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Denis MacShane

Former UK Minister for Europe & Contributing Editor at The Globalist

[United Kingdom]

Denis MacShane, a Contributing Editor at The Globalist, was the United Kingdom’s Minister for Europe from 2002 to 2005. He is the author of “Brexit: How Britain Will Leave Europe,” “Brexit No Exit. Why (in the end) Britain Won’t Leave Europe,” and “Brexiternity. The Uncertain Fate of Britain.”

Denis MacShane was the Member of Parliament for the UK’s Rotherham constituency, in South Yorkshire, from 1994 to 2012. In 2001, he was named a minister at the Foreign Office by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

He began his career as a BBC reporter. Before becoming an MP, he worked for the international trade union movement promoting trade union rights and wrote books on the steel industry and on global political issues. He set up and was first chairman of the Steel Group of MPs in the House of Commons and worked closely with the steel industry and trade unions in South Yorkshire.

Mr. MacShane was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He holds a Master’s degree from Oxford University and a Ph.D. from the University of London.

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Articles by Denis MacShane

2027: The Year World War III Begins?

Destination Taiwan? Why Emperor Xi could be tempted to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army in 2027 with an invasion.

December 4, 2023

British Looting, Revisited

Few plunders by Western countries are more glaring than Britain’s looting of the Parthenon marbles from Greece’s Acropolis.

September 3, 2023

Regretting Brexit: Has the UK Seen the Error of Its Ways?

British voters now say that they would vote to rejoin the EU in a new referendum. But don’t hold your breath.

July 25, 2023

France: Europe’s First Fascist-Lite President?

Reflections on a visit to Paris.

June 24, 2023

Italy: Why Meloni Keeps Her Mussolini Heritage Locked Up

The umbilical cord that connects Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini is indisputable. And yet, umbilical cords always get cut.

April 14, 2023

Britain’s Domestic Raw Deal and Its Consequences

Greed, fear, lies, intellectual corruption as well as bending state power to personal enrichment now are rife in much of the British ruling class.

March 2, 2023

Who is Rishi Sunak?

Brexit will swallow its fifth Prime Minister as Sunak, the hedge fund PM, fails.

October 27, 2022

Meloni: Mussolini’s Come Back in Italy?

Giorgia Meloni is a cynical, quick-lipped, unmarried mother who speaks French and passable English. She is many things, but she is not a female Mussolini.

September 27, 2022

Liz Truss: Presiding Over the Sick Man of Europe

Liz Truss will have to deal with problems no UK prime minister has faced since Churchill took over as the German panzers were breaking through to arrive at the French coast in June 1940.

September 4, 2022

UK Tories and Rishi Sunak: Revenge for the Empire?

If and when Rishi Sunak becomes Britain’s next Prime Minister, Europe would see its first leader of Indian parents.

January 30, 2022

Eric Zemmour: Hijacking Beethoven

How Eric Zemmour, a right-wing candidate for president in France, abuses the legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven for electoral purposes.

December 22, 2021

Eric Zemmour: France’s New Elitist-Extremist Menace

In next year’s presidential election, will France retreat from reason and science to embrace radical politics?

December 1, 2021

After Brexit: How Poland Replaces the UK

The EU-related obstinacy of Poland’s governing party is rooted not just in the desire to rewrite their own country’s post-war history, or even Europe’s. It is all a big-time deflection maneuver.

October 29, 2021

The U.K. in the 1970s and Today: Déja Vu All Over Again

We had rising inflation and unemployment. Same today.

October 19, 2021

Britain’s Future: Back to the Stone Age

Boris Johnson’s Brexit maneuver is backfiring on store shelves and crippling the country’s logistics. But the British PM is a master of cynical, but well-timed distractions.

September 30, 2021

Sankt Angela of Europe?

As the long-time German chancellor completes her last term in office, it isn’t just her own center-right party that is struggling at the polls.

September 20, 2021

Boris Johnson: Just blame the French!

The British Prime Minister resorts to an age-old political ploy of UK politics, blaming the French.

July 21, 2021

Johnson’s and Macron’s Uncertain Political Futures

Underneath the clichés of the eternal rivalry between France and England, Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron are closer than most people would believe.

June 22, 2021

May Day, May Day: What About Trade Unions?

A dues paying union member all my life, still proud to carry my union card, today I cannot see worker power anywhere in the world. No wonder political parties of the left are waning.

May 1, 2021

Vaccine Diplomacy: COVID and the Return of Soft Power

Pandemic diplomacy as a foreign policy tool – from Western powers to the UAE.

April 30, 2021

China Vs. the West: An Epic Global Battle Is Brewing

Could Magnitsky-style social media campaigns challenge authoritarians like Putin and Xi?

March 29, 2021

Harry’s and Meghan’s Clever Commonwealth Ploy

The Oprah Winfrey interview lights a fire that is consuming the British royals.

March 10, 2021

Napoleon Alive and Well and Working in Downing Street

The UK needs to realize that cutting trade links with the continent has always been dumb -- whether for Napoleon in December 1807 or Johnson in December 2020.

December 20, 2020

Why Boris Johnson Is Opting for a Semi-Brexit

An exhausted British Prime Minister simply can’t fight on two fronts.

December 17, 2020

Joe Biden: The Last of the 1968 Generation

The long march of the 1968 generation through politics is coming to its end. Biden is the big exception. He will be 1968er’s last hurrah.

November 11, 2020

Goodbye, Right-Wing Populism

A Trump defeat signals the beginning of the end of nationalist populist politics worldwide.

October 30, 2020

Swiss Hold Second Referendum and Say Yes to Europe

The Brexit virus refuses to cross the Channel.

September 28, 2020

Boris Johnson’s 10(!) Brexits to Ponder

A political decision principally made by the prime minister alone will determine what sort of exit from the EU we start 2021 with.

August 22, 2020

How to Handle the Evolution of Belarus

The West should support democracy in Belarus, but avoid provocative promises.

August 19, 2020

25 Years After Srebrenica: No Peace or Reconciliation in West Balkans

Imagine it is 1970 -- and still there is no peace or reconciliation between France and Germany. Fast forward to the present and consider the situation in the West Balkans.

July 11, 2020

Do Black Nations Matter in Brussels?

Even the biggest supporter of the EU at times has to pause and ask why it is so keen on double standards. It blacklists poor African countries for money laundering, not rich countries.

June 12, 2020

UK: Boris Johnson Digs In Over Dominic Cummings Affair and Brexit

Dominic Cummings, die-hard Brexiteer and UK sovereignty fetishist, is now part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s problems -- and no longer a solution.

May 26, 2020

COVID 19 and the Marshall Plan Illusion

Why the Marshall Plan would be turned down by today’s European leaders.

April 22, 2020

UK: Tory Men and Labour Measures

How the cooptation of the pre-Corbyn Labour Party’s agenda is designed to keep Boris Johnson and the Tories in power for a long period.

April 8, 2020

Erdogan, Desperado and Constant Provocateur

Nothing seemed to stop Erdogan’s provocations on Europe’s eastern flank -- until he met his match. The big losers are the Turkish people.

March 21, 2020

2020: Europe’s Annus Horribilis?

Germany´s Ursula von der Leyen and the European Commission have to overcome five major challenges.

March 4, 2020

“Westlessness” — Seriously?

Europe keeps dithering on the global stage. Even the French and the Germans can't fake consensus anymore.

February 17, 2020

Five Scenarios for Brexit After January 31

On January 31, the UK leaves the EU Treaty as a signatory member. What happens next?

January 30, 2020

Europe’s Left and Labour’s Disastrous 2019 Election

What are the hard lessons for Europe’s young leftist party activists, including Germany’s SPD, from Jeremy Corbyn’s 2019 defeat in the UK?

December 14, 2019

Beyond Boris: Donald Trump(ism) Wins in British Election

What are the hard lessons for Europe and wider geopolitics from Boris Johnson’s victory in the 2019 British general election?

December 13, 2019

Who Will Win Next Thursday in Britain?

If Johnson does not win a majority, it would be a major defeat for him and some kind of technical government would have to be formed -- mainly to organize a new referendum.

December 6, 2019

UK: Can Corbyn Sell Britain on His Hard Left Turn?

In three weeks British voters decide on the fate the biggest left-wing political offer made in a western democracy since 1981.

November 26, 2019

Boris Johnson: Grand Hasardeur (Forever the Gambler)

This is the first time a ruling party has gone into an election with the slogan “Vote for Us and Become Poorer.”

October 30, 2019

10 Things Britons Have Learned About Boris Johnson Recently

The list of serious transgressions presented below describes what is happening in the United Kingdom -- not in Belarus, Turkey, Egypt or the Philippines.

September 30, 2019

Steve Bannon: Failed Crusader

What happened to Steve Bannon’s crusade to conquer Europe with nationalist anti-immigrant Trump clones?

September 3, 2019

Macron’s Grand Design: The Russia-Iran Deal for Trump

Macron seems to be prepping a tempting offer: How about letting Russia back into the G8 (as Trump wants), in exchange for Trump cooling his fire on Iran?

August 27, 2019

Boris Johnson: Three Weeks After

Three weeks have now passed since Boris Johnson became the UK’s prime minister. What have we learned so far?

August 14, 2019

Ukraine’s Elections Repudiate Oligarchs, Putin

A more prosperous Ukraine —where good money from legal economic activity drives out bad money from corruption and illegal trading — will worry Putin.

July 22, 2019

Germany’s SPD on the War Path Against von der Leyen

Why MEPs should avoid small-minded, backbiting politics as they elect the EU Commission President.

July 12, 2019

Greece: The Mitsotakis Family Clan is Back in Power

Mitsotakis can celebrate his win and the return of his family clan to political power. But the problems will arrive very fast in Greece.

July 9, 2019

Winners and Losers in Europe

Europe and the EU have undergone great changes in recent times. Here are five winners and five losers.

July 5, 2019

Boris Johnson: The Last Betrayal?

Will Boris Johnson really be a Robespierre, as the ardent Brexiteers hope -- or convert himself into rational Monsieur Talleyrand?

June 17, 2019

With 15 EU “Spitzenkandidaten” — Whom to Choose?

The system to select the new Commission President may have been well-intentioned, but it remains the private plaything of Brussels insiders with little contact to European citizens.

May 17, 2019

Keeping the Western Balkans Outside the EU

Why on earth are Merkel and Macron slamming the door to the EU shut for Europeans between the Aegean and Adriatic?

May 2, 2019

Brexit Devours Its Children

Tory anti-Europeanism ended Margaret Thatcher, John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May. Who’s next?

March 28, 2019

Brexit and the Fear of the Mother-in-Law

As a million people march, Britain drops deeper into the Brexit black hole.

March 25, 2019

Brexit: Will It Ever Happen?

EU countries are wary to allow for yet more time wasting by futile Brexit discussions occupying the EU agenda just because British politicians are incapable of making up their minds.

March 14, 2019

Macron at the Barricades

Is it all downhill for President Macron from here on out? The early political fortunes of two other major Western reform politicians – Margaret Thatcher and Bill Clinton – should provide comfort.

February 19, 2019

Venezuela: A Rare Case of Turkish-Greek Harmony

Why is Greece supporting a dictatorship in Venezuela that is as bad as the Colonels’ Junta that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974?

January 29, 2019

Corbyn to Europe: Adieu and Brexit Is Europe’s Fault

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s belief is that Europe is the problem, not the answer.

December 20, 2018

Brexit: What Next?

The message from the UK House of Commons is: No to Theresa May, but not yes to any alternative.

December 6, 2018

Brexit: Can Mrs. May Win Backing From the Commons?

Never has British politics been so polarised and never has the quality of political leadership in Britain been so weak. The Brexit saga is far from over.

November 15, 2018

Brexit “Deal”: Not Even the End of the Beginning for UK and EU

Years and years of negotiations about the future UK-EU relations lie ahead -- if the ambitions are ever to be set into an international treaty.

November 15, 2018

Nick Clegg: Facebook’s New Lobbyist

Former British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has been bought up by the Silicon Valley giant to mollify the EU.

October 22, 2018

Greece’s Alexis Tsipras: A Remarkably Solid Politician

Alexis Tsipras admired Hugo Chavez. Then he became Greece’s Prime Minister. Now, he’s Washington’s good friend.

October 18, 2018

German Lessons for Britain on EU Workers’ Freedom of Movement

It is ludicrous to blame Angela Merkel’s refugee policies for strengthening the Brexit vote. The wave of xenophobia was the result of the UK’s own administrative ineptitude.

October 4, 2018

Brexitdämmerung? Not Really

Not just the Tories, but Emmanuel Macron and Jeremy Corbyn highlight how big the gap between Britain and the EU remains.

September 24, 2018

Boorish Johnson, Domestic Terrorist

Do the disgusting comments Boris Johnson hurled at Theresa May finally mark the end of Boris Johnson’s career in British politics? Might emigration to Trump’s America be his only option?

September 10, 2018

Must Germany Have Yet One More Top Job in Europe?

A German as head of the European Commission? If this is unstoppable, leave the German man who is lined up for the post in Berlin. Instead, send a powerful German woman to Brussels.

August 25, 2018

Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn Opts for Trump

Theresa May’s main opponent sees economic nationalism and crass protectionism as the answer to Brexit.

July 25, 2018

Battleground Britain: Brexit’s Three Dimensions

Sorting out political Brexit, economic and commercial Brexit as well as geopolitical Brexit.

June 21, 2018

Bernard-Henri Lévy: A False Prophet

The man who gave us the disaster of Libya is no help against Brexit.

June 10, 2018

How to Solve the Irish Customs Union Question

The UK should stay in the Customs Union on a 5-year renewable basis once it leaves the EU. This would honor the Brexit vote to leave the EU Treaty while safeguarding peace in Ireland.

April 28, 2018

Britain Prepares for a Norwegian Brexit

Mrs. May and Mr. Corbyn can live with Britain becoming a big Norway, a country everyone in England likes and admires.

April 9, 2018

Russia in the UK: Theresa May’s Dirty Hands

For seven long years, Theresa May – the self-appointed high priestess of absolute UK sovereignty -- has refused to take action on Russian interference in the UK. No wonder Russia believes it can poison its enemies on British soil.

March 15, 2018

UK: Corbyn’s Important U-Turn on Brexit

Why is the UK’s Jeremy Corbyn now in favor of a Customs Union with the EU?

February 27, 2018

Boris Johnson’s Straw Man

The UK Foreign Secretary says only hard Brexit can save Britain from “Political Union” in Europe. As if the latter exists!

February 14, 2018

Forget Fake News. Worry About Fake History Oscars

Two movies about Britain in 1940 – Dunkirk and the Darkest Hour – have collected plenty of Oscar nominations. Yet, both movies are full of historical nonsense.

February 4, 2018

2018: The Year British Politics Has to Wake Up

Like Sleeping Beauty, British politics has been in a deep slumber since June 23rd, 2016. Will 2018 by the year the UK wakes up?

January 10, 2018

Brexit: Michael Gove Moves to Center Stage

The Irish issue is far from solved. Along with the rest of the many vexing Brexit issues, it is set to dominate UK politics for years ahead.

December 12, 2017

Will Ireland Sink Brexit?

How Irish politics interfere with Brexiteers' desires.

November 27, 2017

Worker Rights: Macron Vs. Britain

Macron’s important reform move on EU posted workers’ directive goes to complete waste in the UK.

November 2, 2017

US Diplomacy: A Whiff of the 1920s

Trump's decision to pull out of UNESCO is another sign of the growth of isolationism in modern America.

October 25, 2017

Europe’s Populist Revolt: A Close-Up

From Germany to the UK and Italy, populism tries to get the upper hand. Can it be contained?

October 3, 2017

Macron: Now What?

There is a massive opening for France and Macron in Europe which no French president since Mitterrand 25 years ago has been able to seize.

September 22, 2017

Brexit: The Tories‘ Battle Against the Economic Facts

Why Germans and other nations should involve themselves more in the UK debate.

August 7, 2017

Brexit: Full Amputation or Gentle Separation?

The more Theresa May digs in, the less the British people know how much Brexit they really want.

June 24, 2017

What’s Next for the UK?

The politics of Brexit inside the UK is becoming more complex by the minute. The country needs a period of reflection to carry out a giant Brexit audit.

June 12, 2017

Prepare for the Battle to Save Britain (from Brexit)

The election result is definitive proof that the British people do not want Theresa May's hard Brexit.

June 9, 2017

Theresa May, Xenophobe: The Political Utility of the EU

Theresa May has long been obsessed with immigration. On that issue, she has managed to connect with some UK voters.

June 7, 2017

Why Theresa May Is No Winner

The British Prime Minister supposedly had a “sure hand” for the June 8 elections. Then, she collapsed.

June 7, 2017

Why Did Corbyn Rise So Much?

Corbyn may have his significant liabilities, but at least he is authentic. Not a smooth politician by any means, he is far less wooden than Theresa May.

June 6, 2017

Britain: Theresa May’s Vanity Election

The British Prime Minister, an eternal control freak, wanted to have herself a little election. Voters don’t appreciate it.

June 5, 2017

May Snap Election: A Move Toward British Disunification

The big winner of the upcoming UK snap election will be three nationalisms - English, Scottish and Irish republican.

April 19, 2017

London Terror and Poland’s Utter Disgrace

Poland’s Prime Minister (ab)uses terrorist act to settle political scores and trumpet her government’s message of utter divisiveness.

March 25, 2017

Trump and May Are Not Reagan and Thatcher

A closer look at what is going to be the future relationship between Donald Trump and Theresa May.

November 24, 2016

UK: Labour Hands UK to Tories for a Decade

Britain's Labour party, by reelecting Jeremy Corbyn, faces a miserable decade, like it did in the 1950s and 1980s.

September 25, 2016

A Misguided Love Affair With the United States

Gordon Brown, presumably a dour Scot, spent all his vacations in the United States and was in love with Clintonism.

September 25, 2016

Is Merkel Rushing to Push Britain Out of Europe?

What European leaders must do to give UK a chance for reason to prevail post-Brexit.

August 23, 2016

Kosovo: A Country That Doesn’t Exist? Really, Belgrade?

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has been a steadfast advocate for constructiveness in the West Balkans.

August 17, 2016

Theresa May’s Three Musketeers

Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox to take on Europe and the world, but craftily set up for failure.

July 15, 2016

Iraq Invasion: Why Did No One Raise An Eyebrow?

An insider’s account on the decision to invade Iraq, in view of the Chilcot Commission’s report.

July 7, 2016

Years of Confusion and Chaos After the UK Votes

The days of civilized, parliamentary exchanges that marked British politics belong to the last century.

June 21, 2016

The Three Brexit Fractures

The debate is dividing Britons by age, Conservatives by stance and Europeans by revived nationalisms.

June 13, 2016

UK: Brexit or Not? 10 Clues to Tell

Just a month to go and still no one knows whether Brexit will happen. Ten pointers to look for in revealing the outcome.

May 17, 2016

Obama’s Farewell to Europe

Is the 44th U.S. President burying the Euro-Atlantic alliance?

April 19, 2016

The Western Balkans: Unfinished History

Can a British prince offer a way out of the Balkans stalemate?

April 1, 2016

Europe’s New Crisis: Ungovernability

Returning to the spirit of the 1930s is not a program for government.

March 8, 2016

Make or Break Week for Brexit and David Cameron

David Cameron will get a form of words from Brussels this week. But will it be enough?

February 17, 2016

Brexit: A Sound Deal for Cameron?

Brussels delivers some of what Cameron wants. But is it enough to defeat Brexit?

February 3, 2016

Cameron’s Annus Horribilis

The choices of Britain’s Prime Minister will weigh heavily on the future of Europe.

January 6, 2016

Paris: Portrait of a City in Green and Brown

Marine Le Pen's inexorable rise augurs poorly for France and Europe.

December 11, 2015

David Cameron on Europe: The Implicit and Explicit Messages

Cameron’s speech implies recasting how the UK interacts with the EU.

November 11, 2015

Angela Merkel and the 10-Year Rule

If there is an iron law of European politics, it is for leaders to get out at the top as the ten-year rule completes its cycle.

October 30, 2015

The “Keep Britain in Europe” Campaign Starts

StrongerIn, the campaign to stop Brexit, is off to a good start. But can it last?

October 13, 2015

Corbyn the Moderate

Is the Labour Party’s new leader a secret moderate?

October 1, 2015

Corbyn is Firmly Within Labour Traditions

Labour Party will self correct. How long and what form this takes is the important question.

September 12, 2015

Greece: The Syriza Dream is Over

With Tspirpas running out of luck, Krugman and Stiglitz have to find new political champions to promote the cause of economic self-destruction

September 7, 2015

A Letter to My German Friends

From the Vietnam War to the eurozone crisis: What today's Germany must learn from LBJ.

August 27, 2015

UK: Who Is Jeremy Corbyn?

Explaining the potential leader of the Labor Party to friends outside Britain.

August 19, 2015

Greece: Open for Business Again?

Don’t be fooled: Nothing has been resolved.

July 21, 2015

Tsipras Triumphs Over Infantile Leftism and Conservative Economism

Why are 36, 60 and 80 key figures to keep in mind when analyzing the Greek situation?

July 20, 2015

Tsipras: A Turnaround Artist?

Greek prime minister's U-Turn shows politics dominates economics.

July 10, 2015

Greece’s New-Found Love of Ireland’s Sinn Fein

Why the Syriza government will stay its go-it-alone course.

July 8, 2015

Greece: A Tale of Three Referendums

Europe is telling the Swiss, Greeks and the British to either live by the rules -- or else...

June 29, 2015

David Cameron and Europe: On the Road to Damascus

Cameron’s problem is not about the EU, but about Britain and the future path of his own party.

June 12, 2015

The European Union as a Foreign Policy Weakling

Does the EU lack the will to deal with its eastern “partners” at Riga?

May 21, 2015

Grexit and Brexit: Some Stunning Parallels

Both Greece and Britain could face referendums that would change their place in Europe.

May 14, 2015

David Cameron, the Minimalist

Cameron has set the barrier for the EU so low even Jean-Claude Juncker could hop over it.

May 14, 2015

May 8, 1945: Beyond the Unconditional Surrender of German Forces

The ominous date also marks the beginning of violence and occupation in Algeria, Greece and Eastern Europe.

May 8, 2015

10 Things They Won’t Tell You about the British Election

The upcoming election is the strangest in recent British political history.

May 7, 2015

Brexit Looming? Will Britain Leave the EU?

It would be a geo-economic-political moment without parallel in the democratic world since 1945.

May 5, 2015

The Western Balkans: Europe’s Forgotten Region

The Balkans are still posed to plague the 21st century.

March 22, 2015

Where Is David Cameron?

Exploring Britain’s disappearance as a geopolitical player.

February 17, 2015

Greece Week 3: It’s Politics, Stupid

Syriza must learn how to play politics in Europe if it wants to stay in power.

February 8, 2015

Greece Versus Europe: Week One

Strategic reflections on the first week of Europe’s biggest drama.

February 2, 2015

The Case for Syriza

Greece and the tragedy of modern history.

January 23, 2015

France and Its Jews

France must act quickly to stop a new wave of anti-Semitism.

January 18, 2015

Europe’s Eager Islamism Understanders

After more than 25 years of Islamist killings in Europe, isn’t it time to stop blaming Israel or George W. Bush?

January 18, 2015

2015: The Year of All Elections for Europe?

Voters from Greece to Britain may finally decide if the EU will survive.

December 30, 2014

Britain’s Christmas Gift to Putin

Cameron commits a shocking diplomatic mistake and loses yet another European ally.

December 6, 2014

Cameron To Europe: Don’t Come Here Unless You Have a Job

The UK Prime Minister also wants you to leave your spouse at home.

November 28, 2014

13 Facts about Winston Churchill

The remarkable downsides of Britain's most famous leader.

November 24, 2014

Winston Churchill: Hagiography Versus History

Churchill is hero, not history, and Britain still lives under his shadow.

November 23, 2014

Romania: The German Factor and a Continental Pattern

The election in Romania shows how Europe grows together – quietly.

November 18, 2014

Time for Greece to Lead on Kosovo

Can the new EU foreign affairs chief, Frederica Mogherini, move forward on the semi-frozen conflicts of the Western Balkans?

November 9, 2014

Juncker’s Confidential Letter to Europe’s Leaders

A Globalist Exclusive: What the Juncker Commission needs from EU leaders for its mission to succeed.

October 31, 2014

Britain’s Conservatives: Independence Yes, Human Rights No

British Conservatives would rather discard the European Court of Human Rights than remain members of the EU.

October 3, 2014

The UK’s Problems Have Just Begun

Far from settling everything, the Scottish vote has opened everything up.

September 19, 2014

Mr. Juncker’s New Commission: Good for Europe’s Future?

The new EU Commission looks good, but national governments remain in charge in Europe.

September 12, 2014

Scotland’s Exit: An Earthquake for Britain

London has already lost in the fight for Scottish independence.

September 8, 2014

Mr. Tusk and Europe’s New Leadership

The effect may be to tilt Poland to the right creating a UK-Polish spoiler alliance in the EU.

September 1, 2014

London-grad: British Capital Under Russian Influence

Britain looks to move away from Russia, but London stands in the way.

August 11, 2014

War Crimes: How to Get Justice?

What are the lessons to be learned from the stalemate in Kosovo?

August 2, 2014

Message to France: “Reform or Drop Dead”

France's Prime Minister Valls urges his fellow citizens to reform.

July 7, 2014

Preventing Juncker: Cameron’s Self-Defeatist Move

Why is Britain's prime minister opposing the European Commission head who is most favorable to the UK's positions and interests?

June 20, 2014

European Election: Business as Usual

Claims about a watershed election are exaggerated, says the former UK Minister for Europe.

May 27, 2014

A Bulgarian to Watch Out For

Former Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev’s quiet rise toward EU power broker.

May 13, 2014

Manuel Valls: The Man to Remake France

France’s new prime minister could herald significant changes in Europe’s economic landscape.

April 1, 2014

The Need for Hard Diplomacy

The need for professional diplomacy has never been greater, even in an era of softer "cultural diplomacy."

December 11, 2013

Soft Power Doesn’t Exist

A decade after "soft power" came to the fore, it is time to assess its effectiveness.

December 11, 2013

Europe’s Next Leadership: Unknown, Unelected, Unloved

Europe’s system of horse-trading to choose leaders has produced non-leadership.

November 5, 2013

The Return of Social Europe

Will Angela Merkel’s big win in the recent German elections usher in more leftist labor policy?

October 10, 2013

EU Efforts to Export Democracy East Stalled

What's next for stalled EU efforts to integrate and democratize ex-Soviet states?

September 4, 2013

Attacking Germany Won’t Create French Jobs

Is it wise for the French to display inertia on economic reforms, while hoping for the election of a new German government? The UK's former Minister for Europe weighs in.

May 6, 2013