Samantha Ruppel from the Peace Academy Rhineland-Palatinate gave a keynote speech at the annual conference 2025 of the development policy network ELAN e.V. entitled "Development policy under pressure - between crises, conflicts and solutions".

The contribution was entitled: "Turning point(s) and development cooperation: Classification of the political world situation"

The focus was on current geopolitical upheavals and their impact on international development cooperation. Among other things, the lecture highlighted

• the changing significance of development cooperation in terms of security policy in the context of the "turning point",
• the role of right-wing populist narratives in donor countries and their impact on the legitimacy of development cooperation,
• current developments in the USA (including "Project 2025") and their signaling effect,
• as well as the influence of European and German politics, particularly with regard to the new coalition agreement.

With regard to civil society actors, the article posed the question: What scope for action remains when development cooperation is geopolitically charged and its normative substance comes under pressure?

Samantha Ruppel from the Peace Academy Rhineland-Palatinate gave a keynote speech at the annual conference 2025 of the development policy network ELAN e.V. entitled "Development policy under pressure - between crises, conflicts and solutions".

The contribution was entitled: "Turning point(s) and development cooperation: Classification of the political world situation"

The focus was on current geopolitical upheavals and their impact on international development cooperation. Among other things, the lecture highlighted

• the changing significance of development cooperation in terms of security policy in the context of the "turning point",
• the role of right-wing populist narratives in donor countries and their impact on the legitimacy of development cooperation,
• current developments in the USA (including "Project 2025") and their signaling effect,
• as well as the influence of European and German politics, particularly with regard to the new coalition agreement.

With regard to civil society actors, the article posed the question: What scope for action remains when development cooperation is geopolitically charged and its normative substance comes under pressure?