Research
A Greek exit will not be cathartic
25 May 2012
How the eurozone handles Greece will determine whether or not the single currency survives – and hence the future of the EU as a whole.
If a Greek exit from the eurozone is mishandled, contagion to the other struggling member-states could be uncontrollable, leading inexorably to the collapse of the euro....
If a Greek exit from the eurozone is mishandled, contagion to the other struggling member-states could be uncontrollable, leading inexorably to the collapse of the euro....
Smart but too cautious: How NATO can improve its fight against austerity
21 May 2012
European militaries remain wary of collaboration. NATO should give them incentives and address their fears.
NATO ponders austerity and US 'pivot'
18 May 2012
The US sees itself as a Pacific power, and the Europeans are busy plundering their defence budgets. Does NATO have a future?
How Hollande should handle Merkel
14 May 2012
Can François Hollande persuade Angela Merkel to shift the EU's eurozone strategy away from austerity and deficit reduction, and towards growth and employment?
Ireland's fiscal treaty referendum: (More) fear and loathing in the eurozone?
11 May 2012
Ireland votes on the EU’s new fiscal compact on May 31st. Hugo Brady assesses the chances of a Yes and the consequences of a No.
Germany's choice: Higher inflation or sovereign defaults
09 May 2012
Germany faces a choice between higher inflation or a wave of sovereign defaults culminating in either a transfer union or the collapse of the eurozone.
Why France is threatening to leave Schengen
30 April 2012
President Sarkozy is using the EU's Schengen area as a political football. But French concerns over passport-free travel in Europe will persist after the elections.
How to create a single European electricity market - and subsidise renewables
26 April 2012
Renewable energy needs subsidy. But different national subsidy schemes threaten energy integration. Schemes should be harmonised, even if the amount of subsidy continues to differ.
Governance reforms have left the euro's flawed structure intact
18 April 2012
European leaders have presided over a major overhaul of the way the eurozone is run. But the eurozone's basic institutional configuration remains as unstable as ever.
Energy efficiency: Made in Denmark, exportable to the rest of the EU?
11 April 2012
Denmark has Europe's most energy efficient economy. Copenhagen should stand firm behind the Commission's proposals on energy efficiency, which would save billions of euros.
The European Union budget 2014-20: More boldness needed
05 April 2012
Economic circumstances will make EU budget negotiations even more difficult than usual. Britain, France and Germany should drop their normal preconditions.
The US-Russia reset is over
02 April 2012
Can the 'reset' between Russia and the US survive the return to the presidency of Vladimir Putin? Probably not, given the number of divisive issues.
Tackling the scourge of youth unemployment
28 March 2012
European youth unemployment is unacceptably high. Governments are trying to push young people into work, despite weak demand: they would do better to educate them.
How to keep Britain in the EU
26 March 2012
At a time when some governments are pushing for a more integrated European Union, the British are becoming more eurosceptic. This contradiction increases the likelihood of Britain eventually leaving the EU – an outcome that, if current trends continue, is thoroughly plausible.
In the short term, Britain's decision in December to...
In the short term, Britain's decision in December to...
Stable public finances require stronger business investment
26 March 2012
Economic recovery in Europe is being held back by the unprecedented weakness of business investment. Despite a secular decline in business taxation and labour market reforms that have boosted the power of capital relative to labour, the ratio of investment-to-GDP across the EU is at a 60 year low. Rather...
A new political bargain in Afghanistan
26 March 2012
Reports by official US agencies, such as the Government Accountability Office, make it crystal clear: the Afghan government is stealing money from the international community and from the Afghan people, on an alarming scale. US and European officials in Kabul are dismayed but seem paralysed: their response is to vow...
Issue 83 - 2012
23 March 2012
- How to keep Britain in the EU, Charles Grant
- Stable public finances require stronger business investment, Simon Tilford
- A new political bargain in Afghanistan, Edward Burke
Oh no, Orban clone? The EU ponders Slovak elections
23 March 2012
The incoming Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is no angel but rumours of Central Europe's capitulation to populism and euroscepticism have been greatly exaggerated.
Eurozone policy-makers place a big bet
13 March 2012
The ECB's decision to lend almost unlimited amounts of money to Europe's banks has bought the eurozone some time. But there is risk that time will be wasted.
Poland's U-turn on European defence: A missed opportunity?
09 March 2012
In failing to respond to Poland's proposals on EU defence, European governments are missing an opportunity to improve Europe's ability to tackle military crises abroad.