The Problem With ‘Illiberal Democracy’
Poland’s turn toward authoritarian rule has set off alarm bells across the European Union and within NATO. Since coming to power in October, Jarosław Kaczyński’s
Politics
Analysis and debate on European and national politics, democracy, the rule of law, parties and elections, and Europe’s place in the world.
A Tale Of Two Europes: East And West
Although West European policy makers have been slow to recognise the fact, the Iron Curtain was never the only or necessarily the most important feature
Economists On The Refugee Path
Today’s global refugee crisis recalls the period immediately after World War II. By one contemporary estimate, there were more than 40 million refugees in Europe
Pulling Europe Back From The Brink
In 2007, the United States caught a serious – and highly contagious – economic cold. Eight years later, it is finally making a convincing recovery
Understanding The Resistible Rise Of Central European Authoritarianism
Viktor Orbán has posed critical challenges to concepts of human rights and democracy in Europe since his election in 2010. But there is every sign
The Polish Threat To Europe
Poland has now emerged as the latest European battleground in a contest between two models of democracy – liberal and illiberal. The overwhelming election victory
Why Cameron’s Brexit Referendum Is A Fight To Save His Party And His Country
The European question is the grim reaper of British politics – dividing parties, debilitating governments, and destroying careers. But never before have the stakes surrounding
2016: Europe’s Year Of Living On The Edge
This new year of 2016 has begun badly. ISIS attacks in Istanbul and Jakarta. Stock market jitters. Violence, including rape, upon women in Germany, Sweden
How The Refugee Crisis Splits The European Social Democrats Between West And East
The refugee crisis has exposed cracks in the EU’s political foundations. Failure to agree over how to implement refugee quotas and inability to coordinate humanitarian
What Economic Policy For The Euro Area?
Social and political tensions in Europe are reaching new heights. Fear of migrants fuels nationalist sentiments and religious animosities are becoming serious. Many people are
The Right Incentives For A Low-Carbon Future
The climate agreement that world leaders reached in Paris last month has been widely celebrated for establishing the ambitious target of limiting the increase in
The Return Of Public Investment
The idea that public investment in infrastructure – roads, dams, power plants, and so forth – is an indispensable driver of economic growth has always
A Liberal Education Is Now More Useful Than Job-specific Skills
It is hard to imagine life without digital search and the internet. This is as true for me as for anyone else: the greater ease
Why We Should Stop Talking About ‘Human Capital’
The extent to which the world has become Orwellian is reflected in the widespread use of the term ‘human capital’, as if it were a
Caputalism: Will Capitalism Die?
The fact that western capitalism is in a severe crisis is now so commonplace that it’s become almost a cliché. In 2008 the global financial
Why The Paris COP21 Agreement Could Make Disaster Inevitable
We are sitting in a car going 35 miles per hour. It’s a nice day and the road is straight. But the map tells us