Brexit And the European Order
There are only a few months left until the United Kingdom formally exits the European Union. So far, the debate about Brexit has been framed
Politics
Analysis and debate on European and national politics, democracy, the rule of law, parties and elections, and Europe’s place in the world.
One Small Town Against The Tide Of Italian Populism
Forgotten by time and abandoned by most of its younger generation, the old village of Riace in Calabria, clinging to the steep hillsides above the
Back To The Future: The Necessary Realignment Of European Politics
In a recent article Jean Pisani-Ferry called for the emergence of new EU political groupings that go beyond the traditional left-right competition and offer voters
Reversing The Globalisation Backlash
Reversing the backlash against globalization requires active politics in two opposite directions: the strengthening of democracy beyond the level of the nation state; and strenuous
“New” Perspectives For Europe
I am invited to talk about New Perspectives on Europe, but new ones fail me, and the Trumpian decay afflicting even the core of Europe
Why Did The Populist Far Right In Sweden Make Gains?
The success of the xenophobic far right party, Sweden Democrats (SD), has brought international attention to Sweden’s latest general election. As The Guardian noted: “far
Are Blue-Collar Jobs Turning White?
Martina Bisello and Enrique Fernández-Macías
Manual jobs in European manufacturing are being transformed as blue-collar workers take on more intellectual tasks. This is a consequence of the increasing use of
No People, Big Problem: Democracy And Its Discontents In Latvia’s National Elections
No people, no problem (Нет людей, никаких проблем) is the quote often attributed to Joseph Stalin. Yet, if there is a lesson from Latvia’s October
Lobbying In The EU: An Often Unholy Alliance
With movies such as Inside Job and Thank you for Smoking or TV series like House of Cards, the US model of influencing decisions and
Alleviating The Working Poor Will Take More Than Job Creation
With the onset of the economic crisis since 2008, a new term, the working poor, has emerged at European level. This new “class” features a
Politics, Pessimism and Populism
The rise of right-wing populism is probably the most pressing problem facing Europe today. Many analysts, including myself, have linked the rise of populism to
The Collapse Of European Social Democracy, Part 2
In the first part of his analysis Paul Sweeney pointed to a variety of causes behind the decline of social democracy over the past 30
Open Letter To Siv Jensen, Minister Of Finance, Norway
Norges Bank Investment Management has publicly asked the Ministry of Finance to be allowed to divest of oil and gas companies in Norway’s sovereign fund,
The Collapse Of European Social Democracy, Part 1
Introduction Social Democracy (SD) has been the most powerful political force in Europe since the Second World War. It turned the nation state into the
The Refugees’ Tsunami In Italy Turns Out To Be Just A Ripple
Let’s face the truth about immigration in Italy: the country is not overloaded by millions of refugees. In fact, the majority of people who arrived
Why The Left Must Resist Wanting A Piece Of The Xenophobic Action
Since 2008 the left around the advanced world has dreamed of a popular uprising against the neoliberal elite that brought us the financial crash. Now