COMMENTARIES

Thai Politics Gets the Blues

Duncan McCargo

Thaksin’s fall, and the People’s Party’s gambit, propelled Anutin’s rise to prime minister. Thailand’s desolate political landscape holds out uncertainty — and opportunity — for Anutin and his Bumjaithai Party.

Elite Competition and Narrative Inconsistency in Vietnam’s Propaganda Apparatus

Dien Nguyen An Luong|Nguyen Khac Giang

This Long Read argues that Vietnam’s propaganda apparatus is increasingly shaped by internal tensions between two informal but influential elite coalitions. On one side are conservative actors embedded in the military and ideology apparatus, who prioritise ideological orthodoxy and regime security. On the other are reformist pragmatists, often drawn from diplomatic and economic institutions, who place greater emphasis on performance legitimacy, international engagement, and administrative modernisation.