In The News

Syrian Rebels in Secret Talks With Moscow to End Aleppo Fighting

Erika Solomon and Geoff Dyer December 2, 2016
The Financial Times reports that Turkey has arranged secret talks between Syrian rebels and Russia to stop the fighting in Aleppo. The rebel-held portion of Aleppo is surrounded, and occupants are desperate for food, water and other supplies. The US, which has “provided limited training and weaponry for the rebels but had been hesitant to give forceful backing,” was not included in the talks, the...

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...

Russia Wants to Remake Globalization in Its Own Image

Richard Weitz November 24, 2016
Globalization and global institutions are in crisis, confronting varying levels of mistrust around the world. The Valdai Discussion Club, a group of Russian and foreign international affairs experts, assessed the global order. “Russians described Western-led neoliberal globalization as universally destructive economically, culturally, and politically and responsible for sparking a worldwide...

Spain’s Parties Split Over Royal Visit to Saudi Arabia

Juan José Mateo Ruiz Gàlvez and Francesco Manetto November 16, 2016
Economic and security interests clash, and so do foreign policy and domestic priorities. Some Spanish political leaders are criticizing a potential multibillion dollar contract for Spain to build warships for Saudi Arabia. King Felipe’s visit in support of the deal was delayed once due to political gridlock, and members of the left-leaning party Podemos vehemently oppose rescheduling the visit or...

The Age of Pain

William Davies November 15, 2016
Populism arises out of grievances. “At what point do we attribute denunciations to the state of the world, and at what point to the state of the individual making them?” writes William Davies for New Statesman, adding that “the line separating ‘public politics’ from ‘private distress’ is culturally constructed, and not always very clear, even as we seek to police it.” Populist movements offer...

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...