EU

  For more than two decades, the EU–Mercosur agreement remained out of reach—endlessly negotiated, periodically revived, and repeatedly declared dead. Since its launch in 1999, it has weathered financial crises, political shifts, and environmental disputes on both sides of the Atlantic. If finally implemented, it would unite the European Union and the Mercosur bloc—Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay—into […]

Introduction The US is on the move and the geopolitical scenario has moved quickly away from the certainties of the last ten to fifteen years. Oil could come down to a price well below US$50-per-barrel, with prices for other petrochemical products falling in concert. That would spark an economic upswing in the USA, lowering prices […]

  The United Kingdom’s prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, visited Beijing last week, leading a delegation of top British business people for meetings with President Xi Jinping. The prime minister stated “China matters,” leaving room for interpretation. A similar visit was carried out by French President Emmanuel Macron in December, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz […]

  Born from the wreckage of World War II, the European welfare state promised citizens economic security, social justice, solidarity and dignity. And for over half a century, it largely delivered. As Europe rebuilt, generous social protection systems went hand in hand with booming economies. Healthcare, pensions, family support, unemployment benefits and a wide range […]

  The widely circulated news that the EU is backtracking on the ban on selling cars with internal combustion engines in 2035 is greatly exaggerated. Rather than a U-turn, it’s more like a slight braking that probably comes too late to avoid the accident. On December 16, 2025, the European Commission proposed to relax the […]