Mrs. May’s Stroke of Political Brilliance and Opportunism
When Prime Minster Theresa May announced the snap election for June 8, 2017, she had one thing in mind—Conservative control. With Labour polling dismally, Mrs. May saw the opportunity to expand Tory control in parliament and...
New Risks and Uncertainties Threaten an Evolving Global Financial Safety Net
Since the 2008/2009 financial crisis, the nature of how the world protects itself from financial and economic risk has changed due to the rise of a new player: Regional Financial Arrangements (RFAs). As a result, in recent years...
Do Not Celebrate Macron’s Victory—Yet
Romain Keppene co-authored this article. He is a graduate student at the École des Haute Études Commerciales (HEC) in Paris, France. He formerly worked with the European Delegation to the United States in Washington, DC. European...
The French Vote and Coming Up Short on Leadership
Campaigns have become battlegrounds for ideas and all is not quiet on the western front. President Trump was not elected on a policy platform, but on an idea of fear and protectionism. Brexit was not part of a well thought-out...
Why the Netherlands Is Participating in Negotiations to Ban Nuclear Weapons
In December of 2016, the UN General Assembly decided it would convene negotiations on a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons within the coming year. Not surprisingly, possessors of nuclear weapons and their allies voted against the...
Berlin Should Heed Washington’s Economic Policy Concerns
While the United States has the largest trade deficit in the world, Germany boasts the largest trade surplus. The Trump administration, which aims to reduce U.S. trade deficits, views German economic policy as deeply unfair....
No Longer Business as Usual: France Passes Law Holding Parent Companies Responsible for Human Rights Violations
The French National Assembly adopted a law on February 21 making French parent companies liable for the human rights violations of their subsidiaries, subcontractors, and suppliers located abroad. The move follows the 2013...
US Policy and Civil War in Ukraine: What Will It Take to Bring Peace?
In a surprising turn of events, the Trump administration recently stressed that Russia must deescalate violence in Ukraine and be held accountable for Crimea. The Russian government quickly responded, saying it doesn’t return its...
What A Nativist Nationalist Win in France Means For Europe and Beyond
The recent rise of nativist nationalism around the world led to consequential results in 2016: from the surprise victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election to Brexit in the United Kingdom. This wave of nationalist...
Pragmatism or Principle? Germany’s Turkish Dilemma
2016 proved to be a particularly difficult year for relations between Germany and Turkey. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to choose between pragmatism and principle in her policy responses to issues ranging from the refugee...