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The Biden White House may be repeating old mistakes by turning its back on Saudi Arabia, an ally, and offering leverage to Tehran, a foe. Undermining the powers that be in Riyadh – just as progress on reforms is being made – could have disastrous consequences

Even before Covid-19 struck, many governments had dangerously high debt levels. Now that they have been given a new excuse to spend, the public sector is becoming even more bloated. Such a strategy will prove unsustainable in the long run, and inflation will inevitably appear. But meanwhile, states keep on ...

In their dealings with Washington, Moscow and Ankara, European powers and also Brussels make little attempt to understand the other side. Behaving as if they were morally superior, shortsighted leaders ignore geopolitical realities and put Europe’s vital interests at longer-term risk

The slow start to Europe’s vaccination program has set off a round of unhelpful political finger-pointing. A levelheaded analysis shows the EU should prioritize testing and vaccine procurement, while empowering local governments to decide more on health policy. It should also allow businesses to open and encourage innovation in developing ...

In 2018, the Trump administration withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Now it appears the United States is planning to enter a new nuclear deal with Iran. Doing so will require a careful risk assessment, especially for the sake of Middle Eastern countries that could fall prey to ...

The vengefulness behind the latest attempt at impeaching the former president stands at odds with President Joe Biden’s pledge to heal and reunify the country, and to focus on its many serious challenges. This exercise also can be seen as a sign of the Democrats’ weakness: it betrays a fear ...

Though a quick injection of funds was necessary to keep businesses running and to avoid suffering, governments have taken the crisis brought on by Covid-19 as an opportunity to further increase their grip on economies. The enormous amounts of spending are financed through money creation. The result of such processes ...

In Western democracies, leaders have given up on promoting the common good and would rather chase supporters by paying lip service to utopian goals. As a result, voters are feeling increasingly alienated and distrustful, turning toward conspiracy theories. To regain the trust of citizens, elites will need to abandon the ...

The EU has agreed on trade investment deals with the U.K. and China, while African countries launched an enormous free-trade zone. While each of these developments comes with some risks, they also offer opportunities for Europe to increase its global competitiveness. But it must remain both vigilant and open.

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Most governments have enacted emergency measures to fight the coronavirus, and it is often unclear when these exceptional powers will be revoked. A similar approach is becoming the norm with matters concerning environmental policy. To avoid going down the path of authoritarianism, it will be up to citizens to take ...

Europe can ill afford to farm out its foreign and defense policies to Brussels. The centralized, technocratic command center of the European Union is best suited to attend to the common market. Europe will come back as a global actor only if the continental European member states and the United ...

Joe Biden’s victory in the U.S. presidential election may mean less change than many expect, especially when it comes to the essential nature of the U.S.’s relationships with other countries. Moreover, President Trump had some important successes that instead of undermining, the president-elect should reinforce.

Through RCEP, Asian and Pacific countries have created the largest and most powerful trade zone in the world. Although there is no lack of geopolitical tension in the region, the member states have put aside political issues to prioritize economic growth. This could serve as an example for Europe, which ...

In an atmosphere of panic over the Covid-19 crisis, European governments are enacting more and more open-ended measures that are often of dubious utility for containing the pandemic but severely restrict personal freedom, privacy and entrepreneurship. Alarmingly, citizens’ rights enshrined in constitutions are being set aside.

China’s recent moves to secure supply chains, win over allies and beef up its military made it clear that it saw conflict with the West as a possibility. Now, its new five-year plan will develop policies meant to insulate it from the possible negative effects of the great power competition. ...

Shortly after Democratic candidate Joe Biden declared victory, European states began expressing their hope of a new era in transatlantic relations. However, the nature of U.S.-EU ties is unlikely to undergo a profound change. A Biden presidency will also have its downsides. President Trump’s style might have made him unpopular ...

Faced with China’s emerging hegemony in Asia, India is striving to defend its regional power status. New Delhi’s strategy is to invest in defense, align its policies with the United States and expand its regional alliances. However, it is increasingly concerned with becoming contained by China.

The world is focused on the pandemic and the U.S. elections, and the dire scenarios many say they will bring. While both are important, it is crucial to understand that reacting with alarm will only lead to bad outcomes. Not considering solutions in a levelheaded manner puts individual freedoms at ...

With the recent disturbances in neighboring countries, Moscow is likely to be mapping a long-term course of action to protect its interests and keep rivals as far as possible from its borders. President Putin has taken the West by surprise on several occasions. Unless a more pragmatic approach to Russia ...

The Covid-19 pandemic has delayed the eradication of poverty in the developing world, which had been diminishing at a rapid rate earlier. The crisis also has strained the weakened and mismanaged economies in the West. To solve these issues, many are proposing unwise economic policies supported by manipulated data.

With a new report on the rule of law in the European Union, leaders and officials within the bloc have again taken to criticizing member states. They should take a look in the mirror, as the EU’s institutions and leading countries often flout the rules themselves. This hypocritical arrogance undermines ...

The recent skirmishes along the Indo-Chinese borders are part of a larger regional conflict driven by Beijing’s desire to establish its dominance throughout Asia. Because so many crucial geostrategic points are located across the Himalayas – including access to several major waterways – military tension is bound to escalate.

Modern-day iconoclasts are removing objects and symbols of Western civilization as part of moralistic campaigns. By doing so, they are falsifying history and attacking the very foundation of democracy.