Latest reports
Italy’s post-pandemic challenges
Despite having declared a state of emergency early, the Italian government was late in responding to the coronavirus threat. This delayed reaction allowed the illness to wreak havoc in northern regions, the industrial powerhouse of the country. Nevertheless, citizens’ responsible reaction slowed the spread of the disease, leaving the country to address economic and political challenges.
Relevance beyond the crisis: Globalization is not going away
Contrary to the popular narrative, the COVID-19 crisis has not convinced companies that globalization is a bad move. In fact, the lesson of the pandemic is that firms need to broaden their supply chains and diversify their providers. Governments, however, will take advantage of the situation to push nationalization and ...
Zombies and stagflation: Mario Draghi’s crisis prescription
In late March, Mario Draghi broke his post-ECB silence with an article in the Financial Times that set out several recipes for how to address the economic difficulties brought on by measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Essentially calling for a “whatever it takes” part two, he urged central banks ...
Azerbaijan takes a triple hit
Thanks to vast oil and gas resources, Azerbaijan’s regime has been able to keep a tight lid on the opposition while increasing its influence in the South Caucasus in recent decades. However, the shock in oil prices caused by the coronavirus pandemic comes at a time of political instability. Recent ...
As the U.S. ratchets up pressure on China, the trade war may return
The Phase One trade agreement between the U.S. and China, signed in January shortly before the coronavirus pandemic, ended two years of a disruptive “trade war” between the two countries. As anti-China sentiment in the U.S. grows and the presidential campaign heats up, the deal may prove short-lived.
Relevance beyond the crisis: The deepening geopolitical divide
If the 2008-2009 financial crisis launched China to superpower status, then the 2020-2021 post-coronavirus period may solidify its position. As the West continues to struggle with the fallout of COVID-19, China is recovering and finding ways to strengthen its clout. The question now will be which countries line up behind ...
Geopolitical power play in Arctic shipping
Rising earth temperatures have opened up new navigation routes through the Arctic, allowing commercial ships to shorten journeys between Europe and Asia dramatically. While this could improve trade flows between continents, territorial conflicts and legal uncertainty have given rise to concerns. With no binding legal treaty regulating the region, Arctic ...
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Zorigt Dashdorj
Zorigt Dashdorj serves on the board of directors of the ...
Charles Millon
Charles Millon is a French politician who served as France’s ...
Adam Michel
Adam N. Michel focuses on tax policy and the federal ...
Ambassador Zvi Mazel
Zvi Mazel is a former Israeli diplomat. He served as ...
David Alton, Lord Alton of Liverpool
David Alton was a Member of the House of Commons ...
Dr. Junhua Zhang
GIS Expert Dr. Junhua Zhang is a senior associate at ...
Dr. James Jay Carafano
James Jay Carafano, a leading expert in America’s national security ...
Professor Dr. Blerim Reka
Ambassador Professor Dr. Blerim Reka was Pro-Rector for International Relations, ...
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The security risks of 5G
Widespread deployment of 5G technology is still years away, but there is growing public attention being paid to the immense benefits of enhanced wireless connectivity. With maximum speeds that are more than 100 times faster than currently available, the next ...
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Germany's ECB ruling
In early May, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the European Central Bank’s bond buying did not respect the “principle of proportionality,” and could have acted outside its remit by purchasing government debt. With the decision, the German Bundesbank’s participation in the ECB program was suspended. In August 2019, GIS founder Prince Michael of Liechtenstein discussed this issue before the German court and pointed out that the ECB’s policy had enabled governments in various EU member countries to continue excessive spending. A rule in favor of the ECB, he wrote, would have been more political than legally based. While it might have stabilized the situation in the short term, it would have come at the “steep price of bending the principle of the rule of law,” wrote Prince Michael. In the long term, it would have led to a collapse of financial stability in the EU. Fortunately, the court decided differently this time.
The euro and the German constitution
Two legal challenges to the EU central bank’s most controversial policies have been working their way through Germany’s Federal Court of Justice, the country’s supreme court equivalent. In one of the cases, the justices in Karlsruhe already ruled that the authority of the EU Banking Union ought to be limited. ...
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Geopolitics are back on the agenda
Due to the fast changing international order geopolitics are back on the agenda. I believe that GIS makes a great contribution with analyses and insights that should help businesses and governments developing their responses.
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The German constitutional court’s courageous ruling was necessary