Executive Summary: Beijing has been preparing for a Trump presidency since at least the spring, assessing potential cabinet picks and their views on the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Since November 5, the PRC has hyped areas in which the United States might want to... MORE

Executive Summary: The ruling Georgian Dream secured re-election for another four-year term, and ethnic Azerbaijani and Armenian populations in Georgia, who tend to support the ruling party, were blamed by opposition groups for contributing to Georgian Dream’s victory. Allegations are circulating about the manipulation of... MORE

 Executive Summary: Moldovan President Maia Sandu has won reelection in a hard-fought runoff, followed on the heels of an equally hard-fought referendum. The voting underscored chronic divisions in Moldovan society in both political and territorial terms. Russia and its local sympathizers seek to rehabilitate “Moldovan... MORE

Executive Summary: The October 26 parliamentary elections in Georgia are highly contested, with the ruling Georgian Dream party facing allegations of vote rigging. The party denies these claims, asserting the elections’ accountability, transparency, and legitimacy. Georgia’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration is uncertain due to the... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia is leveraging the United States’ preoccupation with its presidential election to advance its strategic interests, bringing in additional military support from North Korea with the arrival of North Korean troops and supplies. This alliance benefits both parties, as North Korea gains technological... MORE

Executive Summary: Senior Party and government officials have identified overcapacity as a major economic challenge, but state media have instead downplayed or denied its existence, framing concerns from the West as politically motivated. Regional governments have traditionally addressed overcapacity through top-down restrictions, but this strategy... MORE

Executive Summary: The Moldovan government has combined its presidential election with a constitutional referendum to enshrine Moldova’s goal to join the European Union. The referendum on October 20 was inconclusive and current President Maia Sandu must face the runner-up, Alexander Stoianoglo, in a second round.... MORE

Executive Summary: Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party announced its victory in Georgia’s parliamentary elections on October 26, sparking outrage from the opposition due to suspected election fraud. The election results signify an opportunity for Tbilisi to turn toward Moscow, especially as many report likely election... MORE

Executive Summary: In Bulgaria, the seventh round of parliamentary elections in three years is projected to produce a heavily fragmented parliament again and a slim prospect of forming a government for a full mandate. Russian propaganda has specifically targeted pro-Western political parties in Bulgaria while... MORE

Executive Summary: Since at least the 19th Party Congress, Xi Jinping has promoted military-industrial officials, whose presence at the vice-ministerial level has grown since the 20th Party Congress in 2022. They represent a potential emerging faction within the Chinese Communist Party. Military-industrial officials are an... MORE