EUROPE DEFACED
The new edition of Eastwest, available from 1st of September at newsstands, bookshops and in digital format.
Cover
The British rift has disoriented but not destabilised the Union. The new territorial and commercial borders now on the horizon, are fraying traditional British aplomb and placing greater responsibility on European shoulders.
Europe
Romano Prodi gives an exclusive interview in which he discusses the future of western democracies, currently living through trying times. A traumatic event would seem to be needed to get Europe to move forward, but Brexit is unlikely to provide it…
In spite of their economic diversity, the same problems are affecting most EU states. Their governments are having to ward off the populist tendencies, fuelled by the tension and fear instilled by the recent demographic and social challenges. With NATO losing its magic touch, there’s now room for a new European supranational management of defence policies that might address the issues posed by shared crises.
On the Union’s borders, Turkey and Russia, have reiterated their capacity for stability and wait in the wings to see what the new European set up will entail.
World
While the US primaries were very low key, Argentina and Panama are throwing caution to the wind and hope optimism can boost their economies.
No light at the end of the tunnel so far for the Muslim World: Algeria could collapse any minute while Libya is still unmanaged and unmanageable, despite the occasional call for national unity. The Muslim recipe for civil and possibly democratic coexistence still has to be discovered or developed. An international coalition should probably be higher up the list of priorities than bombing raids.
Dossier
All roads lead to Mecca, unfortunately. The knots and inner secrets of the Saudi monarchy and its society tend to influence many international networks in which this primitive Realm plays a major part. A plethora of contradictions undermines security policies at the outset along with hopes of achieving some form of global equilibrium.
