East Germans And The Far-Right AfD
Angela Merkel’s immigration policies may be the ticket that propelled the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) into the Bundestag on September 24 with a stunning
Year: 2017
The EU: States Or Citizens?
The critical question after Sunday’s Catalan referendum and the violent response of the (Spanish national) police now is: how long will the Catalan people resist
Berlusconi’s New Lira Or Fiscal Money?
The former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has officially launched a project to issue a new national currency complementary to the euro as the ace
Germany: What Happens Next?
The key question now is: What happens next? After the social democrats have (wisely, I think) opted for a role in the opposition, there will
Euro Enlargement Between Convergence And (De)Financialization
The White Paper on the future of Europe presented five forward scenarios: (1) delivering a positive reform agenda, (2) focusing on the single market, (3)
Citizens’ Wealth Fund To Tackle Inequality
Recently, Liberal-Democrat leader Vince Cable joined the long list of politicians who have warned of the dangers of excessive inequality. But strong as the speech
Catalonia Dreaming?
Just days away from the referendum promoted by secessionist forces, Spanish police arrested over a dozen senior officials from the Generalitat and carried out over
Three Myths About Catalonia’s Independence Movement
A romantic framing of foreign crises where self-determination is involved is a common trap. The imagery of “oppressors” vs “freedom fighters” is appealing and, to
Germany’s Grave New World
The outcome of Germany’s federal election on Sunday was unexpected and disturbing, at least by German standards. The two main parties, the Social Democrats (SPD)
Europe Can’t Remain Silent Over The Catalan Crisis
Today is a sad day. While I’m writing these lines, Spanish armed police are detaining twelve senior officials and raiding Catalan government offices in search of material
The End Of The German Post-War Political Model
Has Germany, a country considered one of the most stable democracies in the world, presided over by the same Chancellor for the last 12 years,
Germany’s Hour
Who runs the European Union? On the eve of Germany’s general election, that is a very timely question. One standard reply is, “The EU’s member
Juncker: The Triumph Of Conventional Wisdom
Finally, the European Commission has made itself heard. The speech by President Jean-Claude Juncker on the State of the Union elevated the tone of the
How The OECD Wants To Make Globalisation Work For All
Worried by the populist backlash against globalisation, a big crowd of ministers, politicians and economists participated last June in the annual OECD week in Paris
Germany’s Anti-Populist Exceptionalism
As Germany prepares for this month’s federal election, the country seems remarkably resistant to the populist challenge that other Western societies have faced. With the
Dutch Social Democracy: Reuniting The Fragmented Left
So, René Cuperus, thank you very much for joining us today in the SWOT analysis project of different social democratic parties across the world. We’re
Macron’s Labour Gambit
At the end of August, French president Emmanuel Macron unveiled the labour-market overhaul that will make or break his presidency – and may well determine