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Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Invasion of Ukraine
How the US midterm elections could impact Ukraine
Ukrainians understand that only they can win the war. The country does not need foreign intervention to defeat Putin. But to win, they need the help of the US.
Newsletter
One rule for life & what maps mean: Keep Jordan Peterson away from Ukraine
For Peterson to refer to Russia's invasion as an ‘incursion’ is nothing more than insulting. The word does not make allowances for the wholesale destruction of cities, the occupation of territory and the murder of the inhabitants.
Newsletter
Helping women lead across the Mediterranean
Female unemployment rate remains well below the global average. More than half of working women are employed informally, with low-wage jobs and fewer rights than men.
Invasion of Ukraine
Nine months is enough
Getting Russian civil society to converge on peaceful alternatives and a different narrative than the Kremlin’s is the key to de-concentrating political power.
Disinformation & Propaganda
Cryptocurrencies: The new age of terror financing
The misuse of cryptocurrencies by violent extremist groups and individuals has emerged as a new and additional financing technology.
Democracy & Human Rights
Musk plans to profit from Twitter, not create a town square for global democracy
As a privately owned company, Twitter will now only answer to Musk and his underlings, not to shareholders.
Europe & Eurasia
The regulation of crypto-assets is not enough to prevent the risks facing investors
Europe is on the verge of regulating the cryptocurrency industry, a long overdue and necessary step that will offer greater protection to investors, while...
Democracy & Human Rights
Ukraine and the establishment of a new European order
Once beholden to various empires throughout its history, Ukraine has morally discredited the notion of empire-building in Europe.
Energy
Full speed ahead speed towards digital & green transition in Lisbon
Transport plays a key role in reaching a global carbon-neutral economy, with climate change progressing faster than expected and countries struggling to meet the...
Democracy & Human Rights
The Iranian people have committed to a revolution, so where is the West?
Huge changes have occurred in Iran's political landscape since the start of the protests two months ago. Western governments, however, need to unequivocally and immediately back the movement instead of playing lip-service to vague notions of solidarity and outrage.
Austria
Late Red Bull tycoon left an indelible mark on Austrian society & politics
He was described as the “most famous unknown” in Austria, Dieter Mateschitz was one of the richest people in the country – according...
Defense & Security
The West’s past foreign policy mistakes have extended the Iranian regime’s lifespan
Middle Eastern misadventures have affected the West’s political psyche. With thousands dead and trillions wasted, any protracted military campaign abroad will be considered doomed to fail before it has even begun.
Disinformation & Propaganda
Democracy in the Republic of the Internet is backsliding
The internet has become a powerful enemy of any authoritarian regime; one that these regimes have increasingly fought to weaken.
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Election deniers and defenders poised for next phase in voting wars
There is little doubt that pro-Trump Republicans are going to challenge voters and contest results that they do not like in 2022’s general election....
Democracy & Human Rights
Human rights abuses are becoming commonplace in Sudan
The Sudanese government has introduced some reforms but nothing to improve the existing legal base with regard to compliance with international human rights.
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Could there be dark days ahead for buyers of solar panels?
A landmark ruling is casting a shadow over Europe’s booming solar industry with manufacturers and buyers of solar panels facing a potential stand-off over...
Economy & Business
Time to listen to the voice of freelancers
It is of utmost importance that politicians do not create a legislative framework which forces all workers into an outdated 9 to 5 model.
Democracy & Human Rights
The South Caucasus peace process should address war crimes issues
The EU must do more to ensure peace in the South Caucasus.
Africa
How Maasai women are resisting land grabs
In Mwanza, Tanzania, Nairukoki Leyian-Naisinyai tells me that here, “Corporations come with papers from the government claiming that they have the right to our...
Invasion of Ukraine
Contemplating evil in Ukraine
According to the Geneva Conventions, Russia is perpetrating genocide against the Ukrainian people.
Energy
International power plays
Countries often seem to behave like children in a schoolyard. Some will be loners, others want to be part of a gang. There is...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Legal battle between David and Goliath energy firms heats up
TotalEnergies could be dragged to arbitration by the relative energy minnow, Trina Solar Ltd, in an ongoing row about a breach of contract.The French...
Libya
Understanding Libya’s relentless destabilization
After leading a military coup in 1969, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi cemented his rule over Libya for more than 40 years. A variety of different political ideologies—Pan-Arabism,...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Tokayev’s national address launches a new political era for Kazakhstan
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s most recent address to the nation is a new political milestone in the history of the country by setting qualitatively different...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The potential exchange of an Iranian terrorist will lead to more threats on multiple fronts
In July, the Brussels Court of Appeals issued an order preventing the transfer of a convicted Iranian terrorist who is widely expected to be...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
What would recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism actually entail?
Ukraine’s political leaders intensified their appeals to the U.S. government to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism after Russian soldiers executed Ukraine’s prisoners...
Agriculture & Food Security
Growing agricultural productivity in Brazil: Efficiency, innovation and sustainability
50 years ago, my country relied on food imports to feed itself. Today we feed 10% of the world’s population. Let me tell you about...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
What Biden and Blinken could learn from Reagan and Shultz
The principal American and Russian diplomats, Antony Blinken and Sergei Lavrov, have spoken precisely once since Russia launched its illegal invasion of Ukraine in...
Invasion of Ukraine
Exchange rate correction: Adapting Ukraine’s economy to wartime realities
The sharp devaluation of the official exchange rate of the hryvnia by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), which occurred on July, 21, was...
Europe & Eurasia
The Kremlin seeks to exploit growing wariness over refugees in Europe
Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more than 7 million Ukrainian refugees have left the country till mid-June. While some 1.5 million ended up in Russia,...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The US is a world outlier on abortion restrictions
We know the United States is an outlier in abortion restrictions, but it is still startling to realise just how much.In the last two...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
South Africa’s energy crisis escalates
On the morning of June 27, 2022, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) shop steward David Fankomo joined his fellow members at the picket line...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Green tech: Implementing Blockchain in the fight against climate change
In the wake of increasingly erratic and devastating natural disasters, a worldwide focus on climate change and the development of preventative measures has become...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
A new research and innovation agenda is needed for the Mediterranean
There is no doubt that innovation is a necessity in contemporary economies. Investment in research and development (R&D) is essential for firms and countries...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Impact investors, you have nothing to lose but your nerve
2022, so far, has not been kind to investors. Supply chain backlogs, post-Corona demand spikes, widespread inflation, and a war in the heart of...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
We need a real debate about the Ukraine War
It’s time to challenge the orthodox view on the war in Ukraine.
As Russia’s illegal and brutal assault enters its fifth month, the impact on...
Czech Republic
The priorities of the Czech Presidency
Leaders of the European Union decided by unanimity to grant Ukraine and Moldova EU candidacy status ahead of the Czech EU presidency. Marking a...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Reliance on Russian oil and gas impacts Slovak economy
In addition to borders, Slovakia shares a long and at times complicated history with its neighbouring countries. Many of these issues were resolved or...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Europe’s “turning point” finally arrives after Russia’s sadistic invasion of Ukraine
An American president once told his National Security Council: "We cannot continue to pay for the military protection of Europe while the North Atlantic Treaty...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The EU must not let reckless fervour undermine its energy policy amid multiple global crises
In a joint meeting of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on June 14, Members...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Global food Insecurity is being exacerbated by the war in Ukraine
With some of the world’s most fertile land, Ukraine’s nickname as the breadbasket of Europe is an understatement of its agricultural potential. Together with Russia, the two...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
It’s time to rethink palm oil, says watchdog
In 2010, Greenpeace launched a blistering campaign against Nestlé’s Kit Kat brand in order to highlight mass deforestation in the production of palm oil.A...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Preeclampsia and preterm birth prevention
May is the Preeclampsia Awareness Month, dedicated to one of the most common life-threatening pregnancy disorders and leading causes of both maternal and infant...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Moving EV manufacturing into the fast lane
The 2020s started with a pandemic and a war on the European continent. While the former has fostered the twin green and digital transition,...
China
How China took over the WTO behind the West’s back
Last year marked the 20th anniversary of China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, a result that followed 15 arduous years of negotiations. Many...
Defense & Security
NATO’s new Nordic members gives the alliance previously unthinkable flexibility
To paraphrase Churchill on the Americans, you can always expect the Scandinavians to get it right – but only after they've tried everything else...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
CEE cross-border cooperation key to competitiveness and innovation leadership
The CEE9 countries - Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia - and especially the countries along the Danube Valley...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Interventionist US Ambassador in Tirana under pressure
"I can assure you that the President of the United States Joe Biden, the Secretary of the United States Tony Blinken and I all...
Analysis
If Britain wants to move on from the EU it cannot turn its back on humanitarian action
The exit of Britain from the European Union has continued to be a headline stealer for the country. Since the process from referendum to...
Finance
The Pandora Papers: Exposing Iran’s clandestine financial system
As the international community continues to coordinate a response to the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, longstanding debates surrounding sanction efficacy and compliance have...
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