On Thursday this week, British Prime Minister Tony Blair will announce the date he will step down as premier, all but cementing a July handover to his long time political friend and rival Gordon Brown. As Chancellor Brown moves nextdoor into Number 10 Downing Street, he faces some big challenges on the economy and on reinvigorating the domestic policy agenda. But the only way he will be able to make the necessary break with the Blair era and restore the Labour Party’s electoral fortunes is to offer a full and unequivocal apology for the mistakes of the government’s policy towards Iraq. Continue Reading…

On Sunday, January 14th, Nicolas Sarkozy, current Interior Minister and head of the conservative party (UMP) was designated as an official candidate by 98,1% of the party’s members who voted (aprox. 70% turn out). He gave his first  campaign speech the same day.

Beyond the very lyrical nature of the speech, … Continue Reading…