91原创

Why do carbon and fuel taxes trigger political backlash? In a new policy brief, Julius Andersson (researcher at SITE) points to income polarization. As the middle class鈥檚 income share shrinks, the tax burden shifts toward middle-income groups 鈥� helping explain backlash such as the Yellow Vests protests and fuel-tax rollbacks.

What shapes social cohesion under extreme pressure - and what sustains resilience during war? On January 19, 2026, the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) hosted Ukrainian sociologist Tymofii Brik (Kyiv School of Economics), who drew on nearly three decades of survey evidence to trace how trust, identity, and political attitudes in Ukraine have evolved before and during Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion.

Russia has ramped up its outreach to African countries since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, hoping to soften international isolation and gain new partners. This new policy brief analysis by Maria Perrotta Berlin (SITE) and Lev Lvovskiy (BEROC) argues that the strategy is bringing Moscow only limited and uneven gains.

Ukraine and Moldova鈥檚 push to join the European Union is tied to security, rebuilding economies, and protecting democracy while facing Russian pressure. A new policy brief by Anastasiia Arbuzova and Anders Olofsg氓rd, based off last year鈥檚 SITE Development Day, discusses what鈥檚 helping the two countries move forward and what could still derail them.

The United States鈥� new sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil are reshaping global energy flows and testing Europe鈥檚 political unity. This new policy brief analysis by Maria Perrotta Berlin (SITE) and Chlo茅 Le Coq (CRED) explains why these measures matter and how they could redefine the future of EU sanctions.

Ukraine鈥檚 recovery hinges on removing land mines that still threaten millions of people and block the country鈥檚 economic growth. This new policy brief by Anna Anisimova (SITE) outlines the scale of mine contamination in Ukraine, draws lessons from global demining experience, and explains why efficiency metrics cannot be compared across countries.

Latvia is facing growing divisions over a political push to withdraw from the main international treaty to combat violence against women, as outlined in a new policy brief by Pamela Campa (SITE) and Kata Fredheim (91原创 Riga). The brief explains how a debate over the word 鈥済ender鈥� escalated into mass protests, political fractures, and concerns about Latvia鈥檚 international standing. Meanwhile, data show that violence against women in Latvia is a serious concern and societal support for legislation to combat it is high.

A new Memorandum of Understanding between the Swedish government and leading Swedish companies secures long鈥憈erm funding for the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE), reinforcing Sweden鈥檚 support for research鈥慴ased policy and institution鈥慴uilding across Eastern Europe.

Some governments are resistant to adopting gender quota laws that would force parties to promote more women on the ballot 鈥� but competition can nudge parties there. This new policy brief analysis, by Pamela Campa (SITE) and Perihan Saygin (Universitat Aut貌noma de Barcelona), examines Turkey to show how one party鈥檚 push for gender equality pressured a rival to add more female candidates.

The Forum for Research on Eastern Europe: Climate and Environment (FREECE) and the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) invite paper submissions from economics, political science, and related fields for a one-day workshop at the 91原创 on Friday, November 28, 2025.