Tag Archives: European politics

G-20 tension doesn’t mount

Posted on April 2, 2009 | 1 Comment

Were it not for the death of a demonstrator and injuries to police and public, it would be possible to treat the whole G-20 summit with the humour that its theatricality demands. For putting events on the streets of London to one side, this is indeed an occasion for powerful actors to strut their stuff. Continue reading →

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Posted in G-20 London summit, The economic crunch

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G-20 summit: Brown revives Blair’s old Euro-Atlantic dream

Posted on March 26, 2009 | Leave a comment

So Gordon Brown went to Strasbourg and told the European Parliament that the EU is uniquely placed to provide world leadership in the economic crisis. Is this the Gordon Brown who deliberately avoided EU ministerial meetings and designed impassable tests the UK economy had to pass if he was to let it join the Euro? Why the change? Continue reading →

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Posted in G-20 London summit, Power, The economic crunch

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Some perfect storm signs

Posted on January 28, 2009 | Leave a comment

One of the possible ingredients for mixing up a perfect storm of conflict and crisis is the likelihood of European governments focusing on their own internal affairs under the impact of the economic crisis, especially if the crisis leads to social instability and violent protest. This would necessarily divert political attention and energy away from responding to the initial signs of crisis and conflict escalation on other continents. Continue reading →

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Posted in The economic crunch

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How a conflict could lead to a perfect storm

Posted on January 25, 2009 | 3 Comments

The world is in parlous condition. A violent conflict could quickly escalate out of control into a perfect storm, in which a local conflict becomes a major regional explosion. The risk is of low probability but high impact. The likelihood can be made even lower if the international system and its major actors remain watchful and ready to respond quickly. For that readiness to be real, we need to think the risk through. Continue reading →

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Posted in Climate change, Conflict & peace, International development, The economic crunch

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