BRICS+

Die Weltlage wird aktuell als Multikrise interpretiert: Klimawandel mit periodischen Dürren und Überschwemmungen, eine mehrjährige destabilisierende Virus-Pandemie, schrumpfende Beschäftigtenzahlen in den Industrieländern, energetische Engpässe, wohlstandsreduzierende Inflationen und Kriege um Ressourcen und Einfluss-Zonen. Politische Populisten müssen nichts anderes tun, als die Regierenden für diese Melange verantwortlich zu machen. Ein wachsender Zuspruch belegt die Annahme, dass die Multikrise kombiniert mit dem technologischen Wandel (Digitalisierung) und der Globalisierung eine toxische Basis für die Spaltung von Gesellschaften bildet. Eine Spaltung vollzieht sich auch geopolitisch, wie mit der Bildung der BRICS-Gruppe deutlich wird.Das Buch beschreibt Ursachen, Konstellationen und Perspektiven dieser geopolitischen Entwicklung mit Fokus auf der US-amerikanisch-chinesischen Rivalität.

Russia's repeated defiance of international law with its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, amounts to a shift in political and economic relations. On the one hand, the book deals with the historical antecedents of the transitions from Gorbachev to Yeltsin to Putin. On the other hand, it looks at the role of the Western US-led industrialized nations in this process. How have these nations reacted and conducted themselves since the invasion of Ukraine? In particular, Switzerland and the United Kingdom share a history in pandering to Russian interests. The situation is now different to the transformation era of the USSR. Hyperglobalization since the turn of the millennium has given rise to a new bloc beyond NATO, the IMF and the World Bank. With the BRICS countries under China's dominance, more than 40 % of the world's population belong to states in opposition to the traditional industrial nations. Additionally, many relevant raw materials for energy and inputs for new technologies are located in this sphere. The book provides insight into the complex dependencies of the new blocs, which themselves are not free of discrepancies. China is in a dilemma as one of Russia's energy customers and a producer for Western markets; thus, its role is particularly salient. China's "New Silk Road" initiative hinges on world trade, which could collapse with potential bloc-building towards the "Iron Curtain." The war in Ukraine can only be interpreted in relation to Putin's and his henchmen's motives. There will only be losers, and Russia will suffer the heaviest losses along with Ukraine. In the medium to long term, Russia will be eliminated as a partner for the energy supply of the industrial nations. The global loss of prosperity through inflation and military spending is the price of energy independence. The book shows that these tendencies were already visible before February 24, 2022.

An Indien scheiden sich die Geister. Obwohl oder gerade weil kaum jemand im Westen dieses widersprüchliche Land versteht. Zwischen Slums und Prunk, zwischen Yoga und Hightech, zwischen Bollywoodkultur und Kastenwesen ist uns das Land, dessen Bedeutung für die Weltgemeinschaft immer größer wird, ein Rätsel geblieben. Oliver Schulz liefert einen tiefen Einblick in die verschiedenen Facetten der indischen Gesellschaft und Kultur und gibt uns einen Überblick über die politischen, wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Entwicklungsperspektiven der neuen Supermacht, die immer deutlicher ihre Ansprüche auf eine Führungsrolle in der Welt erhebt. Wie tickt dieses Land wirklich? Was hält es zusammen? Wie verlässlich ist es als Partner? Und wie bedrohlich könnte sein Aufstieg für die Weltgemeinschaft werden?

European Union in the Global Context explores the interplay between the state and state sovereignty, nationalism, European integration and globalisation. It provides essential foundations in these areas, while using stimulating arguments to prompt discussion and provoke interest in the relationships between these processes. It critically analyses the challenges faced by the EU from the contemporary political and economic dynamics of globalisation (IPE), including trading relationships set through the WTO and bilateral relations with emerging markets, especially the BRICS economies. Likewise, pressures from within, such as a resurgence of nationalism, localisation, anti-austerity politics, and Euroscepticism, are examined. While the Union is fundamentally challenged by pressures from above and below, and by its own internal dysfunction, it remains central to the effective management of the international political economy. European Union in the Global Context is a lively, focused and engaging text, incorporating anecdotes and contemporary arguments, and presenting different perspectives on European integration and globalisation. It will be of key interest to students of European Politics, European Studies, European Union Studies, and more broadly, global political economy, foreign and security policy and international relations.

Ever since Jim O'Neill at Goldman Sachs coined the term BRICS in 2001 there have been many different assessments of these major emerging economies, with some even proclaiming that the promise of the BRICS (comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is over. However, the socalled 'arranged marriage' still seems to be working well, with the club having become a formal international forum, with summit declarations, ministerial meetings, and numerous BRICS-wide fora. Is this euphoria misplaced? Is there a BRICS model of economic and human development? Are inequalitiesincreasing and is this the denouncement of the economic successes?The Handbook of BRICS and Emerging Economies presents a comprehensive and multi-faceted analysis of the BRICS countries and other emerging economies, exploring their economic, social, environmental, and governance dimensions and other challenges. It brings together multi-disciplinary perspectivesfrom more than fifty authors to examine how education contributed to the emergence of BRICS, how BRICS are impacting African economies, and how other emerging economies (including Chile, Mexico, Turkey, and others in Africa and Central Asia) compare. It observes the impact of governance challengesboth within individual countries and in the forum for co-operation amongst them, what issues related to gender and identity based violence are prevalent, and what the security implications are and the role of BRICS is in contributing to peace keeping operations.