On both sides of the Atlantic budgets are under severe pressure. Governments are seeking to improve the effectiveness of development resources. Last week, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development unveiled the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, which seeks to bring a more unified, focused and results-based approach to U.S. civilian power. [...]

Read the full story

BRUSSELS — Last Thursday, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee finally approved a resolution to ratify the New START treaty. But chances of its being debated in the full Senate before the U.S. mid-term elections on November 2 are looking slim, further delaying the treaty’s final ratification. These rather gloomy prospects stand in sharp contrast [...]

Read the full story

BERLIN — Hungarians made a resounding statement in April’s parliamentary elections. The governing Socialists took a severe beating, the conservative Fidesz of Viktor Orbán won an absolute majority, and the rightwing extremists, Jobbik, emerged as the third major player in parliament. Many observers pointed to discontent with runaway corruption and the global economic crisis, which [...]

Read the full story

The European Union spends ‚¬55 billion a year on farm subsidies. Until recently the question of where the money goes was a closely-guarded secret. But thanks to a campaign by journalists, researchers and computer programmers, European taxpayers now have the right to know how their tax money is spent. Jack Thurston, Transatlantic Fellow at the [...]

Read the full story

WASHINGTON — World leaders meeting in London to discuss Afghanistan’s future have dealt themselves a weak hand.   The principal obstacles to success in Afghanistan have not been the adversary’s strength or any lack of support for the international mission by the Afghan public.   Rather, the primary obstacles to victory have been Western temporizing, [...]

Read the full story

In a GMF video feature, Senior Fellow Dan Twining explains the importance of the Afghanistan conference on January 28, and the key topics shaping the discussion.

Read the full story

PARIS — On November 18, the European Council selected Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton to become, respectively, President of the European Council for a two and a half year-term, and High Representative/Vice-President of the Commission for external affairs for a five-year term. In Europe and beyond, comments have ranged from the cautiously positive to [...]

Read the full story

BRUSSELS — To many people outside of Brussels, the process that resulted in the selection of Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as President of the European Council and Catherine Ashton to the dual-hatted position as High Representative for External Affairs and Vice President of the European Commission was a bit like waiting for the [...]

Read the full story

BRUSSELS — For a supposedly stillborn concept, talk of a G2 — actual or potential — has proved remarkably durable. Why, despite the implausibility of the notion, does it continue? Anyone looking for signs of an emerging Sino-American global condominium in Tuesday’s comprehensive joint declaration would indeed have had slim pickings. President Obama’s visit has [...]

Read the full story

BRUSSELS — On November 3, the Czech Republic’s Constitutional Court ruled that the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty is compatible with the country’s constitution. President Vaclav Klaus signed the document on the same day, the last of the 27 EU leaders to do so. The Treaty is now expected to come into force on December 1, [...]

Read the full story