Irishman Pat Cox, a former President of the European Parliament, has two words for it: “Buckle up.” That is his short, sharp and sweet reaction to Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S election, one which has confounded many, including pollsters who got their predictions badly wrong. The result was confirmed on Sunday when Arizona, the…
Photo by Melany Rochester on Unsplash When historians look back on pivotal moments that reshaped Europe, they may well choose 2015-16. Not Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, nor the way Covid laid bare our economic weaknesses, but when immigration started to tear Europe apart, writes Giles Merritt. Far-right populists have succeeded in inflaming voters across the…
Photo by Jigar Panchal on Unsplash EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has warmly congratulated Donald Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States of America. But others have cautioned that his win now presents a profound challenge to world stability. Following Trump’s bigger than expected victory, von der Leyen said…
Photo by Paula Porto on Unsplash The violent protests that Chile experienced between October 2019 and March 2020 led to more than 8,800 police arrests and nearly 3,400 people hospitalised, as well as more than 30 dead. The government of Sebastián Piñera reacted in desperation, proposing a plebiscite in which 78% of voters were in…
Georgia will be freed from Ivanishvili’s “Russian dream”, writes Viktor Sparov Sakartvelo is now at the most important juncture of its development, perhaps since the dissolution of the USSR. In less than a week, the country will hold parliamentary elections that will definitively determine the future course of this small but proud country. At stake is…
In just mere weeks, the moment of truth for Georgia will set things straight, as the country suits up to make its existential choice for the civilised future. The people will cast their vote in the historical election that is set to define the country’s fate for decades to come, writes Viktor Sparov. On October 26,…
Russian interference in the affairs of sovereign nations poses a serious threat to the stability of global democracy. One of the latest examples involves Moldova, where Russian forces attempted to disrupt a referendum on joining the European Union. The Kremlin employed bribery, disinformation, and provocations, demonstrating its intent to undermine the sovereignty of neighbouring countries…
Photo by Matt Brown on Unsplash MEPs and an ex UK government minister have joined forces in appealing to both the EU and UK to tackle growing public intolerance of the fall-out from Brexit. The appeal coincided with a visit, his first as PM, by Sir Keir Starmer to Brussels on Wednesday. The…
Photo by Tomas Eidsvold on Unsplash EU council president Charles has called for reform of the United Nations. He said the UN Security Council must be reformed “to make it more inclusive, more legitimate, and more effective.” In a speech to the UN he said, “Back in 1945, the world wanted peace at…
Photo by Antoine Schibler on Unsplash The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has adopted a resolution tracking democratic progress in the European Union and calling for a stronger EU with a new six-fold concept of security. It says the new European Parliament and Commission should, given the current multi-crisis, make use of the…
