Research
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.
All alone? What US retrenchment means for Europe and NATO
01 March 2012
With the US reducing its role in NATO, the Europeans need to assume more military responsibility, and the alliance needs to narrow its ambitions.
Russia, China and global governance
29 February 2012
Will the 'multipolar' world have strong international institutions, or will balance-of-power politics prevail? The attitudes of Russia and China will be crucial.
Europe's growth strategy: All supply and no demand
27 February 2012
Europe's growth performance since 2008 has been abject. The reason is that fiscal policy has done too little to offset the impact of deleveraging in the private sector.
Pressure and tact are the right response to Victor Orban
23 February 2012
The West should not isolate Hungary's Viktor Orban. While some of his instincts are deeply undemocratic, he is also a pragmatist, capable of adjusting course.
Russia is not completely wrong about Syria
17 February 2012
The Kremlin may be playing realpolitik and taking pride in blocking the West in Syria, but it has drawn attention to some weaknesses in Western diplomacy.
True partners? How Russia and China see each other
13 February 2012
Beijing and Moscow share the goal of curbing US power, but will not become allies. Moscow rejects a junior role, while China sees Russia as a fading power.
France: Why the self-flagellation?
10 February 2012
France has its economic weaknesses. But in some important respects its model holds out better prospects for a return to economic growth across the eurozone than does Germany's.
Annual report 2011
09 February 2012
Our annual report looks at key changes in the EU: Germany's rise, France's decline, Britain's marginalisation and the Commission's loss of influence.
Greece's real challenge
03 February 2012
Greece's new bail-out package needs less austerity and more structural reforms. A bloated and immobile public sector remains a drag on growth.
Why France is leaving Afghanistan
02 February 2012
France has sent a clear message by withdrawing its troops early from Afghanistan: NATO is failing to meet its objectives. The problem lies in Kabul not Paris.
Issue 82 - 2012
27 January 2012
- Needed: A growth strategy for Europe, Simon Tilford
- Why an EU financial transactions tax is a red herring, Philip Whyte
- The US declares peace in Europe, prematurely, Tomas Valasek
The Baltic states and Ireland are not a model for Italy and Spain
27 January 2012
Were Italy and Spain to emulate the Baltics states and Ireland, the implications for the European economy and the future of the euro would be devastating.
Needed: A growth strategy for Europe
26 January 2012
The struggle to address the eurozone crisis means that Europe's unprecedented economic malaise is receiving far too little attention. To the extent that the EU has a growth strategy it relies heavily on the adoption of structural reforms in the crisis-hit eurozone economies. But such reforms alone will not drive...
Why an EU financial transactions tax is a red herring
26 January 2012
Ever since it was first mooted in the 1970s, a financial transactions tax (FTT) has often been thought of as an interesting idea that cannot work in practice (because it needs to be adopted universally if it is not to be undermined by tax arbitrage). In other words, the difficulty...