We’re ‘taking back control’. At least, that was the argument among those who supported the UK’s decision to exit the European Union. During the referendum campaign, these three simple words became the rallying call of the Vote Leave camp. There’s no question that Brexit will mark a sizeable shift in power relations. But who is […]
Read more
Trump’s supporters and opponents live in entirely separate universes where the same facts somehow have opposite meanings. No more than a fortnight ago Donald Trump was welcomed in Poland with great pomp, declared a great statesman and… one of the few remaining defenders of Western civilisation. This process of Trump’s ‘normalisation’ was truly astounding. It […]
Read more
It has become a commonplace in the last few years that the alienation between public opinion and the elites is the major driver of populism in Europe. A recently published Chatham House research specifically aimed at exploring this divide. The research, conducted between December 2016 and February 2017 in ten countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, […]
Read more
Greece is predictably keen to finance itself on international bond markets, capitalising on renewed and growing investors’ interest in the country’s prospects and their search for yield given current levels of excess liquidity. Interest rates on Greek bonds have fallen sharply, following the adoption of a new round of reforms and austerity measures which paved […]
Read more
Rarely has a G20 summit seen so many losers. Chancellor Merkel, the host, lost on two fronts. She disappointed the widespread hope that she might be the new leader of the free world. She is obviously neither strong nor visionary enough to lead. Leading is not her thing. She is a moderator. Her main achievement […]
Read more
The UK’s Brexit chaos continues. Theresa May is a Prime Minister whose last vestiges of power are leaking away. The main debate in the Conservative party is simply when to hold the leadership election – some want it now, some in October, others still cling to the idea that a powerless Prime Minister can oversee […]
Read more
Early in 2016 some Brussels based diplomats eagerly told anyone who wanted to hear it that they expected the sanctions against Russia to be eased by the middle of that year. In the meantime, we are a year down the line and the sanctions are still unchanged. Indeed, on 28 June 2017 the EU extended […]
Read more
Famous Germany military strategist Carl von Clausewitz once noted that a country can change everything except its geography. Even today in a world where technical advancements defy all traditional paradigms, this remains true. The proximity of the Italian coast to Africa, in particular Libya, makes it the preferred destination for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea […]
Read more