The new German government: Challenges and priorities

Friedrich Merz, the new German Chancellor, has come into office at a time of political uncertainty and economic stagnation. His coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD is a pragmatic one, but will it prove to be more stable than the "traffic light" coalition of Olaf Scholz, his predecessor? In the election of February 2025, the right wing extremist AfD doubled its share in the election - (how) will Merz manage to curb its growing influence?

Aisha Elmubarak

I am the Apprentice Course Administrator within the DPIR Education Support Team. The Education Support Team oversees all aspects of teaching, learning, assessment and admissions for our postgraduate courses. alongside supporting students and staff. We also manage and coordinate key elements of the undergraduate PPE and History and Politics degrees.

My main responsibilities include organising Student elections; calendar/room booking issues; Canvas announcements and UG lecture recordings.

I am usually in the Manor Road office Tuesday-Thursday.

Yoonki Lee

Yoonki Lee is an MPhil student in International Relations at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. He is conducting research on Domestic Drivers of Hedging: South Korea’s Middle Power Diplomacy Amidst US-China Rivalry. Yoonki is a member of the Oxford University Korea Society, Oxford Union, and Oxford University International Relations Society.

Islamic Law Beyond Fiqh

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, scholars, activists, and politicians have engaged in profound debates about the nature of Islamic governance and its relevance to contemporary justice. While many discussions focus on the roots of governance in early Islam, they are often shaped by a primarily fiqh-centric perspective, which emphasises jurisprudence and tradition while neglecting the political and legal realities of the time.

Oxford Conservative Thought Reading Group (Week 6: Liberty)

The Oxford Conservative Thought (OCT) Reading Group is a non-partisan group devoted to academic exploration of small-c conservative political thought. We welcome, and actively encourage, viewpoint diversity and constructive engagement across ideological divides (all good-willed participants are welcome!)

Each week we read one assigned text, and we recommend more for anyone who is very keen!

The OCT meets weekly in term time on Fridays from 4-5:30pm.

Week 6 explores conservative views on liberty, with a reading from Edward Feser.

Contesting Pluralism(s): Islamism, Liberalism and Nationalism in Turkey and Beyond

As the liberal international order weakens, anti-pluralist leaders and movements seek to capture states & societies. At the same time, more (and less) vigorous coalitions for open societies are challenging the global anti-pluralist turn. This pattern involves multiple actors, norms, pressures and processes which can and should be compared to better understand this acute global challenge.
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