The Swiss-style Brexit delusion
Rotation is the clearest sign of intellectual muddle. When Britain left the EU, some leave supporters thought they could negotiate…
The UK is getting caught in an austerity trap
The teenagers are once again in charge of UK fiscal policy. The teenagers are not the Chancellor and his team,…
Cold war: Putin’s plan to hold Germany to ransom
Can Germany’s solidarity with Ukraine survive the winter?
How Boris can cling on
What is happening in the UK right now is similar to the later Berlusconi years, the opera buffa phase of…
How Russia wins
It is still too early to predict the outcome of the war in Ukraine. Russia has certainly solidified its position…
Are sanctions making Russia richer?
As oil prices surge, Putin’s billions are soaring
Olaf Scholz is tanking
North-Rhine Westphalia is Germany’s largest state, almost as large as the Netherlands. It was a traditional SPD fiefdom during the…
Olaf Scholz is becoming Putin’s most valuable ally
If you think that Boris Johnson’s parties in Downing Street constitute a serious matter of state, you might want to…
Germany’s attitude to Russia is changing. Does it go far enough?
Germany’s attitude to Russia is changing fast
How Putin wins the war
There was a revealing comment yesterday from Robert Habeck, the German economics minister. It is a comment that inadvertently suggests…
Europe is painfully reliant on Putin
Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine in the early hours of this morning, starting with a massive air attack from…
Sanctions won't stop Putin
The Lithuanian prime minister, Ingrida Šimonyte, put it well yesterday: ‘the way we respond will define us for the generations to…
How the Ukraine crisis ends
Vladimir Putin does not think in the way the West does. Of course sanctions will hurt. But so what? He…
In the pipeline: would Germany side with Russia in a conflict?
Germany’s curious alliance with Russia
Blair is right: Boris doesn't have a plan for Britain
What can Boris Johnson and the Tories learn from Tony Blair? While Labour’s former leader remains deeply unpopular – and indeed…
Why Omicron may overwhelm our health service
What we know from the imperfect data we have is that Omicron is vastly more infectious but less virulent than…
The many challenges facing Germany’s new Chancellor
The many challenges facing Germany’s new Chancellor
Covid could paralyse the new German coalition
An iron curtain has descended on Europe, and once again, it goes right through the middle of Germany. The average…
Ukrainian annexation is already happening
Nato and the EU are fearing a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine. They have reason to be concerned, given that Russia…
What is the Bank of England playing at?
Last week, the Bank of England sent a number of confused messages. One was almost shocking: Andrew Bailey said that…
Who will succeed Merkel?
The results of the German election have shifted somewhat since last night’s exit poll. What we know for sure is…
The stalemate election: can Germany move beyond Merkel?
Germany needs to progress beyond Merkel – but will it?
Aukus is a disaster for the EU
It is hard to overstate the importance of the so-called Aukus alliance between the US, the UK and Australia —…
The vaccination campaign is making the same mistakes as Remain
One of the great cautionary tales of the last five years is how political campaigns can start off with what…
Could Germany's flood disaster have been prevented?
As the floods which have devastated homes and caused over 150 deaths recede in the Rhineland, three types of political…
