Between Romania and Ukraine, a tiny country in Eastern Europe is choosing its path for the future in historic parliamentary elections. The neighboring war in Ukraine and the country’s own ongoing challenges mark this collective choice as especially important. The Republic of Moldova held critical parliamentary elections on Sep. 28 for all 101 seats in […]
Tag: EU
Times of Change: What Should Starmer Do Next?
Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, came to power on the back of a single-word election slogan: ‘Change’. At its core, his Labour government committed itself to transforming Britain from an economically stagnant country with poor public services to a clean energy ‘superpower’ abundant with economic growth. And yet, he has […]
Catholic Controversy on the Brink of Polish Elections
In March of this year, a documentary came out that presented new evidence to support the claims that former Pope John Paul II was aware of sexual abuse happening within the Catholic Church of Poland during his time as archbishop and chose to cover it up. The specific allegations claim that the late pope knew […]
The Earth is Begging for a Carbon Border Tax
In 2015, the US signed on to the Paris Agreement, vowing to work towards a goal of reducing global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, by 2100. Scientists argue that even this increase is too high, ideally it should be below 1 degree. But, as of right now, we are on […]
What Can We Expect in the 2022 French Presidential Election?
This coming April, French voters will elect their new president. While the election is still months away and not all candidates have been announced, speculation is well underway. Most notable has been the rising presence of right-wing populist and TV anchor Éric Zemmour, who is making waves by scaring the political establishment with his neo-Nazi […]
Feeding the Moths Eating at Europe’s Fabric
For those following European Politics, news of democratic backsliding is not new. Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party has ruled Hungary with an absolute majority in parliament since 2010. Since his absolute majority win, Orban has diligently worked to consolidate his power. In 2013, the Hungarian parliament approved controversial amendments to the country’s constitution. The reforms included […]
The Evolution of Italy’s Five Star Movement: From Populist Firebrands to Establishment Gatekeepers
“Mussolini was less brash, at least he called his coup a coup!” thundered comedian-turned-politician Giuseppe “Beppe” Grillo. This attack from a 2015 blog post concerned then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s proposed referendum on election reform. The inflammatory language used was par for the course for Grillo. His party, the Five Star Movement (M5S), had recently entered […]
The Troubles With Brexit
When the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave to the European Union in the summer of 2016, few recognized the true consequences of their choice. Nowhere would that choice become more consequential than in the six counties of Northern Ireland. As the only place in Britain that shares a border with another EU […]
Poland’s Illiberal Trajectory Continues to Challenge the European Union
Every year in Poland, Narodowe Święto Niepodległości, or the Polish Independence Day, is celebrated in Warsaw, commemorating the anniversary of the restoration of a sovereign Poland after over a century of invasion and domination by the German, Russian and Austrian empires. In 2017, however, the tone of the festivities soured, making international headlines as it […]
Is Jean Claude Juncker Important Yet?
In 2010, Herman von Rompuy, President of the European Council, sat on the floor of the European Parliament as Nigel Farage accused him of being “the assassin of European democracy, and of the European nation-states,” and a laughable match for global leaders like President Obama. “We were told that when we had a president, we’d […]