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Opinion: The WTO drifts toward irrelevance

The WTO is a relatively cheap international organization, but it has achieved very little since it was created in 1995. It will not likely disappear, especially if it keeps a low profile and transforms bilateral deals driven by politics into multilateral deals. That would be less useful than if it could become a body that calculates and collects fines from those who violate simple rules – with no exceptions.

Europe and Russia would be wise to seek better relations
As the globalization process ends its 40-year run and the world fragments into political and trade blocs again, the largest powers are adjusting their geopolitical stances. Europe and Russia both have compelling reasons to resolve their differences and collaborate more closely.


The economic consequences of a global fragmentation will be severe
As the economy begins to sag, China’s ruling party is tightening control over the country and fanning nationalist sentiments in response to justified criticism from abroad. International tension is rising. The world could split up into competing political and economic blocks once again. This would be particularly harmful for Europe, ...


Business strategies are needed for the rough economic stretch ahead
Governments and supranational organizations that weakened the economy’s resilience with overspending, accumulating debt and arbitrary taxation before the pandemic are now doing more damage. They have resorted to scare tactics to expand their control under the pretext of responding to the downturn brought on by lockdowns. The short- and mid-term ...


GIS Dossier: ASEAN
During its five decades of existence, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has brought together a formerly divided region and laid the groundwork for the rise of a powerful regional – and possibly global – actor. However, the organization has experienced setbacks in recent years, most of them related to ...
