It is tempting to view the win in Argentina by far-right libertarian economist Javier Milei followed by the first-place finish in the Netherlands by the anti-Muslim firebrand Geert Wilders as evidence of a global movement. But it would be a mistake to view these two earthquakes as part of the same tectonic pattern.
The far-right PVV party’s victory in the Netherlands’ elections has fueled frantic speculation about what the outcome means for European democracy. Less attention has been paid to the broader trends enabling a party as radical as the PVV to get to a position where 24 percent of Dutch voters might give it the benefit of the doubt.
Three weeks ago, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa submitted his resignation amid a corruption scandal, ushering in what is probably the biggest crisis in Portuguese politics in at least 20 years. The snap elections called for March promise to be the most contested and important ballot in that same period.
European states are debating the war in Gaza as a foreign policy crisis with little direct connection to the internal workings of the EU. Yet as the conflict continues to escalate, the efforts by Brussels to keep the horror engulfing Gaza and Israel at arm’s length from the EU are unlikely to remain sustainable for long.
Pedro Sanchez was elected Spain’s prime minister last week in a parliamentary investiture that represents a validation of his high-risk gamble to call early elections that he was widely expected to lose. But the win comes after weeks of massive protests that reflect why this is his most controversial victory to date.
As preparations fall into place for the first in-person summit in four years between EU officials and their Chinese counterparts, hopes for constructive partnership have been displaced by mutual suspicion. Yet in hardening its stance toward Beijing, Brussels is ignoring weaknesses within China that could also generate risks.
Today’s violent and complex world has drawn many historical analogies, particularly with the 1950s and the start of the Cold War. While the current geopolitical landscape does not feature two blocs in the Cold War sense, we can distinguish two families of countries or “worlds,” geographically, but above all politically and culturally.
In an information landscape where social media-driven news cycles often burn out in a day, engaging with the public responsibly over months and years has become one of the most difficult challenges that governments face. Yet this is what Kyiv must do as it becomes clear that the war in Ukraine will continue for the foreseeable future.
EU officials have been careful to avoid framing Global Gateway, an infrastructure development initiative, as a response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, but comparisons between the two frameworks are inevitable. It is no surprise, then, that the narratives the EU uses to discuss the Global Gateway contest those surrounding the BRI.
Since the ruling PiS party lost Poland’s Oct. 15 elections, a ferocious debate has raged within the party about whether to work with a new opposition-led government or do everything possible to sabotage it. How this debate within PiS is resolved could influence how other right-wing parties in Europe respond to electoral defeat.