Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper with former Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds

How can the Five Eyes bolster its security resilience?

In-Depth Analysis By Kareem Salem on December 17, 2021 | Reading time 9 min

Forged under the pressure of the Second World War, the Five Eyes has linked together the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Canada and New Zealand in unprecedented cooperation on intelligence sharing. The current international security backdrop, however, remains particularly salient in terms of great-power competition from authoritarian powers seeking to challenge the US-led liberal international order. For the Five Eyes to strengthen its security resilience, enhanced intelligence cooperation and alliance expansion will be vital to effectively thwart the malign behaviour of rogue powers on the international stage.

Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki in the European Parliament

Politics of Confusion – The sixth fragment: Apathy

Opinion By Zuzanna Zajac on December 6, 2021 | Reading time 5 min

On November 23, 2021, the European Parliament denied Mateusz Morawiecki the opportunity to speak during a debate regarding the current situation on the Belarusian border. Even though for an average polish citizen it is disheartening to see that Poland is no longer considered a reliable and significant debating partner, it is an understandable decision, which can be justified by tracing the chronology of events from this year that have contributed to the deteriorating relations with Belarus and the EU and which Poland could have, on multiple occasions, taken control of.

Boris Johnson, Antonio Guterres and Joe Biden at the COP26 World Leaders Summit

COP26 – A “glowing success” or “This could have been a zoom call?” 

Brief Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on November 30, 2021 | Reading time 7 min

Despite the threatening likelihood of a global climate crisis, little action has so far been taken by governments. Apart from recurring summits, which only bring forward further protocols, agreements and promises that rarely have any serious enforcement mechanism or consequences if not followed through, radical measures and reforms remain absent. From October 31 until November 14, 2021, world leaders convened in Glasgow for the COP26 summit, aiming to find measures to reduce emissions and prevent the approaching climate crisis in the coming decades.

Brexit: MEPs agree on key conditions for approving UK withdrawal agreement

Here without the EU

In-Depth Analysis By Stella Popova on November 26, 2021 | Reading time 15 min

Regarding the future of EU-UK trade, it is crucial to find a solution to the volatile situation at the Northern Ireland border so that the Good Friday Agreement is not jeopardized. Meanwhile, the EU should not allow a de facto backdoor to the Single Market. To quote professor Kalypso Nicolaïdis, the problem with the Brits is that they are “too French” – avoir le beurre, l’argent du beurre et les baisers de la fermiere (loosely translated “wanting not only to have their cake and eat it but also to kiss the baker’s daughter”). Indeed, this time they must be more realistic and eventually they might be forced to be satisfied only with a cake. However, why not a cake and a handshake?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds virtual G7 meeting

US sentiment for Ireland threatens the UK-US trade deal

Brief Analysis By Claudia Bond on November 22, 2021 | Reading time 6 min

When the UK left the EU, the British public was promised a series of new trade deals, including with Britain’s most important trading partner: the United States of America. Yet, there are numerous barriers preventing a smooth negotiation, among them, the status of Northern Ireland. The US is committed to protecting the Good Friday Agreement and President Biden takes a personal interest in Ireland, but the UK is threatening to violate the agreement due to issues with the Northern Ireland protocol. Could Ireland threaten the UK’s hopes for a trade deal with the US, and if so, how?

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan - U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons fly into a four-ship formation

How can the US-led Quad compete against China?

Brief Analysis By Kareem Salem on November 16, 2021 | Reading time 6 min

In advocating a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, Joe Biden has pushed for closer ties with like-minded nations across the maritime region, amidst China’s aggressive behaviour on the international stage. At the core of this strategy, Biden has reached for a tool that was underused by his predecessor Donald Trump: the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, an informal security alliance comprising India, Australia, Japan and the United States (US).

Demonstration in front of the ruling party "Law and Justice" (PiS) Headquarter

The politics of confusion – The fifth fragment: Where does it leave the citizens?

Brief Analysis By Zuzanna Zajac on November 8, 2021 | Reading time 6 min

The contemporary political narrative is loud, filled with politicians fighting over wealth and power. This leaves little space for issues that are relevant to Polish citizens, such as economic security, freedom of speech and social stability. So what is really going on in Poland, an entity defined not by a group of megalomaniac politicians, but by the inhabitants, which make it all work?

NYPD Counterterrorism Unit

The Real Culprit: Globalization as A Cause of Terrorism

Brief Analysis By Alan Cunningham on November 1, 2021 | Reading time 6 min

In the 21st century, terrorism has been one of the most prominent national and international security and defense problems. While terrorism is a centuries-old issue, it has gained prominence since the massive improvement of technology from the mid-20th century onward and has become a force used by state and non-state actors and poses significant problems for democratic and authoritative regimes alike. In many ways, terrorism and its ability to be conducted anywhere, at any time, has been aided seriously by globalization.

Lebanon: A member of the French search and rescue team after the tragic explosions in Beirut

Sectarian staging and human life is the cost in Lebanon

Opinion By Lena Chercaoui on October 25, 2021 | Reading time 4 min

Over the past two years, the minimum wage in Lebanon has fallen by 84% due to the devaluation of the Lebanese pound. The country has been facing an economic crisis, which could rank in the top three most severe crises episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century. The crisis has left almost three-quarters of the population below the national poverty line. Nevertheless, the corrupt political regime deemed it insufficient to starve more than half of the population to death. Today, on top of medicine and gas shortage, electricity cuts and constant uncertainty, the Lebanese starve for justice.

Nicolás Dujovne with Xiao Jie

China’s quiet yet steady deals in Argentina

Brief Analysis By Maria Cecilia Barbas on October 21, 2021 | Reading time 7 min

As of 2010, Argentina became one of the main exporting countries of soybean oil and flour. Since then, its commercial ties with China have multiplied: in 2014, the Latin American country gave China a significant part of its land to build a Space Station and, a year earlier, the Argentine state paid a billion dollars for Chinese wagons. Currently, the Asian country is targeting the Paraná River waterway, the installation of hog farms and hydroelectric power plants in Patagonia.