Today at WPR, we’re covering the differences between the EU’s Orban problem and America’s Trump problem, as well as the Philippines-China standoff in the South China Sea.
But first, we’re taking this week to highlight the major trends in global affairs that shaped 2023—and which will likely shape 2024. So far, we’ve looked at the global security order and the global economic order.
Today, we’re looking at immigration, which would have been our top story regardless. That’s because yesterday, French lawmakers passed a controversial bill toughening rules for immigrants that adopted some policy preferences of the hard right. And earlier today, the EU reached an agreement on new immigration rules that incorporate measures pushed for by the most anti-immigration EU governments, in order to relieve pressure on member states that receive the most migrants. Meanwhile, in Washington, negotiations over a national security package have stalled until next year as Republican lawmakers seek concessions on immigration policy.