In The News

Erdogan to Release Migrants if EU Blocks Membership Talks

Caroline Mortimer November 30, 2016
Members of the European Parliament voted for a temporary pause in negotiations on Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union due to worries about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's heavy-handed response to July’s coup. Specific concerns include treatment of political dissidents and potential restoration of the death penalty, which is banned by the EU. “The talks were part of a wide-ranging...

The Stakes of Italy’s Referendum

Mario Margiocco November 28, 2016
Italy votes December 4 on a referendum on constitutional reforms –including reducing the size of the upper house of parliament and reinforcing separation of powers. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has promised to step down if voters reject the referendum. “A defeat for Renzi will be read as a victory for Italy’s two major populist parties: the Lega Nord and the larger Five Star Movement, led by the...

Trump Spells End of Normality for Europe

Melanie Amann, Horand Knaup, Martin Knobbe, Peter Müller, Ralf Neukirch, René Pfister, Michael Sauga and Christoph Schult November 14, 2016
Donald Trump vowed to upend the establishment. German leaders also expect the next US president to upend European politics, fueling populist parties and encouraging fragmentation of the European Union as right-wing politicians lure working-class voters with big promises of restoring jobs by ending immigration. German-US relations enter unknown territory. “Will the next US president become the...

EU Agrees Screening Process for Tax Havens, Critics Cry Foul

Francesco Guarascio November 10, 2016
European Union finance ministers are preparing a weak blacklist of tax havens and suggest that zero tax rates may not be a qualifying factor. “The bloc committed in May to agree on a common list of tax offenders by the end of next year, after leaked documents - the so-called Panama Papers - that showed how some multinationals and individuals avoided paying tax,” reports Francesco Guarascio for...

“Brexit” Requires a Vote in Parliament, UK Court Rules

Stephen Castle November 3, 2016
British voters had their say on the nation leaving the European Union, and the High Court has ruled that Parliament’s approval is required, too. The decision may delay Brexit. “Although most lawmakers opposed the decision to leave the European Union, it would be politically toxic for them to overturn the referendum outcome,” reports Stephen Castle for the New York Times. “Still, the pound, which...

Europe Worries Portugal Is Prone to a Debt-Crisis Relapse

Patricia Kowsmann October 26, 2016
Portugal’s economic weakness is part of a long string of bad news for the European Union, which has been hit by a rising tide of euroscepticism. Earlier in October, Portugal’s central bank predicted a decline in investment in the country. The International Monetary Fund has asserted that this decline is due to the government’s turn away from austerity, including high levels of public and private...

Brexit’s Big Winner? It Could Be New York City

David Francis October 21, 2016
Many in the London banking industry are asserting that the city’s financial operations could relocate to New York City once Prime Minister Theresa May initiates Brexit. Banking is crucial to the British economy and accounts for up to 10 percent of national GDP, reports David Francis for Foreign Policy. He lists reasons for relocating. London bankers had opposed Brexit and can’t help but wonder...