Transformation Insights is the Newsletter of the Transformation Index BTI. We analyze Transformation Processes toward democracy and market economy in international comparison and identify successful strategies for peaceful change. BTI Transformation Index
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In this issue of our newsletter, we provide you with analyses from our BTI Blog ranging from the Sportswashing campaign 'Visit Rwanda' of the Rwandan government, the dissolution of the PKK and its effect on Türkiye, the question whether Lebanon's government can urge a new way forward, and how the post-election protests in Mozambique affect the incumbent FRELIMO government. Further, we are excited to announce that the production of the BTI 2026 is in full swing. After a laborious calibration process, the scores for the next BTI are finalized. However, the scores are not officially published until early 2026 alongside the corresponding country, regional, and global analyses, which build the qualitative foundation for each individual score. https://bti-project.org/en/election-calendar
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As the PKK Disbands, Erdoğan Tightens His Grip on Türkiye
published July 2025
More than forty years after its creation, the PKK is fading from view – along with the long-held goal of an independent Kurdish state. For Türkiye, this could mark the beginning of peace and reconciliation. But the Erdoğan administration has other plans. Rather than uniting the country, it is pressing ahead with consolidating its power, undeterred by recent protests. What looked like the end of a decades-long conflict may in fact mark the entrenchment of authoritarian rule.
Read the article here.
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Sportswashing for Rwanda
published June 2025
Several football clubs around the world promote same product on their jerseys: “Visit Rwanda,” the tourism initiative of the state-run Rwanda Development Board. The logo is already familiar to fans of the German Bundesliga thanks to perimeter advertising by FC Bayern Munich. But what exactly is being advertised?
Read the article here.
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Protests in Mozambique: Public Anger Mounts Following Contested Election
published June 2025
Mozambique’s ruling party, FRELIMO, prevailed in a disputed election last year, extending its 49-year grip on power in the southern African nation. The country has been wracked by protests ever since – but who is behind the discontent, and how does it compare to protest movements in countries like Kenya and Nigeria?
Read the article here.
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Lebanon at a Turning Point? New Signals and Old Power Structures
published May 2025
Israel’s military strikes have weakened Hezbollah and created opportunities for newly elected Lebanese president Joseph Aoun to bring about political change in Lebanon. The first signals offer reasons to be hopeful, but they are not enough to lead to fundamental structural improvements.
Read the article here.
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Assessment and Calibration
The Transformation Index is based on a qualitative expert survey in which written assessments are translated into numerical ratings and examined in a multistage review process so as to make them comparable both within and across regions. Guided by a standardized codebook, country experts assess the extent to which a total of 17 criteria have been met for each of the 137 countries. These experts ground the scores they provide in assessments that comprise the country reports. A second country expert reviews all scores and assessments. In order to ensure the validity, reliability and comparability of the assessment, each individual score undergoes a multistep process of review by the country experts, the regional coordinators, the BTI team and the BTI board. As of July 2025, each individual score is finalized through this calibration process. The publication for the BTI, which is a qualitative assessment as much as a quantitative one, is scheduled for early 2026. At the moment, the focus of the team and regional coordinators lies on the global, regional, and individual country assessments which add up to over 5.000 pages of reports.
Read more here.
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BTI Election Calendar 2025
After the successful initiation of our Election Calendar for the super election year 2024, we launched the new version this year. In the application, you will find election analyses with background information on the role of elections in individual BTI countries. The Election Calendar is dedicated to scrutinizing around 30 elections, underscoring our commitment to analyze transformation processes towards democracy. To access the Election Calendar 2025,
click here.
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Cooperation between the BTI and Argentinian Think-Tank CADAL
Publications using BTI 2024 data
Over the past months, our cooperation with the Argentinian think tank CADAL under the leadership of Gabriel C. Salvia has resulted in 25 articles on selected BTI results. Coordinated by Dorothea Krueger, a talented and aspiring group of young students and interns has produced abstracts and analyses of selected BTI country reports. We would like to wholeheartedly thank all students, interns and aspiring talents who put their energy and dedication into writing their own analyses based on the BTI country reports, and to Dorothea and Gabriel for their coordination and partnership. To find the articles, you can access the CADAL-website
here.
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BTI on LinkedIn
The BTI posts on LinkedIn regularly. Our content ranges from news on BTI activities to developments in BTI regions and countries, and analyses on current affairs in International Relations. Follow our activities via this
link.
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Next Newsletter: October 2025
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In our next newsletter, we will be showcasing our latest BTI Blog articles and bring you new updates from the on-going process towards the publication of the BTI 2026. BTI LinkedIn
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