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Controversial constitutional and institutional reforms voted in May in parliament opened the way for President Gnassingbé to stand for a fourth and fifth term (2020 and 2025) because the law does not apply retroactively. The first local elections since more than 30 years resulted in the victory of the ruling party. Grand expectations of the opposition which had hoped for a fundamental change at least at the grass-roots were again dashed. The human rights situation sharply deteriorated due to growing political and social tensions related to the prospects of the head of state running for a fourth term. Islamist terrorist violence spread from Mali to the northern frontier region of Togo. The autonomous deep-water port of Lomé developed as a growth pole and hub for the sub-region. China became the major partner beside the established partners the EU, France and Germany. The informal sector still dominated the economy. Economic freedom remained with the overall status 'mostly unfree'.

Rezension von: Universität der Gelehrten - Universität der Experten.

Vor dem Hintergrund einer wachsenden Anzahl junger Menschen, die öffentlich gegen eine neoliberale Politik protestieren, werden in der vorliegenden Studie zwei Fragestellungen untersucht: (1) Ist die Globalisierungskritik ein politischer Konflikt, der im wesentlichen bei Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen in Erscheinung tritt? Eröffnen also die jungen Globalisierungsgegner eine neue Konfliktlinie bei den großen wirtschaftlichen, politischen und gesellschaftlichen Transformationen des 21. Jahrhunderts? (2) Welches Verhältnis zur Politik im Allgemeinen haben die protestierenden jungen Menschen, wie schätzen sie ihren eigenen politischen Einfluss ein und welche Ansprüche stellen sie an die politische Bildung? Die Studie untersucht diese Fragen anhand von Daten aus einer standardisierten Befragung von über 2000 Jugendlichen aus verschiedenen Ländern, die im Jahr 2003 in den Städten Genf, Lausanne und Annemasse gegen den G8-Gipfel von Evian-les-Bains protestierten. Außerdem wurden gesonderte Interviews mit militanten schweizerischen Jugendlichen geführt. (ICI).

"Cruelty is a specific kind of human behaviour and has a clearly cultural dimension. It is often the result of passions and drives, accompanied by the breaking of taboos and a crossing of boundaries that cultures have raised to prevent the moral regression of mankind. Cruelty is also a "rational" way to acquire and stabilize political power. Both the atrocities themselves and the accusations of cruelty are instruments of power. The political efficiency of cruelty depends on the fear and awe, which it produces. Seneca regarded cruelty as the main attribute of tyranny. Through its imagery (like the bull of Phalaris) it breaks possible resistance and establishes despotism permanently. In the Middle Ages and Early Modern Times cruelty was considered a necessary evil in order to realize superior positive goals. So did the inquisitors, and so did Machiavelli who regarded cruelty not only as a means to the acquisition and preservation of power. The prince should also use cruelty to unify Italy and to build a stable and peaceful political order. Later, the understanding that cruelties are necessary to achieve good ends did not fall into oblivion, in spite of all criticism of Machiavelli's thought. In totalitarianism the aim of cruelty was not primarily the infliction of pain, but the abolition of individualism and the enforcement of the belief in a general law, which rules mankind. This could be either the law of history like during the French Revolution and in socialist states, or the 'natural law' of social Darwinism in the National Socialist and Fascist regimes. After the breakdown of totalitarianism and the triumph of liberal democracy the question arises, if cruelties are necessary components of all politics. Although we can still find cruel policies in liberal democracies (see Guantanamo Bay), at the same time the struggle against cruelty is vital in these systems and explains the dominance of the discourse on human rights." (author's abstract)