Tag "Europe"
HS2: Steadfast Progress or Slam the Brakes?
February 1, 2020: Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that a high-speed rail link through the centre of England will be built, admitting it was a ‘controversial and difficult decision’. Behind schedule and over budget, the return on investment from this planned rail network is increasingly in doubt under the UK’s current economic conditions.
Belarusian Protests: Russia’s Reluctance
Russia seems unlikely to intervene in anti-Lukashenko protests in Belarus, despite what most Western and Russian news sources report. Instead, they reluctantly stand on the sidelines, unwilling to oust the President, but unwilling to support him either.
Serbia: Robust Q1 Performance Unlikely to Continue
The Serbian economy performed well during the first quarter of 2020. Structural factors, such as a smaller dependence on tourism, as well as effective fiscal and monetary responses, have significantly alleviated contractionary pressures. However, guiding the economy throughout the rest of the year will be a more laborious endeavour.
EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement: Vietnam’s Competitive Gains
Given the recent slowdown in trade growth in major economies, Vietnam remains an outlier. The country’s import-export turnover crossed USD 500 billion in 2019.
Rise of Sinn Fein: Prospect of a United Ireland
The surprisingly strong showing of Sinn Fein, the left-leaning Irish republican party is yet another profound political development for the British Isles in the period since Brexit.
EU: Migrant crisis anew?
A mass gathering of migrants at the Greek-Turkish border has brought back memories of the refugee crisis of 2015. Although the EU is reacting differently in 2020, the underlying causes and potential implications remain the same.
Germany: Race for Merkel’s Succession
The dominance of the German people’s parties has waned considerably in recent years. Growing fragmentation in the political landscape and within parties has increased the risk of political instability.
Russia Returns to the Council of Europe
On the 25th of June, the Council of Europe voted to reinstate Russia’s membership of the Parliamentary Assembly, the first case of sanctions against Russia being lifted since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Internet Giants and Big Firms: Geopolitical dividends on the horizon?
Political leaders have recently taken actions to curb Big Tech through tax reform, anti-competition investigations, and are considering breaking up potential monopolies.
The Truth about European Champions
If the EU wants to compete globally, it must shed its emphasis on competition rules and relax its stringent merger regulations to favour the rise of European corporate champions.