‘British bulldog’ triumphalism may prove dangerous
When John Maynard Keynes observed that “animal spirits” were a fundamental part of the way economies performed, he probably didn’t have in mind British bulldogs. But when Britain voted in June last…
Kitney
Who will lead the world in 2017?
Short of wartime and economic depression, it is hard to imagine a New Year arriving amid as much trepidation as this New Year. The year just ending brought us the shocks of…
Climate of change heralds new era of scepticism
Within sections of the international business community which applauded Britain’s vote to leave the European Union there is intense puzzling about what appears to be a glaring contradiction in the May Government’s…
Political conversation needs the voice of reason
In the raging debate about the “crisis” gripping Western democracies, one set of voices has been noticeably silent. What might be best termed as the “moderate right” – a political category in…
Global political shocks shift global trade
By Geoff Kitney As China seeks to exploit an unprecedented series of political shocks to the major western nations, trade policy has emerged as the key battleground on which the balance of…
Democratic dominos line up. Will they fall?
In the major capitals of Europe, almost anyone in an official capacity that you talk to is using the language of impending danger and potential doom. Fear is palpable. Uncertainty about the…
Merkel fights on as history awaits
What a journey she has been on! When it was first touted that Angela Merkel would become the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) candidate for the German Chancellorship after her election as party…
The psychology of government
As political parties around the world try to work out why opinion pollsters are struggling to get accurate readings of what is on voters’ minds, governments are beginning to tap into pioneering…
Political regret you just have to live with
So why did so many political professionals fail to predict both Brexit and the US election result? Both are political earthquake events. Both seemed to result in counter-intuitive outcomes. In both cases,…
Europe is in dire need of unifying leaders
German Chancellor Angela Merkel must have mixed feelings about the British Brexit vote. Despite all that is bad about it from her point of view, the one thing for which she must…