World - EBR

Edition: International | Greek

FOLLOW EBR MAGAZINE ON:

Home » World

Residents of Germany get to feel this every day. It can take months and several visits to a local government office to obtain an ID card (Estonians do this online), while the occasions one is required to present this document seem to mushroom.No wonder politicians, Germany’s political parties and government officials are at the bottom of the scale when it comes to whom the citizens trust. The country is caught in a “they” versus “us” scenario. While exercising control takes top priority, the ordinary business of government, to make things work, is shamefully neglected.

Can Germany Provide Global Solutions?

By: EBR | Thursday, March 21, 2019

Germany’s leaders talk about taking on more responsibilities in world affairs. But the country’s government struggles with even basic forms of efficiency

U.S. Vice President Pence delivered a clearly statement to Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido:” We are with you,100 percent. The U.S. will provide an additional $ 56 million aid to Venezuelan citizens and the U.S. Treasury Department would be imposing ‘stronger sanctions’ on the Maduro regime’s corrupt financial networks.” White House national security adviser Bolton said in an interview recently “I think momentum is on Guaido's side. Reports in the press that the military hasn't shifted, miss the point entirely.

Venezuela’s future depends on the US and Russia

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 19, 2019

The situation in Venezuela is unpredictable. There is great uncertainty about what will happen in the coming weeks or months. Does President Maduro remain in power or does the opposition leader Guaido take the lead?

First, the progress. Banks have bigger and better capital buffers and more liquidity. Countries have taken steps to address systemic risks posed by institutions seen as too big to fail. Regulation and supervision have been strengthened; many countries have stepped up their focus on monitoring financial stability, and many now also conduct regular stress tests to check banks’ health.

Is the World Prepared for the Next Financial Crisis?

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 12, 2019

New regulations and reforms have helped, but major threats still loom

The World Bank estimates that air pollution costs India the equivalent of 8.5% of GDP - a huge drain on resources. And with the economy forecast to grow rapidly, increasing industrialization could exacerbate the problem even further.

7 of the world’s 10 most polluted cities are in India

By: EBR | Friday, March 8, 2019

Air pollution is an insidious killer. If you are among the 91% of the world’s population who breathes air the World Health Organisation (WHO) deems unsafe, then every time you inhale, microscopic particles are being drawn into your lungs

China’s image in Greece could best be understood if gauged in juxtaposition to the perceptions of other big powers, such as the EU, Germany, the US, Russia, etc. What certainly is a very interesting case in such a comparative approach is Greece’s psychological bond to Russia, which is much more deep-rooted and lasting than the ‘cultural kinship’ with China. The historical depth of Greece’s traditionally strong ties to Russia does not compare to that of the recent Sino-Greek romance.

China’s image in Greece: Great Expectations

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Since 2008, the increasingly close ties between Greece and China have caught the attention of the world media and there has been plenty of speculation about where this ‘romance’ is heading

Trump’s 2016 opponents tried everything. His Republican primary rivals tried ignoring him. They tried reasoning with voters, pointing out that he wasn’t a traditional conservative. Some tried ridiculing him; Marco Rubio insulted the size of his hands. Ted Cruz tried aligning himself with Trump, which was good enough for second place. In the general election, Hillary Clinton pounded Trump’s character and warned that he posed a danger to U.S. security

The road to the 2020 elections is crowded with Democrats. But who can beat Trump?

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 27, 2019

The Democrats are already in full swing for the U.S. presidential election of 2020. The Democratic primaries will be unprecedented crowded with candidates. But a front runner is not in sight. Democrats argue that Donald Trump is a threat to American democracy

President Trump announced the meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a two-day summit in Vietnam in late February. “We continue our historic push for peace on the Korean peninsula,” he said, adding he believed war would have broken out between the U.S. and North Korea had he not been elected.

President Trump vowed America will never be socialist

By: EBR | Thursday, February 7, 2019

President Donald Trump drew a clear line between his party’s policies and the creeping socialism some see on the left, declaring at the State of the Union “America will never be a socialist country” as many nonplussed Democrats appeared to shift uncomfortably in their seats

Russian President Vladimir Putin has a new toy and he wants Russians to think of it as their special present, too. Lately, he called the successful test of a new supersonic weapon “a remarkable, excellent 2019 gift to the nation.” Russians probably would have preferred a rollback of a recent retirement-age increase under their trees, but that doesn’t much matter to Putin’s view of his country’s national interest.

Russia with love to United States and Europe?

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Russia will abandon a centerpiece nuclear arms treaty but will only deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles if Washington does so, President Vladimir Putin said recently in a meeting with his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and, Defense minister Sergei Shoigu in the Kremlin

Financial markets and foreign investors can only be worried by such developments. Turkey’s economy has now fallen under autocratic rule. It will therefore continue to be dependent on unconventional interest rate policies—with the president insisting on zero or low rates as a matter of Islamic practice—and will be even more under the influence of the leadership’s unchallenged views.

Turkey and the West: What to Expect in 2019?

By: EBR | Thursday, January 24, 2019

Four big issues will dominate Turkey’s policy agenda this year. The net result is growing uncertainty about the country’s reliability among its Western allies.

Europe can work with Asian countries – like and unlike-minded – to salvage and reform parts of the multilateral system which have served everyone so well for the last 70 years, including the World Trade Organisation and, specifically, its Appellate Body and the Dispute Settlement Mechanism. Constructive proposals proposed by the EU could form the basis of a revamped and more inclusive global trade system.

Brexit, Asia and the increased lure of Europe

By: EBR | Tuesday, January 22, 2019

The world is watching Brexit – and concern over Britain’s uncertain future is sharpest in Asia. Asian leaders and businesses are uneasy over Brexit chaos and as they wait and worry many are moving fast to reinforce ties with an increasingly attractive Europe

Nancy Pelosi calls the president's proposals unacceptable and said, “What is original in the president’s proposal is not good. What is good in his proposal is not original. Chuck Schumer called it one-sided and ineffective. Democrats are dug in to the theater of lies and hate, casting Donald Trump as evil while casting themselves as angels, supported by a mainstream media intent on publishing any anti-Trump story, often baseless or absurd. Traditional journalistic standards are outfooted

Nancy Pelosi takes a personal fight against president Donald Trump

By: EBR | Tuesday, January 22, 2019

The speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, takes a personal fight against the president of America, Donald Trump. She doesn’t want to negotiate the shutdown

The world has moved into a period of divergence following one of globalization that profoundly altered the global political economy. Reconfiguring the relations of deeply integrated countries is fraught with potential risks. This was borne out during 2018, as trade and investment ties deteriorated among many of the world’s powers, notably including the United States and China.

Are we sleepwalking into a new global crisis?

By: EBR | Friday, January 18, 2019

Could the world be sleepwalking into a crisis? Global risks are intensifying but the collective will to tackle them appears to be lacking

Never has science been clearer in its concern about the risks of climate change and the stress this places on our oceans and other vital ecosystems, including tropical forests and freshwater sources. Yet our response to melting glaciers is glacial. While solutions increasingly exist, especially in the energy sector, there is as yet no movement on global action commensurate to the challenge.

Globalization 4.0 will help us tackle climate change. Here’s how

By: EBR | Friday, January 18, 2019

Climate change – arguably humanity’s most existential challenge – requires urgent global action

Demand growth next year still looks strong enough to provide commodity markets with support, making the kind of price collapse seen during 2015 unlikely. However, volatility in commodity markets will continue in 2019, particularly in oil markets. We predict oil prices will rise a bit in the near term and average around $70.0 per barrel over the coming year, compared with an average $71.0 in 2018

10 predictions for the global economy in 2019

By: EBR | Friday, January 11, 2019

The global economy started 2018 with strong, synchronized growth. But as the year progressed, momentum faded and growth trends diverged

2018 was not a good year for investors. Not only did the global equity markets end the year with losses, there was also little money to be made from investments in commodities, gold or high-yield government and corporate bonds. One main lesson that ought to be learned from 2018 is that following majority opinions among analysts and market participants does not guarantee investment success at all

A World of Financial Gloom and Doom?

By: EBR | Thursday, January 10, 2019

Why financial markets in 2019 may offer positive surprises, despite — and actually because of — the current wave of pessimism

Turkmenistan is not included at all in the World Bank’s “East of Doing Business” global ranking analysis and Turkmen state-owned companies have had serious difficulties paying their debts and meeting their financial obligations. The message is that investors would be wise to be wary

Turkmenistan still contrasts negatively with its Caucasian neighbours

By: EBR | Monday, January 7, 2019

The European Union is actively looking to increase its dialogue and cooperation with Turkmenistan withg plans to launch a fully-fledged EU delegation in Turkmenistan in 2019

Officially, China’s economy is growing at 6.5%. But car sales, a key indicator of growth, have stalled. China has become the world’s largest car market, but sales have gone into reverse for the first time since 1990

China’s Interesting Future, in 2019

By: EBR | Thursday, January 3, 2019

If China has a problem, so does the global economy

the US economy expanded at a fast pace in 2018, as tax cuts and spending increases stimulated demand. The US Federal Reserve has continued to raise the policy interest rate as a result. Interest rates on US long-term bonds have increased less, as investors see risks to future growth and value the safety of US Treasury securities

5 charts that explain the global economy in 2018

By: EBR | Friday, December 28, 2018

The global economy started 2018 on an upbeat note, buoyed by a pickup in global manufacturing and trade through 2017

Governments need to supply good governance – and stay away from repressive policies – so that people can concentrate their intrinsic talents on acquiring educational capital: Those willing to work hard and play by the rules should be able to achieve a comfortable life. The challenge is to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth that fairly rewards entrepreneurialism without allowing the elite to hoard power and wealth

The Countries Getting the Highest Return on Education

By: EBR | Thursday, December 27, 2018

The key to fostering a more educated populace is not financial – it’s cultural

Consider the South Caucasus. While updating the new edition of my book, The Caucasus: An Introduction, with a new chapter after almost a decade, one theme stood out: the legacy of the Soviet Union is gradually leaving the region, along with the influence of Russia. Russian language use is declining (two thirds of Azerbaijanis now report only basic knowledge of the language). Russian television viewership has declined precipitately. Ethnic Russians comprise no more than two or three percent of the population of the three countries

The Caucasus: No Longer Russia’s Neighborhood

By: EBR | Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The three South Caucasian countries have found a way to manage their relationship with Russia. If their leaders do nothing stupid to alienate their own populations, they stand a good chance of navigating 2019 without a confrontation with Moscow

Pages: Previous Next

EU Actually

President Ursula von der Leyen has seen better days

By: N. Peter Kramer

EU leaders, member states, MEPs, EP political groups have had it with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Europe

The EU Needs a Third Way in Iran

European reactions to the war in Iran have lost sight of wider political dynamics. The EU must position itself for the next phase of the crisis without giving up on its principles.

Business

The EU’s zig-zag road towards stronger financial markets

Giles Merritt delves into the confusing welter of efforts to streamline Europe’s national financial players into a more dynamic single capital market