Lessons from the Paris Climate Summit: the inductive global governance
The Paris Climate Summit (COP21) has given rise to a new type of governance. The process has been undertaken from the bottom up.
Global Spectator
The Trump-Le Pen nightmare is unlikely to come true, but it does muddy the waters
A nightmare scenario is causing some serious concern: seeing Donald Trump become US President in 2017 while Marine Le Pen becomes President of France.
Quebec’s paradox: feeling less pro-independent but also less Canadian
Although independence in Quebec is much lower than 20 years ago, Quebeckers feel less Canadian than ever.
Cameron and Europe: much ado about a few things
David Cameron has presented claims to the EU that are pragmatic, reasonable and in line with reality, certainly de facto although perhaps not de jure.
The Paris attacks: another lost opportunity for European defence
This crisis after the Paris attacks would have been a good opportunity to promote a common European defence policy against a common threat.
Paris: a war over an essential not an existential threat
Three days after the coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris, the French President François Hollande said that ‘France is at war’.
Syria: thank you, Putin
Without Russian intervention in Syria things would not have begun to move and there would be little hope of a glimmer of pacification on the horizon.
The New Silk Road: grand geopolitical engineering
The New Silk Road is the huge Chinese response to the US attempt to isolate Beijing, and it responds to a clear geopolitical and geoeconomic vision from China.
Elections in Spain: just part of a general European volatility
The general elections in Spain must be seen in this context. It is part of Europe’s overall volatility.
Unsafe Harbor: a rising tide of mistrust in the Atlantic
The TTIP negotiations are faltering and there is a growing mistrust between the two sides of the Atlantic.
Illiberal demagoguery splits Europe at the seams
The greatest internal fissure in the EU is now between East and West. Illiberal demagoguery is a democratic regression that can undermine its very foundations.
Syria: tell me what your legal basis is and I’ll tell you who you are
In their approach to bombing Syria, the major powers are not pursuing the same strategic or political ends, or even justifying themselves on the same legal basis.