Labour advocates have long complained that international trade agreements are driven by corporate agendas and pay little attention to the interests of working people. The preamble of the World Trade … Read More
Columns & Interviews
The Rise, Fall And Future Of Socialism (2)
6. A Socialist Revival To Meet Major Global Challenges A revival of socialist ideas is taking place today because of several extreme challenges to the further development and sustainability of the … Read More
The Rise, Fall And Future Of Socialism (1)
Introduction and Summary The topic of my lecture is ambitious and daunting and may sound like a provocation in a country that attempted and developed a socialist model that eventually failed. However … Read More
Sovereignty: A False Friend In The Defence Of National Identity
The debate on UK withdrawal from the EU has included talk about sovereignty, as if sovereignty were a given to which divergent political opinions can be attached. But the word ‘sovereignty’ is a false … Read More
Europe Must Target Demand To Fight Sex Trafficking
Sex trafficking is big business. The ILO estimates that global sex trafficking generates $99 billion in profits every year for traffickers. It’s an exploitation industry that has grown rapidly in the … Read More
Lessons From The Greek Tragedy Unlearnt
I realise I have not written much about Greece since the open letter to Angela Merkel that Thomas Piketty, Jeffrey Sachs, Dani Rodrik, Heiner Flassbeck and I wrote in July 2015 (see here and here). … Read More
Blogs
Ending Austerity: Public Spending Key To Stability And Fairness
The term “fiscal” comes from the Latin for “purse”. When it comes to fiscal policy – how the government manages the country’s budget – a lot of people wrongly compare the country’s purse, and how it’s … Read More
EU Citizens’ Involvement During The Age Of Austerity
A democratic society is characterized by the people’s electoral will. The quality of democracy is determined by the sovereign action of its citizens and the level of human rights protection. It is … Read More
Germany Is Quietly Rebalancing Its Economy – But This Will Not Fix The Eurozone’s Flaws
Ever since the financial and sovereign debt crisis, the political and economic implications of Germany’s unbalanced economy have lured the attention of academics, policy institutions, the public and … Read More
Do Capitalists Still Need Consumers?
While it’s hard to come up with numbers, the delocalisation and outsourcing of production and other economic activities to low-cost countries have resulted in the loss of jobs and reduced purchasing … Read More
Why Has The Populist Radical Right Outperformed The Populist Radical Left In Europe?
Twenty-first century European politics has been characterised by patterns of electoral volatility, alongside the recent economic and ongoing refugee crisis. This has allowed ‘populist’ parties on both … Read More
Why Such Disparity Between Unemployment Rates In Europe?
Eurostat has just published its latest unemployment figures. For the EU and Eurozone. Overall, they show continuing progress though youth unemployment remains seriously high.But the statistics do … Read More
Talks & Conversations
How To Build Progressive Power
Even in these dark times, I am confident that we can defeat Donald Trump and all he stands for. But it will require building a multiracial, middle, and working class coalition dedicated to renewing … Read More
Brexit: Trading In Choppy Waters
There’s no better trade deal for the UK than being in the EU but the Chequers ‘sticky tape’ may just help the UK Brexit if it still wants to.Dr Lorand Bartels, Reader in International Law at the … Read More
How Brexit Could Create A Crisis At The Irish Border
When the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, it was largely based on a desire to take back control of its borders. While the UK was a member of the EU, trade and people … Read More
Saving May’s Bacon
Will Michel Barnier save Theresa May’s bacon and will historians look back on a wasted three months soon after the UK’s June 2016 Referendum?Catherine Barnard, Professor of EU Law at the … Read More
All Content