News and opinion

New Caledonia has erupted in violence in recent weeks. At least six people are dead, the related riots have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, and French President Emmanuel Macron has flown to the other side of the world to soothe the tensions. What is going on?

While the rise of EH Bildu might suggest a heightening of pro-independence demands in the Basque Country, the public are more concerned about social and economic matters.

There is increasing concern that territorial autonomy can generate new violence at the subnational level, in the form of communal clashes.

New book analyzes participation in local elections across Europe and applies a comparative approach. The book is based on the study of electoral results at the municipal level in 18 countries and more than 70,000 municipalities.

Despite some missing votes in the total count, the outcome of the regional election in Sardinia has now been accepted by all competing parties: the right-wing coalition led by Giorgia Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy, has been defeated by a coalition comprising the centre-left Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement.

The causes and consequences of Russia’s war on Ukraine have been discussed extensively during the past two years and will likely keep international analysts busy for some time to come. There is a justified concern for the future of the liberal world order and the rules established in 1945.

Most of the world’s federations have been governed by non-democratic regimes for long periods of time and have experienced several transitions between authoritarianism and democracy and vice versa. What impact has regime change had on their federal system, in particular on the distribution of powers between the federal government and the constituent units, which we can refer to as de/centralisation?

The assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, by alleged agents of the Indian state outside a Surrey Gurdwara in British Columbia in June 2023 has caused a major diplomatic incident between India and Canada.

Yves-François Blanchet holds a degree in anthropology and history from the University of Montreal. He entered politics in 1987, joining the Parti Québécois under the leadership of Jacques Parizeau. Blanchet was first elected to the Quebec National Assembly in 2008, becoming Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks in 2012.