Small States Under Pressure
It is not always easy to be a small state in a global world. Many small states seek shelter, some by building alliances with larger
From The Gothenburg Social Summit To A European Social Union
On 17 November, the European Parliament, Council and Commission proclaimed a European Pillar of Social Rights in Gothenburg. The launch of the Pillar signals a
The Twilight Of Angela Merkel
Amid all the crises and upheavals that have battered the European Union over the past decade, one fixed point has been the stolid, stable government
UBI: A Bad Idea For The Welfare State
In its admittedly noble striving for increased social justice, the political left has historically had several ideas that, one might dare claim, were not particularly
ECB, Greece And The Ticking NPL Time-Bomb
After the ECB regulatory tightening on banks’ non-performing loans (NPLs), announced with the well-known “addendum” to its guidance to banks of October 5, a barrage
Social Pillar: Time For Principled Opposition To Austerity Consensus
On 17 November in Gothenburg, Sweden, EU leaders met for a “social summit”, presided over by Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, who had
The Political Economy of Illiberal Democracy
Contrary to widespread belief, Viktor Orbán is not in power in Hungary because he is popular. He enjoys the support of no more than one
The Illusion Of Freedom In The Digital Age
Over the last few weeks, media around the world have been saturated with stories about how technology is destroying politics. In autocracies like China, the
Rescuing Economics From Neoliberalism
As even its harshest critics concede, neoliberalism is hard to pin down. In broad terms, it denotes a preference for markets over government, economic incentives
Learning From Catalonia: To Secede Or Not To Secede?
The standoff over Catalan independence from Spain has split not only the region and country itself, but Europe as a whole. Beyond the ongoing pyrotechnics,
We Need A Strong ‘Social Pillar’ To Support Working People
The ‘European Pillar of Social Rights’: it could be a fine example of Euro-jargon masking very little substance, or it could be a chance for
A Curtain Call For Populism
Seventy years ago in Fulton, Missouri, Churchill delivered one of his most influential speeches. In the cavernous hall of Westminster College, the former UK Prime
Five Radical Ideas For Beating Inequality
Scratch the skin of any social democrat and s/he bleeds equality. Because of structural weakness we water the concept down into social justice or fairness
EU Social Pillar: A (Potential) New Start For Europe
When EU Heads of State and Government gather in Gothenburg this week to debate fair jobs and growth, it will be the first such ‘social
Germany’s Dangerous Obsession
As Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), seek to form an unprecedented “Jamaica coalition” with the