Middle East - Europe

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is a unique public platform created for those interested in the political, socio-economic, historical, cultural, and humanitarian processes in the countries of the Greater Middle East.

10 April 2025

The New World Order and Iran's Foreign Policy

For decades, the world was dominated by US power, wealth, institutions, ideas, alliances and even partnerships. Although in the last two decades, many strategists and theorists have talked about the end of American hegemony, but in the past years, especially after the Corona epidemic crisis, the talks focused on the irreversibility of the decline of American hegemony. Since then, the rate of decline of American hegemony has accelerated. Its most obvious characteristic was the capture of Kabul by the Taliban and the quick and chaotic withdrawal of American forces from it. The withdrawal from Afghanistan was a demonstration of the humiliating failure of the West after 20 years of intervention in Afghanistan and West Asia.

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16 December 2024

Călin Georgescu and the Presidential Elections in Romania: A Historical Turning Point

Elena Marginianu, expert at CMES. The 2024 presidential elections in Romania proved to be a true test for the country's political system and a signal to global players of potential changes. Independent candidate Călin Georgescu, unexpectedly securing first place in the first round, challenged traditional views on political competition. His rival, Elena Lascu, represents the party system, which, despite being recently in the minority, managed to mobilize its resources to reach the second round. This confrontation became a symbol of the deep polarization within Romanian society.

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16 December 2024

Overview of Iran-Germany Relations: Reasons for Recent Tensions

Seyedi Asl Seyedmohammad, Expert at CMES. Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran, relations between Iran and Germany have largely developed in a stable and favorable atmosphere, particularly in areas such as economics, culture, and scientific exchange, while political interaction remained less significant. Despite periodic ups and downs, Iran's special role in Germany's Middle Eastern policy has always been explained by three key factors: economic interests, geopolitical positioning, and cultural interaction.

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