In The News

Back to the Future in Europe?

Marc Grossman, Dan Fata December 16, 2013
Ukraine and other former Soviet republics are in the middle of a tug of war between the West and Russia. Negotiations over an association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union – for promoting trade, cooperation, and reciprocal rights and obligations – were nearing conclusion when Russia urged abandonment, explain Marc Grossman and Dan Fata of the Cohen Group. Grossman is also former...

Ukraine Intends to Sign EU Pact, Says Ashton; US Mulls Sanctions

Shaun Walker December 12, 2013
Europe, the United States and Russia are pushing hard at officials in Ukraine to decide on which neighbors it should side. The European Union’s high representative anticipates Ukraine to sign an association pact, even as the US points out that all policy options, including sanctions, remain on the table after a brief crackdown on protests in Kiev, reports Shaun Walker with the Guardian. Fearing...

NSA Spying: A Threat to US Interests?

Bruce Stokes December 5, 2013
Reports that the US National Security Agency has collected internet and telephone data in Europe could influence negotiations for a proposed Transatlantic Trade and Partnership and require new understanding on rules for the digital economy. Bruce Stokes, director of global economic attitudes at the Pew Research Center, reports on recent surveys: A majority of Americans suggest that it’s...

Putin's Russia: Too Weak to Stop Ukraine Joining Europe, But Will Try

Charles Crawford December 2, 2013
Ukraine finds itself in the middle of an old cultural battleground between Russia and Europe, explains Charles Crawford for the Telegraph. “Ukraine had no independent existence as a state until the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991,” he explains. “In 2004 the ‘Orange Revolution’ saw the first big Ukrainian convulsion over this question after huge popular protests against clumsily rigged...

Merkel Says Spy Scandal Is Testing EU-US Trade Talks

Stefan Wagstyl November 27, 2013
Relations with the US and a proposed transatlantic free trade agreement are “being put to the test” amid reports of US National Security Agency surveillance, suggests German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “Berlin is pressing the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, to incorporate data safeguards into the negotiations for the planned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, launched this...

Swiss Voters Reject High-Pay Initiative

Neil MacLucas November 26, 2013
Swiss leaders in government and business vehemently opposed a ballot initiative restricting executive salaries to no more than 12 times that of the lowest paid employee, suggesting the reduced wages would reduce foreign investment, job growth and Swiss competitiveness in recruiting corporate staff. Voters agreed, with two thirds soundly rejecting the measure. “Earlier this year, Swiss voters...

A Computer Academy in France Defies Conventional Wisdom

Scott Sayare November 25, 2013
A French school is bucking national traditions in higher education, with group projects and organizers rather than lectures and teachers. The tuition-free technology academy will serve all, regardless of education background, and offers no formal degree. Instead, the three-year program aims to produce highly skilled and employable computer programmers. Telecommunications executive Xavier Niel has...