We all remember the image of the two lonely dictators at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Putin was the only international leader to attend, and he was courted accordingly. In return, he was allowed to take back home with him new trade contracts and the promise of ‘unlimited friendship’. Nevertheless, China cannot have been enthusiastic […]
COVID-19
In the shadow of the war in Ukraine and the French presidential election, the Slovene parliamentary election took place on Sunday 24 April. The outcome of the election in Slovenia was important primarily for reinvigorating democracy in Slovenia. But it was also important for the future of democracy in Europe. The resounding electoral ‘no’ to […]
The re-election of Viktor Orbán and Fidesz in the 2022 Hungarian elections was not a surprise, but the extent of their victory was. Appealing to society’s craving for security and stability in times of the war in Ukraine proved decisive, as did the united opposition’s failure to convince voters that they would be better off […]
Even though the general election in Malta brought an excellent result for Labour, with an overwhelming majority, it was an eye-opener for both major parties. Despite the very high voter turn-out by European standards (85.5 per cent), in Malta’s democratic past it was a historical low: a 60-year low, to be exact. For comparison: our […]
Against the background of rising fuel and energy prices, a post-pandemic era and a new reality of geopolitical turmoil, the Maltese Labour government continues to demonstrate that austerity is not the answer to a crisis. Over the past two years, it focused on the well-being of its people, with a strong health and welfare system, […]
The EU response to the Covid-19 crisis has represented a Copernican revolution compared to the bloc’s approach to the previous crisis. However, the policies that have been adopted raise questions that remain to be solved, namely the revision of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) and the future role of the Next Generation EU fund […]
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