Western Europe Archive

European leaders are widely expected to maintain Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia at this week’s European Council summit in Brussels, despite disagreement among some member states. With Italy’s newly formed populist government looking at improving ties with Russia and U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly preparing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next month, the key player holding together an EU-wide consensus on sanctions policy is Germany. In an email interview, Susan Stewart, a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, or SWP, in Berlin, discusses the impact of sanctions on German-Russian relations and how they are […]

In Europe and the U.S. this week, callous government treatment of asylum-seekers triggered public outrage and political tensions, which may be enough to soften policy in the short term. Unfortunately, that will not meaningfully address the underlying causes of the migration crises that have become the new political ground zero on both sides of the Atlantic. Long-simmering tensions within the European Union boiled over when Italy’s new populist government refused to allow the Aquarius, a ship carrying rescued asylum-seekers from North Africa, to dock at an Italian port last week. The Aquarius was left stranded in the Mediterranean for days […]

In this week’s Trend Lines podcast, WPR’s editor-in-chief, Judah Grunstein, and managing editor, Frederick Deknatel, discuss the outcome and implications of this week’s summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. For the Report, Aleks Eror talks with WPR’s senior editor, Robbie Corey-Boulet, about the British Conservative Party’s efforts over the past 15 years to project a more moderate image, and why they haven’t gained much traction within the party or among voters. If you like what you hear on Trend Lines and what you’ve read on WPR, you can sign up for our free […]

In early October 2002, the British Conservative Party gathered at the Bournemouth International Centre on the south coast of England for its annual conference. Still traumatized by a second consecutive landslide defeat against the Labour Party, then headed by Tony Blair, the Tories had come together to plot their return to government after five long years out of power. On the opening day of the conference, the party chairwoman, Theresa May, took to the stage in an all-black outfit that added to the funereal atmosphere of the event. She told her fellow Tories something that many people were thinking, even […]

Mariano Rajoy’s luck finally ran out. For years, the conservative Spanish prime minister succeeded by waiting out his problems. When it looked like Spain might follow Greece and Portugal in requiring a European bailout in 2012, Rajoy refused to ask for help. He was vindicated when the European Central Bank instead announced its massive bond-buying initiative, what is called “Outright Monetary Transactions.” The bank didn’t actually buy Spanish bonds, but the mere possibility that it might stabilized the markets. When Rajoy lost his majority in parliament in 2015, he refused a mandate to form a government, letting the Socialists try—and […]

Italy’s government crisis did its best to disprove the economist Herbert Stein’s axiom that “if something cannot go on forever, it will stop.” But 89 days after Italians voted on March 4, the crisis finally succumbed. A government drawn from Italy’s two leading populist parties—the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, or M5S, and the anti-immigration Lega, or League—was accepted by President Sergio Mattarella on May 31. The premiership will be entrusted to a law professor with no previous political experience, Giuseppe Conte, and several other technocrats will occupy key ministries. Political upheaval is notoriously part of the ritual of governance in […]

The European Commission recently announced that it would step up its efforts to fight disinformation online. Despite the prior reluctance of several commissioners to name any specific foreign governments, the newly published policy document, called a Communication, singles out Russia for practicing information warfare and aims to establish what it calls “a European approach” to tackle these and other forms of hybrid interference. This new approach will focus on improving transparency, promoting media diversity, fostering credible sources of information and devising long-term solutions to tackle disinformation in Europe. The announcement comes at a time when the European Union’s existing in-house […]

The Republic of Ireland has historically remained out of step with the vast majority of Europe when it comes to abortion. Although more than 80 percent of the Council of Europe’s 47 member states permit abortion without restriction at the request of the woman, Ireland has been steadfastly committed to strict pro-life legislation, permitting legal abortion only under the most limited of circumstances, forcing many women to travel out of country to exercise their choice. But that is suddenly shifting, after the landslide result on May 25 of a referendum that will bring dramatic changes to abortion policy in Ireland. […]