Boris Johnson’s Split Allegiances
Boris Johnson’s recent article in the Telegraph, ‘My vision for a bold, thriving Britain enabled by Brexit’, raises a host of troubling issues. Not least,
Hungarian Social Democrats Take Fight To Orban
So, László, thank you very much for being with us to talk about the Hungarian Socialist Party. What is the historical position of the Social
A Way Forward For Catalonia
The “referendum” on Catalonia’s independence, held on October 1, did not end up well for its promoters. It had been declared illegal by the Spanish
Catalonia And Brexit: The Same Nationalism
The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, will not enter the history books as an enlightened leader. However, when in 2014 he had to decide to
Merkel Promises To Listen To The Cold Wind From The East
A very important and instructive lesson that politicians and those in governments, the world over, should learn from the outcome of the latest German elections
Dystopia In America And Britain
Watching the Emmys, where the major awards went to the TV version of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale”, I was struck by contrasts
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
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,