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 […]
Sharing is Caring: The Politics and Consequences of Trump’s Trade War
Trump’s recent economic policies on levying tariffs against countries, primarily China, that have a trade deficit with the U.S. have consequences that go beyond just harming the other party. The effects of these policies can be felt right here at home, but your average American voter has a bad understanding of basic economics, not to […]
NATO: Losing Sight of the North Atlantic?
President Trump’s campaign trail rhetoric focused heavily on presenting a tough, assertive image of American power. Indeed, he broke new ground in toughness — not only did he take traditional US opponents to task, but traditional allies as well. At a July 2016 campaign rally in Wisconsin, Trump had harsh words for the North Atlantic Treaty […]
Defective Democracies
With a friendly slap in the face and shake of the hand, the president of the European Commission addressed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as “dictator” during his visit to Latvia in 2015. This name-calling was most likely in response to Orban’s recent appeals for an illiberal democracy, professing his plan to separate Hungary from “Western European […]
The Catalan Catch-22
If he negotiates, he loses. If he uses force, he loses. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has dug himself a into a hole where the only remaining options are to give something up– either relinquish control over an ever-more powerful Catalonia, or risk the consequences of losing democratic legitimacy. Since the referendum on October 1st, […]
Still Stuck in the Cold War? Turkey, NATO, Russia, and the Art of Patronage
Russia announces new arms deals almost daily, and successfully completes them nearly as often. But the sale of Russian arms to a NATO member is a strikingly rare event. Last month, Turkey signed an agreement to purchase the S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system from Russia, following in the footsteps of Belarus, Algeria, and China, all […]
“Perquè és el Meu Dret”: The Catalan Referendum
Protesters have taken to the famous landmarks in Barcelona to show their desire for a ‘Sí’ vote on the referendum for Catalan independence, scheduled for October 1st. The national government in Madrid seems to be doing all in its power to prevent the vote from occurring. Reports show that forces have been sent to […]
CETA and the fate of free trade: Why the EU and Canada’s new deal changes how trade agreements are negotiated for good
After a tumultuous few months, the European Union and Canada finally signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) last Sunday. CETA is the first agreement of its kind that the EU has signed with a G7 country. The agreement required the approval of all 42 national and regional governments in the EU, which is […]
On Brexit: Did Britain defy expectations or fulfill them by choosing to leave the E.U.?
In headlines across lands so expansive that the sun never sets upon them, the United Kingdom chose to leave the European Union in a national referendum on June 23, 2016. For those of you who, like numerous British citizens, are wondering what exactly this means or why everybody of every nationality seems to have such […]
Europe: At the Crossroads of Crisis
This article is the second of a three part series aiming to demistify the Syrian refugee crisis. Part one can be found here. As the largest democratic nation in close proximity to Syria, Turkey has been at the forefront of the international refugee crisis. Over the past five years, Turkey has accepted over 2.5 million […]
Cut Out the Middle Man
How Elections Hurt Our Democracies Representative democracy began thousands of years ago in the Roman Republic. The Romans favored this system over the direct democracy of the Greeks, for good reason: being bigger than the Greek city-states, it was impractical to have everyone vote on every issue. Also, it made sense for the richest and […]
Ringed by Walls – Changing Perceptions of Israel in the U.S and Abroad
As President Barack Obama delivered the words “A nation ringed by walls will only imprison itself”, many analysts pointed the statement as an adage against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Of the fences of Guantanamo Bay, the trade barriers of the Asia Pacific, the obstacles to American citizenship, Obama’s farewell address to the United Nations […]
The Nordic Model: No Universal Holy Grail
Nordic countries have become somewhat of an international sensation. In the last decade, they seemed impervious to the economic and social woes that ossified economic growth in Europe and Asia and reflected extreme inequality in the United States. Many attribute their success to the “Nordic model,” a unique political and economic template that has raised […]
Too Close to Call: The 2015 UK Election
The UK general election will be held on May 7, and the race is on between the ruling Conservative Party led by Prime Minister David Cameron, and the opposition Labour Party led by Ed Miliband. The latest polls show the two parties virtually tied, meaning it is likely a coalition with other parties will be […]
The High Cost of Threats: Sino-Israeli Relations
Say “economic sanctions” and three countries come to mind: Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Sanctions are usually reserved for historically hostile regimes, not long-time allies. Yet Obama administration and other Western European nations are threatening to impose sanctions on Israel, with the assumption that Israel is so dependent on Western markets that it will have […]