Europe
Europe Just Gave Ukraine €50 Billion. Most of the Important Work Will Not Happen on the Battlefield.
The European Union finally agreed this week on a €50 billion financial package for Ukraine covering the period to 2027, overcoming the Hungarian veto that prevented agreement at December’s summit. All twenty-seven EU governments, including…
America and Britain Have Bombed the Houthis. The Hard Question Is Whether Punishment Will Actually Make Them Stop.
The United States and Britain launched strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, hitting sites associated with missiles, drones, radar and other military capabilities after weeks of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red…
Europe Has Finally Agreed on a New Migration System. The Hard Part Is Making Borders Both Controlled and Humane.
After years of arguments that repeatedly divided northern and southern Europe, eastern and western Europe, governments and human-rights organisations, the European Union reached a political agreement this week on a major overhaul of its migration…
The EU Has Agreed to Open Membership Talks With Ukraine. That Does Not Mean Ukraine Is Joining Anytime Soon.
The European Union made one of its most consequential decisions since Russia invaded Ukraine this week. On Thursday, EU leaders agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and granted candidate status to Georgia.
Geert Wilders Won the Dutch Election. He Still Has to Convince Other Parties to Let Him Govern.
The Netherlands produced one of Europe’s largest electoral surprises this week. Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom, or PVV, won 37 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, making it comfortably the largest party after years…
Portugal’s Prime Minister Resigned Without Being Convicted of Anything. That May Be What Political Responsibility Is Supposed to Mean.
Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa resigned on Tuesday, ending nearly eight years at the head of government after prosecutors investigating alleged corruption surrounding lithium mining, hydrogen production and major investment projects searched government ministries and…
Poland’s Opposition May Have Defeated a Government Accused of Weakening Democratic Institutions. Now It Has to Repair Them Without Doing the Same Thing.
Poland voted today in an election that may end eight years of government by the conservative Law and Justice party, or PiS. PiS remains the largest individual party, winning roughly 35% of the vote according…
Ukraine’s Greatest Long-Term Vulnerability May Not Be Western Military Capacity. It May Be Western Political Patience.
Slovakia voted yesterday in an election whose consequences extend beyond a country of roughly 5.4 million people. Former prime minister Robert Fico’s Smer party finished first with about 23% of the vote, placing him in…
India Did Not Choose Between the West, Russia and the Global South at the G20. That May Be Exactly Why It Mattered.
The G20 summit concluded in New Delhi today with an outcome that looked surprisingly conventional considering how divided its members have become. The group produced a consensus declaration despite disagreements over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,…
BRICS Is Getting Bigger. That Does Not Necessarily Mean It Is Becoming More Powerful.
BRICS decided this week to invite six additional countries into the organisation. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to join Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa…
Spain Has Voted. The Party That Came First May Still Not Govern.
Spain voted today in an election that has produced a result simultaneously clear and inconclusive. Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s conservative People’s Party has emerged as the largest force in parliament, defeating Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s governing…
NATO Says Ukraine Will Join. It Still Will Not Say When.
NATO leaders met in Vilnius this week only around 30 kilometres from the Belarusian border, with one question dominating much of the summit: what exactly does the alliance mean when it says Ukraine’s future belongs…
