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Tag: europe
Portugal Elections Mark Europe’s Surge Toward Radical Right
In April, Portugal was supposed to celebrate its 50-year anniversary of democracy, leadership, and stability since the Carnation Revolution, which overthrew the right-wing dictatorship that had led the country for decades. However, in March, just one month before this great milestone in the country’s history, it is facing political turmoil and democratic decay. Populist right-wing […]
How Government Inaction Threatens Migrants’ Lives in a French Refugee Camp
Every year in northern France, between the popular tourist venues of the Opal Coast and the cold Flemish beaches at the border with Belgium, thousands of people hide behind dunes and between bushes waiting for the sun to set. When the sky is dark and the air still, they drag on the shore precarious embarkations—commonly […]
Europe’s Reluctance to Address the Legacy of Slavery
The transatlantic slave trade and the exploitation of enslaved African laborers in the Americas stand as one of the darkest, most horrific pieces of the history of Western civilization. Without the motive, the means, the organization, and the dedication of European colonial powers in establishing and perpetuating this system of slavery, the modern world may […]
America’s Potential Subsidy Race with Europe
“It should be a race against time, not a race against each other. It should be a race to the top, not a race to the bottom.” These were the words uttered by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in response to the American Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). While maintaining diplomatic poise, the E.U. […]
What is Driving the Rise of Anti-Immigration Sentiment in Europe?
As the far-right Sweden Democrats party won 20 percent of the votes in Sweden’s general election this September, many predict the rise of the nationalism and anti-immigration sentiment throughout the country—even in places previously considered safe havens for immigrants. Nativist parties such as Sweden Democrats, who perceive immigrants as a threat to their state’s national […]
Why the Rise of Far-Right Populism Could Spell the End for the EU
Swedish voters went to the polls on September 11th as the last remnants of summer clinging in the air began to dissipate in expectation of the colder months ahead. As the results began to roll out, lawmakers around Europe could feel chills running down their spines. Swedish Democrats, the far-right nationalist party, had managed to […]
What Can We Learn From the Norwegian Prison System
In class roughly two months ago, an ex-felon came to talk about how he managed to turn his life around while in prison and how that allowed him to reduce his sentence and create a meaningful civilian life. To this, I wondered, why do prison systems not inherently focus on rehabilitation and focus so much […]
Gilead May Not Be Far From Reality: The Case of Hungary
Katalin Novak, the newly elected Hungarian President, is all for women’s rights. In a manner of speaking. In a propaganda video shared in December 2020, back when she was Minister for Families, Novak encouraged women to have children and “bear the burdens of others.” She added that other women should not “believe that women have […]
Return of The Troubles? Violence in Northern Ireland Threatens Peace Between Unionists and Republicans
On March 29, several hundred young people primarily identifying as Loyalist, or Irish people with close ties to Great Britain, took to the streets of Belfast, torching vehicles and throwing bricks, fireworks and gasoline bombs at riot police attempting to restore peace. The violence did not end there. Until April 9, the day of Prince […]