In The News

"Grand Coalition" Could Break the Deutsch Deadlock

Shada Islam September 20, 2005
Germany's elections this Sunday led to a surprising outcome: a virtual draw between current Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and his opponent Angela Merkel. In the aftermath of an unusually bitter campaign, many critics predict a sustained political deadlock within the Bundestag. Other commentators, including Shada Islam, predict a different outcome. "As Germany's largest parties –...

In Germany, Harder Line Looms

Ian Johnson September 16, 2005
Following the London bombings and communal violence in the Netherlands, Europe's relations with its Muslim citizens have grown increasingly strained. Governments are now turning a sterner eye towards Islamic organizations within their borders, hoping to nip domestic Islamic radicalism in the bud. In Germany, attorneys have launched an investigation into the dealings of the Islamic Community...

Global Warming: Adapting to a New Reality

Elisabeth Rosenthal September 15, 2005
Something is amiss in Europe. Sickness-inducing algae in Genoa, severe flooding in central Europe, Portuguese wildfires, ticks carrying Lyme disease northward into Sweden – all are recent occurrences that scientists have attributed to global warming. Countries and politicians, faced with mounting evidence of the trend, are starting to consider the changes they will have to make in order to adapt...

Europe's Political Parties Buffeted by Globalization

Jonathan Fenby September 8, 2005
September 18, the date of the German elections, marks a crucial moment in European politics. The poll results will reveal whether the burgeoning protest movements will continue to nibble away at the mainstream parties. As Jonathan Fenby writes, moderate left-right political polarity in Europe may be giving way to a more fragmented system. Haunted by the specter of the ‘Polish plumber’ and...

Bra Wars: Europe Strikes Back

Larry Elliott August 26, 2005
As of August 22, 2005, six categories of Chinese textile exports had met or exceeded EU quotas – spurring two days of talks in Beijing between the trade partners. The current limits were initially designed as stopgap measures, to allow EU producers to adjust to the January 2005 expiry of the the previous global quota regime. In the longer term, it is unlikely that Western producers will be...

Catering for Globalization

Salil Tripathi August 24, 2005
The firing of 670 workers employed by Gate Gourmet at London's Heathrow Airport has intensified an already heated labor environment. The company is owned by a US investment firm, and union officials hold "mean-spirited capitalists" responsible. According to this Guardian commentary, however, the company's decision was primarily a response to current economic realities. Gate...

How France Can Win From Offshoring

Tony Blanco August 15, 2005
The debate over benefits of outsourcing centers to companies and to a country’s economy versus its cost to displaced workers at home, has heated up in France. As France struggles to compete in the global economy, the authors suggest that it should strive to take full advantage of outsourcing. They recommend several tactics that could derive similar benefits from outsourcing, while minimizing...