Having examined the organisation of Europe’s academic labour markets, Alexandre Afonso outlines the main differences between countries across the continent. There is greatest variance in two particular areas: the extent to which academic labour markets are open to outsiders, and the job security they provide for recent PhD graduates. This has obvious consequences for the mobility of academics across Europe […]
The Moldovan presidential election, which took place on 13 November, was framed as a straight choice between pro-Russian and pro-European candidates. The subsequent victory of Igor Dodon has been viewed as marking the end of Moldova’s Europeanisation and a potential return to Moscow’s sphere of influence, some seven years after the ‘Twitter Revolution’ that brought down the Moldovan communists. […]
Italy’s constitutional referendum is fast approaching and financial markets are already jittery. Lorenzo Codogno and Mara Monti write that while some observers have pointed to the risk of the Five Star Movement getting into power, or even Italy leaving the euro, these are unlikely developments, at least in the short term. The real issue is not about political instability, […]
As part of our series covering Italy’s constitutional referendum, scheduled for 4 December, Marco Simoni outlines a case for a Yes vote. He argues that the proposed reform would address a number of key institutional weaknesses in the country, and that by improving the functioning of Italian democracy, it would help establish proper accountability and trust in the political […]
Who is to ‘blame’ for Trump’s election, and what does this means for the future of media? Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the LSE and Director of Polis Charlie Beckett unpacks the various stages of the blame narrative that has unfolded in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, and looks at the lessons media can draw from this.
There’s been […]
Much of the coverage of Bulgaria’s presidential election on 13 November has focused on what the victory of Rumen Radev means for the country moving forward. But as Manès Weisskircher and Julia Rone illustrate, the election also saw success for radical right parties. They argue that a multiparty radical right platform is well placed to win a large share […]
The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s saw democracy surge as former Soviet autocracies transitioned to democratic systems and democracy spread in Africa and Latin America. But the past decade has seen a reverse in this trend, with authoritarianism and dictatorships making a comeback around the world. In this interview with Peter Carrol on his new book, The Despot’s Accomplice: […]
Some politicians have voiced concern that Brexit could potentially have negative consequences for the relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. David Phinnemore assesses some of the key challenges posed by Brexit for Northern Ireland and how Northern Irish political parties have reacted to the result of the EU referendum.
Six weeks after the EU referendum Northern Ireland’s First Minister, […]
When the Italian constitutional referendum was called, Italy’s Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, linked the result to the fate of his government, suggesting that he would resign in the case of a No vote. Based on new survey evidence, Céline Colombo, Andrea De Angelis and Davide Morisi write that this strategy appears to have been counterproductive. They illustrate that voter […]
How are preparations for Brexit coming along? Richard Whitman pursues an IT analogy, arguing that while the ‘hardware’ to facilitate the Brexit negotiation, including a dedicated minister and ministry, is in place, the ‘software’ – i.e., answers to crucial questions on how the relationship between the UK and the EU will look like – is still lacking.
The British government’s preparations for invoking […]
Is Europe facing a lurch toward populism and, if so, does this trend pose a threat for democracy? Richard Youngs writes that it is important to recognise the diversity among parties that have been labelled ‘populist’, rather than simply regarding all movements of this nature as negative developments. He argues that there is no merit in simply deriding the […]
We are now in the final weeks of campaigning before Italy’s constitutional referendum on 4 December. As part of our coverage of the referendum, Mattia Guidi makes the case for why Italians should support the proposed reform. He argues that much of the criticism of the reform is unfounded and that it would ultimately bring Italy closer to the […]
After almost a year of political deadlock, Mariano Rajoy has formed a new minority government in Spain, but how effective will this new government prove to be? Bonnie N. Field states that although previous minority governments have faced better governing conditions than the current one, the Rajoy government still has institutional advantages and some bargaining chips that it can […]
The UK’s decision to leave the European Union and Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States have been cited by some commentators as proof that the West is turning away from liberal values. Tahir Abbas argues that in the aftermath of Brexit and Trump, supporters of liberalism require a new movement aimed at reaching a unitary consensus […]
Members of the Lithuanian parliament are being sworn in today following elections in October. Ingrida Unikaitė-Jakuntavičienė presents an analysis of the election result, which saw the Lithuanian Peasant and Greens Union make surprising gains to become the country’s largest party. She writes that addressing high levels of emigration among young Lithuanians will be one of the main aims for […]
Rumen Radev, the candidate backed by the Bulgarian Socialist Party, won Bulgaria’s presidential election on 13 November. Dimitar Bechev assesses what the result means for the country, stating that while Radev has been described as a pro-Russian candidate, the more important implications will be for Boyko Borisov and the Bulgarian government. Borisov has tendered the resignation of his cabinet […]
In The Hidden Wealth of Nations: The Scourge of Tax Havens, Gabriel Zucman makes a provocative argument about the large-scale evasion of taxes as well as how to tackle this global issue. Antonio De Vito highly recommends this concise, nontechnical and clearly argued book to everyone interested in understanding how the international financial system is making illegal use of tax […]
If the recent high court ruling on Brexit is upheld, then MPs in the UK Parliament will have to approve the decision to trigger Article 50 and begin the process for leaving the European Union. But how would this vote actually take place and what influence will Parliament have over the negotiations? Based on a recent report, Sara Hagemann assesses Parliament’s […]
Much like the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, few polling experts predicted Donald Trump would win the US presidential election. But this was not the case for all polling companies. Vuk Vukovic outlines a prediction model he developed with a small team of colleagues that proved remarkably accurate in calling the final result of the election and […]
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Sebastian Galiano
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Sarko vs Juppé: Will the French right select a candidate who can stop Le Pen?
Sarko vs Juppé: Will the French right select a candidate who can stop Le Pen?
On 20 and 27 November, the French right will select its candidate for the 2017 presidential election. While formally a seven candidate race, polls indicate that the real battle is between former president Nicolas Sarkozy and former prime minister and mayor of Bordeaux Alain Juppé. Marta Lorimer discusses the polls and the variables likely to shape the final result.
The […]