The past decade has witnessed a fundamental reconfiguration of Spain’s party system. What was once a stable two-party structure has evolved into a more fragmented and polarized multiparty landscape. This presentation examines the political, institutional, and societal causes and consequences of this transformation.

Do states suffer reputational consequences when they exit international organizations (IOs)? And do the effects depend on whether states exit through voluntary withdrawal as opposed to forced suspension? We argue that states likely face negative reputational consequences for both types of IO exit because they are each equated with reneging on an international agreement.

Jonathan Chatwin's book, The Southern Tour: Deng Xiaoping and the Fight for China’s Future, explores Deng Xiaoping’s 1992 Southern Tour and the mythology around it. Drawing on archival sources, contemporary reportage, and Dr Chatwin's own retracing of the journey in 2019, it offers a narrative history of this pivotal political moment ‒ and reflects more broadly on the tension between ideological control and market liberalisation in the post-Mao era.

The talk will begin with discussing the parameters of the Strategic Defence Review, including its terms of reference and the major factors that affected. This will be followed by some reflections on the method adopted for this (unique for UK) externally-led Review. To conclude, some personal reflections on the reality of command at strategic and Theatre level, including in the transition from post-Cold War era to a new era of state-level confrontation.