Briefing

Diplomatique.Expert recommends “The EU’s policies in the central Mediterranean are all at sea”

Opinion piece by Matteo de Bellis via Euronews We have a safe port,” a crew member tells dozens of despondent asylum seekers crammed into a cabin aboard the Sea-Watch 3 NGO…

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The latest developments in the Brexit would have led many Prime Ministers to leave. What makes Theresa May different?

Supporters of Theresa May put her extraordinary inflexibility in the face of new facts down to two things: her fabled resilience, and her deeply ingrained determination not to split the…

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Diplomatique.Expert recommends “Britain’s Hour of Destiny” – DW

Probably there aren't too many delegates in the British House of Commons who don't feel haunted by the breath of history prior to this historical vote. The outcome of the ballot…

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Brexit and the Border Wall – Two governments paralysed. Two populist projects stalled. Two venerable democracies in crisis – NYT

In Parliament, lawmakers are mired in gridlock over Britain’s departure from the European Union, with no clear path forward. In Washington, President Trump stormed out of a meeting with congressional…

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Diplomatique.Expert recommends “In U.S. and Europe, Conflict Over Migration Points to Political Problems” – NYT

A version of this article appears in print on June 30, 2018, on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: In U.S. and Europe, Conflict Over Migration Points to Political Problems Although dated,…

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Diplomatique.Expert recommends : The World in 2019 – Matthew Bugeja

The last few years have been nothing if not eventful on the global stage. Fortunately, there have been, no new major conflicts in the vein of those such as Syria and Ukraine,…

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The Worst Brexit Option, Except for All the Others – Why Theresa May’s Deal Is the Best Way Forward – Foreign Affairs

By seeking to stake out a middle ground in British politics with a carefully balanced strategy to leave the European Union, Theresa May ended up dissatisfying everyone. Her deal tries…

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Fears of the ‘past’ and the Irish border issue – NYT

Ever since Britain stunned the world, in June 2016 with a referendum setting Brexit in motion, the future of the Irish border has hovered over the proceedings as the single…

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Diplomatique.Expert recommends: Macron – From De Gaulle to Marie Antoinette

Rioting in the streets. Filling stations running out of fuel. Panic buying in the supermarkets. A country in chaos. Not a dystopian vision of Britain after Brexit, but France in…

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Diplomatique.Expert recommends “Who is Meng Wanzhou? (Huawei’s CFO)”

She is an accountant, mother and chief financial officer at one of China’s biggest and most secretive groups — but above all she is her father’s daughter, born to Ren…

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Diplomatique.Expert recommends: Brexit Long Reads Roundup

The past hours were very long, in terms of the adage which compares time in politics. The following articles shed some analysis on Brexit's current status and debate. Brexit…

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Populism is rooted in politics not economics

Some one billion people around the world are now being ruled by populists of one sort or another. That number will continue to grow if we continue to view populism…

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Post Brexit Summit Reactions

Agreeing a Brexit deal with the European Union may have been the easy part for British Prime Minister Theresa May. Getting it through a divided parliament at home could be…

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Diplomatique.Expert on Sunday – Brexit reading recommendations

As the EU heads of state will meet to agree on the Brexit Deal, the stage is ready to rotate and focus on Britain, where the drama is set to…

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Sanchez influence in Europe makes him the most most prominent social democratic politician in Europe

POLITICO reports that "Pedro Sánchez sees an opening in Brussels — and he intends for Spain to fill it. As a champion of stronger cooperation on migration, reform of the…

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Salvini Selfie Politics

Italy might be in the middle of a high-profile showdown with the European Union over its proposed budget for next year, but last week the country was captivated by a different drama:…

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The Big Deal of No Deal Brexit

We are now less than 20 weeks away from Brexit, and the possibility of the United Kingdom dropping out of the European Union without having secured a deal with Brussels…

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May the force be with her?

Theresa May’s formidable resilience in the face of her Tory colleagues’ plots and jibes has long been the source of grudging admiration among even her fiercest critics. Heather Stewart, The…

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The Highlights of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement

The European Commission and the United Kingdom's negotiators have reached an agreement on the entirety of the Withdrawal Agreement of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from…

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How France and Italy’s rivalry is hurting Libya

Since the 2011 revolution against Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libyans have often blamed outside actors for their continuing woes. Too frequently, this grievance has been overstated and used as an excuse to minimize the…

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The beginning of the end of Trump?

The Democratic Party’s capture of the House of Representatives in the US mid-term elections has ended President Donald Trump’s unchecked hold on power. The US now has an important, and…

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Invoking ‘democracy’ to avoid another referendum is the refuge of charlatans”

Britain's worst politicians, which is to say the leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties, pretend that the democracy of a second referendum is a danger to democracy. Outsiders may…

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The rise and dangers of Identity Politics

In recent years, the number of democracies has fallen, and democracy has retreated in virtually all regions of the world. Many authoritarian countries, led by China and Russia, have become much more…

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Politico’s guide on the heroes and villains of Helsink’s EPP summit

It was hardly Cannes or the Oscars but the stars of European conservatism got their chance to step into the spotlight, congratulate each other and give out prizes this week. The…

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US Mid-Terms Digest

The following articles present different aspects of how and why the mid-term elections in the US are important. These articles deal with the 'Trumpism' phenomenon, what to look for on…

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Why is Arron Banks criminally investigated? What impact this has on Brexit?

The National Crime Agency is to investigate claims of criminal offences during the EU referendum by Arron Banks and his unofficial leave campaign. What could this development mean for Brexit? Read more…

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Saudi Arabia still has many questions to answer about Jamal Khashoggi’s killing – Recep Tayyip Erdogan – Washington Post

The following is the full text of the article written by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan published on The Washington Post The story is all too familiar: Jamal Khashoggi, a…

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Insight on the US Mid-Terms

The United States will go to the polls once again in just under a week’s time, with the entire House of Representatives, and just over a third of the US…

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Italy is setting itself up for a monumental fiscal failure (FT)

The short history of the eurozone has taught us that resistance is futile. You cannot extricate yourself from its rules, to which all member states have agreed. Unless the Italian…

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All what we worked hard for is in serious jeopardy – Mikhail Gorbachev

"Over 30 years ago, President Ronald Reagan and I signed in Washingtonthe United States-Soviet Treaty on the elimination of intermediate- and shorter-range missiles. For the first time in history, two classes…

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The Eastern Mediterranean Energy and Oil Contest – Analysis

Former Vice-President of the United States Dick Cheney once said: “the good lord didn’t see fit to put oil and gas only where there are democratically elected states… Occasionally we…

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Who is Mohammed bin Salman?

When Western businessmen met the governor of Riyadh in the 1990s, there would often be a young boy sitting with him. Unlike most young Saudi princelings, Mohammed bin Salman was…

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Five rules for the office in the #MeToo era

What a difference a year makes. Since the #MeToo campaign started and spread globally, things changed in the way women got empowered to speak up. Although typically, social norms change…

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Understanding the elections that took place last weekend

Three of the EU’s six founding members held elections last weekend that centred on local issues but will resonate beyond. 5 lessons from Europe’s busy electoral weekend - Politico As…

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Who was Jamal Khashoggi?

For decades, Jamal Khashoggi was one of the most powerful voices in Middle East journalism. "Jamal Khashoggi, journalist who spoke truth to power, 1958-2018 - Critic of Saudi repression who paid…

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Italy’s budget standoff (Updated)

Update: Brussels has reprimanded Italy’s populist government for breaking EU deficit rules in its first budget, putting the European Commission on course for an unprecedented rejection of a eurozone member’s…

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American Diplomacy Gaps

Nearly two years into the Trump administration, over two dozen ambassador posts remain unfilled and without a nominee—including the ambassador positions in both Turkey and Saudi Arabia. That staffing gap…

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Insights on the Khashoggi’s case

A critic of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Khashoggi was living in self-imposed exile in the US and writing opinion pieces for the Washington Post…

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What’s at stake for Angela Merkel in Bavaria’s state election? (DW)

Much is at stake for Angela Merkel in Bavaria's state election. A poor result for her conservative allies could lead to more government instability. But the election also signals bigger…

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Former UK Foreign Secretary warns about Russification of Europe

Former UK Foreign Secretary William Hague expressed his concern about the various events which all led towards the Russification of Europe. In an article on The Telegraph, Hague argues "Russia’s…

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Election Watch – Bavaria’s regional election

For the first time in living memory, the CSU appears almost certain to fall below the 40 percent mark — and possibly well below it — in Sunday’s regional election,…

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Kavanaugh, Ronaldo … how many more male victims must there be? – The Guardian

Until sexual assault becomes something that someone’s base – be it Juve fans, be it Republicans – believes their own side capable of, we really haven’t inched meaningfully along this…

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Macron’s power machine spins out of control (POLITICO)

When Emmanuel Macron swept to power, French media marveled at the organizational skills of a man they dubbed the country’s first “managerial president.” There were wide-eyed articles about Macron’s color-coded…

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Deal or No Deal – The consequences of Brexit (TMI)

While the departure of the UK from the EU will have some effects, seen from a general political and economic perspective, that are quite easy to foresee, other consequences will…

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UN Must Reflect Changing World Order (FPJ)

The UN continues its operations based on an archaic and faulty formula that crowned the winners of WWII as the world’s leaders. Example: There is a rational explanation why India…

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How social media exposed the fractures in Brazilian democracy (FT)

As Brazil faces one of its most divisive elections in years, Douglas Garcia, like many of his countrymen, has come to see social media not so much as a way…

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The Legal perspective on Cristiano Ronaldo alleged rape – Der Spiegel

How Ronaldo's Legal Team Dealt with Disaster Readers discretion required After Kathryn Mayorga claimed she was raped by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo on June 13, 2009, a phalanx of high-profile…

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Will CyberWar be the New ColdWar?

In less than 24 hours we had the Netherlands, the UK, the US, the EU and Canada all levying accusations and in cases charging people of Russian hacking and cyber-warfare.…

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Election Watch – Bosnia Herzegovina

Twenty-eight years after the end of its internecine war that left 100,000 dead, Bosnia-Herzegovina votes on Sunday to elect a bewildering number of national and sub-national presidencies, parliaments, and assemblies. Ethnic-nationalist parties…

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Why Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing matters in the context of #MeToo – The Guardian

The #MeToo movement has landed on the doorstep of one of the most venerated American institutions, the supreme court. In doing so, it has given women even more fuel for…

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Wake up Europe!

In 1918, Europe emerged exhausted from a bloody war that took so many lives without addressing the tensions at the heart of the conflict. In 1939, a new conflict broke…

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Globalism vs Isolation – The ideological debate at the UN General Council

A gaping ideological divide cuts through this year’s gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. It’s not between capitalists and communists, rich and poor, East and West. It’s between…

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Libya – Italy’s and France’s ongoing battle of influence

France and Italy have had differences over how changes should be brought in Libya in the post-Moammar Gaddafi era, but those differences have become public in recent months, raising concerns…

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Diplomatique Expert Recommends…

What will it be like to have the UN Security Council chaired by Trump? What did the Salzburg summit say about May's negotiations tactics? How should Germany react to the…

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Mueller's investigation on Russia, which involves the significant 'missing link' Joseph Mifsud; are all protestors in Chemnitz Nazis; what's the difference between the hurricane and typhoon which hit Philippines and…

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Diplomatique Expert recommends…

As traditional parties stumble, Europe’s top job is up for grabs - Politico As we entered the holiday period, the front-runners in the race for the European Commission presidency…

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Diplomatique Expert recommends…

Our consulting arm Diplomatique Expert, recommends the following reads from major news outlets for insight on the main news of the week. The Observer In Chemnitz, anti-fascists stand up…

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