Publications

Interview with Sven Saaler regarding the 2017 House of Represenatives election and the trouble of the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan.

In the 2017 House of Representatives election, the LDP could again win a clear victory. The opposition was more divided than ever, after the break-up of the Democratic Party, and could not pose a serious challenge to the Abe government.

Japan’s refusal of belligerence is a key element of its constitution of 1947, in which the country explicitly revokes the right to wage war. On this basis, in the past the role of Japan's military was interpreted as purely defensive in nature. However, it has remained unclear whether Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) were allowed to join efforts of collevtive security under United Nations guidance. The paper discusses this issue on two fields: Firstly, how can Japan contribute to achieving a global peace based on order ans justice? Secondly, and alternatively does Japan need to abandon the ideal of a peaceful world and, correspondingly, need to revise its constitution?

Germany’s ‘Energy Shift’ aims at achieving the country’s goals on climate protection, particularly a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by shifting towards renewable energy production and improving consumption efficiency. Seeking to provide a broader basis for understanding the policy, this study presents key fields of policy-making within which to realise an 'Energy Shift', as well as many policy options, essential actors and the relevant legal framework.