do We Break This Impasse?.

Intro -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Abbreviations -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- 1 Introduction: Responding to Brexit -- Brexit: The Straw That Breaks the Camel's Back? -- The Puzzle: The EU's United and Effective Response to Brexit -- Do Economic Interests Explain the EU's Brexit Response? -- Explaining EU Unity and Effectiveness: Issue Framing and Institutional Capacity -- Issue Framing and Discursive Unity -- Creating the Collective Capacity for an Effective Response -- Effective Negotiations -- This Book's Contribution -- References -- 2 Framing the Brexit Challenge -- Introduction -- Why Issue Framing Was Key to a United Response to Brexit -- Issue Framing: Defining the Problem and Suggesting Solution -- Framing Brexit: In the EU and in the UK -- The "New Settlement" Negotiations -- The "New Settlement" Narrative of the UK Government -- The "New Settlement" Narrative of the EU -- The Post-referendum Period: Making Sense of Brexit -- The Brexit Narrative of the UK Government -- The Brexit Narrative of the EU27 -- Conclusions -- References -- 3 Creating Institutional Capacity -- Introduction -- Temporary Organisational Settings -- The Command Centre -- The Institutional Ecology -- The Council -- The Commission -- The European Parliament -- Conclusions -- References -- 4 Building the EU's Brexit Process -- Introduction -- Foundations: Article 50 and Procedural Arrangements -- Article 50: Follow the Rule Book! -- Procedural Arrangements: Broad Involvement and Clear Responsibilities -- Transparency and Institutional Coordination -- Transparency: Internal Glue and External Weapon -- Institutional Coordination: Mobilising Dispersed Capacity -- A Barnier Method? -- Conclusion -- References -- 5 Structuring the Negotiations -- Introduction -- Negotiation Strategies and Bargaining Resources.

Intro -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- References -- Chapter 2: Foundations -- Peace and Conflict Studies -- Ancient Concerns, Modern Discipline -- Conflict Management, Conflict Resolution, and Conflict Transformation -- Defining Peace and Conflict Studies -- State of the Art -- Existential Risk Studies -- Humanity's Destruction-Thinking About the End -- The Emergence of Existential Risk Studies -- Classifying Risks to Existence -- Challenges of Working on Existential Risks -- References -- Chapter 3: At the Intersection of PCS and ERS -- Prioritization -- Measurement and Time -- Questions for the Future -- Why Is Human Extinction Negative? -- Can There Be Peace Without Us? -- What Is the Purpose of Peace? -- References -- Chapter 4: Great Powers Conflict -- What Is a "Great Power"? -- What Is a Great Power Conflict? -- Why Is It a Problem? -- Great Power Conflict in Existential Risk Studies -- Likelihood and Type of Risk -- How Bad Could It Be? -- Great Powers Conflict in Peace and Conflict Studies -- Conflict Escalation and De-escalation -- Approaches to Prevention and Mitigation of Great Power Conflicts -- Questions for the Future -- References -- Chapter 5: Peace, Pandemics, and Conflict -- Risk Potentials of Pandemics -- Peace, Pandemics, and Conflict -- Peacebuilding in Pandemics -- Questions for the Future -- References -- Chapter 6: Climate Change Peace and Conflict -- Risk Potentials of Climate Change -- Climate Change, Peace, and Conflict -- Climate Change as a Risk Multiplier -- Compounding Effects of Climate Change -- Peacebuilding and Climate Change -- Methods of Mitigating the Risks of Climate Change -- Emissions Reduction -- Geoengineering -- Questions for the Future -- References -- Chapter 7: Emerging Technologies, Risk, Peace, and Conflict -- Defining Emerging Technologies.

Intro -- Contents -- Editor and Contributors -- Introduction -- References -- Peripherality of the CEE Region -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Genesis of Economic Inequality in Europe -- 3 Peripherality in the Rokkan Model -- 4 Applications of the Rokkan Model -- 5 Central and Eastern Europe as a Periphery -- 6 Peripherality as a Problem in the European Union -- 7 Is There a "Multi-Speed Europe"? -- 8 The Future of "Multi-Speed Europe" -- 9 Conclusions -- References -- From Authoritarianism to Neo-Totalitarianism in Belarus -- 1 Main Characteristic of the Neo-Authoritarian Rule in Belarus Before 2020 -- 2 What is (Neo)totalitarianism in Belarus? Reasons of the Regime Changes and Its Basic Elements -- 3 The Enhanced Political Leadership -- 4 Political Terror -- 4.1 Forms and Methods of Terror (Mental and Physical Violence) in Belarus Applied in 2020-2022 -- 4.2 Infrastructure of Terror -- 5 Dismantling the Elements of Façade Democracy and Destroying the Alternative Information Space -- 6 Re-Ideologisation and Ideological Purification in the Belarus -- 7 Consolidation of the Power and Bureaucratic Apparatus -- 8 Conclusions -- References -- Illiberal Turn in Hungary -- 1 Transformation in Hungary -- 2 The History of the Fragile Hungarian Democracy -- 3 The Birth of the 'Homo Kadaricus' -- 4 The Road to Illiberal Democracy -- 5 The Energy Question and the Russian Affair -- 6 The Roots of Russian-Hungarian Friendship -- 7 The International Investment Bank -- 8 Hungary's Individualist Strategy -- 9 The 2022 Elections -- 10 Conclusion -- References -- Illiberalism and Nationalism in Poland's Politics -- 1 Understanding the Notion of Illiberalism and Its Derivative Terms -- 2 The Sources of the Illiberal Turn in Polish Politics -- 2.1 Internal Sources -- 2.2 International (External) Sources.

Intro -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- The EU as an International Negotiator -- Approach -- Case Selection -- Terminology -- Structure of the Book -- References -- Theorising the EU as an International Actor -- International Negotiations as a Two-Level Game with Principals and Agents -- The Negotiator in a Two-Level Game -- Principal-Agent Analysis-Domestic Dynamics -- Strategic Action by the International Negotiator -- Strategic Action by the Principals at the International Level -- Negotiating Context -- Two-Level Game and Principal-Agent Analysis of EU International Negotiations -- The EU Negotiators at the Centre: A Framework for Analysis -- References -- Development Negotiations -- Introduction -- Background -- From Yaoundé to Cotonou -- From Lomé to Cotonou -- The EU Institutional Set-Up: A Principal-Agent Relationship -- Agent Power -- Principal Control -- The College of Commissioners -- The Council of the EU -- The European Parliament -- Case Study-Negotiating the Partnership Agreement with the OACPS -- Preparation Phase -- The EU's Domestic Negotiations at Level Two-Identifying the Win-Set -- International Engagement at Level One -- Negotiation Phase -- The EU's Domestic Negotiations at Level Two -- International Negotiations at Level One -- Ratification Phase -- Conclusion -- References -- Trade Negotiations -- Introduction -- Background -- Entering the Multilateral Trading System -- Towards Bilateralism -- The EU Institutional Set-Up: A Principal-Agent Relationship -- Agent Power -- Principal Control -- The College of Commissioners -- The Council of the EU -- The European Parliament -- Case Study-Negotiating the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan -- Preparation Phase -- The EU's Domestic Negotiations at Level Two-Identifying the Win-Set -- International Engagement at Level One.