When you’re Making your Mind Up about your referendum vote, remember that Eurovision is nothing to do with the EU May 13, 2016 It’s that time of year again when parties are held, often with the campest of costumes, much drink is consumed, and we laugh, cheer and argue in equal measure. But wait! It’s only May. It’s not Halloween, Hogmanay, or even a bank holiday weekend. What is this new tradition in our annual calendar of escapist [...]
As institutions from the EU to Opec face becoming irrelevant, could central banks be the next to encounter crisis? February 18, 2016 From the EU to Opec, institutions that have dominated the world since the Second World War are slowly becoming irrelevant. Oil producing countries would once gather in Vienna and with shameless self-interest, manage production levels under the altruistic cloak of preventing prices from tumbling or spiking. No longer. Riven by internal differences and rendered impotent by [...]
A response to George Soros: Putin might be a threat to the West – but that doesn’t mean Islamic State is any less so February 12, 2016 George Soros, world renowned billionaire and philanthropist, has claimed that Russian President Putin is a greater threat to Europe than Islamic State (Isis). Putin certainly is a threat to Western interests, and potentially to Europe on account of its close proximity to the territories Putin may look to encroach upon. So it is certainly important that [...]
EU warnings of war in Ukraine May 6, 2014 THE PRESIDENTS of both Germany and France warned that Ukraine is on the brink of war yesterday, as tensions rose again in the country. Both the interim government in Ukraine and rebel pro-Russian fighters have suffered casualties in recent days, as fighting continues in the east of the country ahead of a referendum on Russian rule [...]
Forget Syria: Putin is on the verge of victory in Ukraine October 18, 2015 The western commentariat doesn’t know what to do with Russian President Vladimir Putin, or the enigmatic country that he leads. This can be seen in the comically diverse opinions presently being gravely intoned as to what Putin is doing in both Syria and Ukraine. “Putin is a genius”; “Putin is a fool”; “Russia is regaining [...]
Germans get more upbeat February 17, 2015 GERMAN investors are increasingly upbeat as they recover from the initial shock of the war in Ukraine and bank on further economic growth, the ZEW survey showed yesterday. Its sentiment index rose for the fourth consecutive month, up from 48.4 in January to 53.0 in February. The score represents another strong reading, as the index’s long-term [...]
As the world descends into global chaos, the United States is on the border of disorder February 12, 2016 As the world’s foreign and defence policy elite descend on the Bavarian capital for this weekend’s 52nd annual Munich Security Conference participants and observers are likely to ask: Where are the Americans? True, the congressional delegation is strong, with a dozen or so senators and representatives making the trip. But apart from secretary of state [...]
From the Paris attacks and Jeremy Corbyn’s rise to power to the Syria conflict, migrant crisis and Greece’s economic woes, these are the biggest political events of 2015 December 9, 2015 The last year has been one of frantic political events, across the UK, Europe and indeed the world. While there is still a few weeks to go until the end of 2015, with the political calendar winding down we’ve taken a look back over the key events that shaped the political agenda over the last [...]
Gold ETFs in tug of war between Ukraine fears and US growth April 28, 2014 There has been mixed research on gold today. According to Saxo Bank, gold saw a sixth consecutive week of outflows in exchange traded products last week. Investors traditionally buy gold as a safe-haven asset at times of uncertainty, but ongoing fears about the political crisis in Ukraine have been offset by confidence in the US [...]
Is the UK defence secretary right that Russia is a danger to the stability of the Baltic States? February 19, 2015 Andrew Foxall is director of the Russia Studies Centre at The Henry Jackson Society, says Yes This is nothing new – and has little directly to do with events in Ukraine. Russia has been destabilising the Baltic States for much of the last decade. In 2007, it was behind a series of cyber attacks on [...]