\n<\/p>\n
2025 was a year of big shifts, at times driven by singular personalities. U.S. President Donald Trump comes to mind, of course. But so do the officials who surround him\u2014and the world leaders who are adjusting to a shifting global order in his wake.<\/p>\n
In Germany, a longtime senior political figure became chancellor and sought to make the country more of a force on the world stage. In Hungary and Venezuela, opposition leaders gained steam that could bring major change in 2026. And in Iran, a filmmaker won global acclaim for a movie made in secret, which captures the evolution of a society that leaves little room for freedom.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
2025 was a year of big shifts, at times driven by singular personalities. U.S. President Donald Trump comes to mind, of course. But so do the officials who surround him\u2014and the world leaders who are adjusting to a shifting global order in his wake.<\/p>\n
In Germany, a longtime senior political figure became chancellor and sought to make the country more of a force on the world stage. In Hungary and Venezuela, opposition leaders gained steam that could bring major change in 2026. And in Iran, a filmmaker won global acclaim for a movie made in secret, which captures the evolution of a society that leaves little room for freedom.<\/p>\n
Below are five of Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s most illuminating profiles of the year.<\/p>\n By Alexander Clarkson, Feb. 20<\/em><\/p>\n Germany\u2019s election in February paved the way for Friedrich Merz, a senior figure in the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), to become chancellor after years in the political wilderness. Merz has since claimed a leading role on the world stage, projecting a more assertive Germany.<\/p>\n Merz drew outrage soon after the election for saying that he would go \u201call in\u201d and vote with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in favor of harsh immigration measures. But, as academic Alexander Clarkson writes in this profile, critics failed to see that Merz \u201cinstinctively understood\u201d how to win over the CDU\u2019s conservative factions.<\/p>\n To appreciate how Merz got here, Clarkson writes, it helps to look back at the political era that shaped him\u2014and to the personal resentment he holds for former Chancellor Angela Merkel. His strategy may pose risks in the long run, but it has gotten him this far.<\/p>\n \u201cMerz\u2019s repudiation of the centrist approach that defined the Merkel years attracted support from party members who believed that a pivot to cultural conservatism would prevent right-wing voters from shifting their support to the AfD,\u201d Clarkson writes.<\/p>\n By Adrian Karatnycky, June 20<\/em><\/p>\n Among the more unconventional figures shaping U.S. foreign policy in Trump\u2019s second term is Steve Witkoff, a former New York real estate lawyer-turned-property developer who has found himself negotiating for peace in Ukraine.<\/p>\n Analyst Adrian Karatnycky traces Witkoff\u2019s first few months of diplomacy, as success in securing a cease-fire and hostage release in the Israel-Hamas war led to an expanded portfolio and a de facto role as envoy to Russia.<\/p>\n With Moscow, Karatnycky writes, Witkoff shifted gears: \u201cInstead of working in close cooperation with U.S. government experts, he ran what was essentially a one-man show. Controversially, he avoided significant engagement with the U.S. Embassy in Moscow or the State Department back in Washington.\u201d<\/p>\n Months later, Witkoff remains a newsmaker, clashing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio over how to handle peace efforts in Ukraine as the year comes to a close.<\/p>\n By Lili Rutai, Nov. 7<\/em><\/p>\n Hungary holds parliamentary elections next April, and the polls are not looking good for Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has ruled the country for 15 years. The candidate looking to unseat the strongman, opposition leader Peter Magyar, was once a member of Orban\u2019s Fidesz party. In just a year, he has become the country\u2019s most popular politician.<\/p>\n Hungarian journalist Lili Rutai captures the personality behind this shift, who recognizes the uphill battle he faces against a leader who has cracked down on civil society and the press. In November, Magyar drew 170,000 people to the streets of Budapest\u2014roughly twice as many as Orban\u2019s own march the same day.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether Orban will hold a fair election against Magyar, and let go of power if he loses, may determine the future of democracy in Hungary,\u201d Rutai writes.<\/p>\n Magyar compares his supporters to the Hungarians who fought the Ottoman military centuries ago. \u201cAmong us are young and old people, living in Budapest, the rural areas, in the motherland or abroad\u2014who are fighting for their homeland and for the future of their children and grandchildren,\u201d he told Rutai.<\/p>\n By Mie Hoejris Dahl, Nov. 13<\/em><\/p>\n
\n1. Germany\u2019s New 1990s Chancellor<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
\n2. The Metternich of the Bronx<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
\n3. The Man Who Could Topple Orban<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
\n4. The Voice of Venezuela\u2019s Opposition<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n