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Economics Europe

European monetary policy faces another crisis: Is the ECB effectively leading the way?

In a little over a decade the European Central Bank found itself fighting three considerable crises: the Great Recession in 2008, the sovereign-debt crisis in 2011-2012 to today’s pandemic-induced recessions. The Euro is a project without precedent and under Mario Draghi the ECB was a leading actor in world monetary policy. In 2019, Christine Lagarde became the new president of the ECB.  How does she compare?

North America Politics

USA Latinx Voters in Florida: An increasingly important group

With both presidential candidates visiting South Florida this past week as part of their campaigns, the fight for the narrow state of Florida has become a top priority in the

Africa Politics

Ivory Coast’s Election is Heading Off the Rails

Cote d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Dramane Ouattara increased the possibility of political instability when he announced in August that he was running for a controversial third term. The move comes at a time when the country’s economic forecast has been downgraded due to COVID-19, and the region is experiencing a rash of leaders trying to extend their time in office—a trend called third-termism, as well as increasing activity from violent extremist organizations.

North America Under The Radar

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact: using the Electoral College against itself

With memories of 2016, the relationship between the Electoral College and the Popular vote is once again set to be thrust into the limelight. With fears of another victory by a president who doesn’t have the popular vote, politicians have begun to seek a way around the system.

Natural resources and energy North America

Risk to Arctic Energy Exploration

Arctic Exploration remains an exciting prospect for many in the energy sector. According to estimates, the Arctic could be one of the greatest untapped reserves of energy resources in the world. However exciting the proposition of tapping these resources may seem, it is an extremely expensive proposition. 

Europe Politics

Bulgaria: Can Civil Unrest Lead to Actual Change?

Protests in Bulgaria have been taking place for almost three consecutive months now. However, not much has been said in terms of whether this increasing civil unrest will lead to actual change within the state.

Africa Security

Libya – The Impacts of the Ceasefire on Libyan Politics

On 21 August 2020, the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli and its rival administration controlling Eastern Libya announced their commitment to a ceasefire and to finding a political solution to the conflict that has ravaged the country since 2011. So far, the truce has been successful in preventing further violence. However, it has opened the door to political infighting within both parties which could compromise the overall inter-Libyan dialogue. 

International Politics

Populism, Leadership and Broken Campaign Pledges

Despite their struggle against the spread of the virus, populist leaders should not necessarily be counted out by their opponents. Their failings in the face of COVID-19 means their political opponents should regard them with greater attention than before, as the ensuring political landscape is one easily taken advantage of by populist rhetoric. 

Eurasia Politics

Russia’s East is Fed Up

Fresh from a national referendum allowing for the continuation of President Vladimir Putin’s rule, Moscow capitalized on the renewed political mandate by arresting a troublesome regional governor. What followed next was a near unprecedented backlash from the inhabitants of the Khabarovsk region in Russia’s East, with 20-60,000 initial protestors getting involved in the single longest-running protest in the history of the Russian Federation. These protests represent the latest displays of a long-standing resentment of Moscow’s meddling in the east of the country, while also serving as an indictment of the failings of Russian federalism.

Europe Security

Nagorno Karabakh – The Conflict in Perspective

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is often wrongfully seen as another post-Soviet frozen conflict in both academia and in policy-making circles. Although the conflict is indeed a product of specific preconditions and deliberate Soviet policies, it differs from other protracted ethno-political conflicts like in Georgia or Moldova. Gaining a deeper understanding of how this conflict came about, and its underlying causes, is essential for understanding the current episode of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan.