Europe
How the EU turned on Ireland’s low-tax project
First, the good news. The Irish government is about to receive a €13 billion windfall in the form of back…
My teenage Interrailing adventures
Dante’s Beach, Ravenna In my life I have nearly killed myself mainly with cigarettes and alcohol and dangerous journeys into…
The danger of a Labour supermajority
We are witnessing what could well be the last few weeks of a constrained Labour party. Sir Keir Starmer is…
The EU ‘elections’ vindicate Brexit
If Britain had not left the European Union, we would be going to the polls this week as well as…
What Xi wants in Europe
On a quiet street in Belgrade, a bronze statue of Confucius stands in front of a perforated white block, the…
Europe has no answer to its immigration problem
Pulling off the rhetorical trick that Brexit would undermine the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement, Michel Barnier, the EU negotiator,…
In defence of the EU
Eastern Europe is the graveyard of empires. Rome failed on the Danube, Napoleon on the Dnieper. The epic struggle between…
Judgment call: the case for leaving the ECHR
What’s to stop us leaving the ECHR?
You think British trains are bad? Try German ones
I found Jean-Pierre standing at a half-open window gulping down lungfuls of stale Dutch air as our night train chuntered,…
My verdict on Eurovision
I had the sudden suspicion, at about ten o’clock on Saturday night, that I was the only straight male in…
Europe is turning against net zero
Europe’s net-zero backlash
The EU is alienating eastern Europe
For most of its 66 years of existence, a vital part of the EU’s mission has been the inexorable expansion…
Does Ukrainian exist?
After six months of war in Ukraine, most observers agree that the roots of Russian aggression lie in the country’s…
Europe’s descent into deindustrialisation
The rapid economic collapse that Britain is facing is simply an accelerated version of what the whole of Europe is…
Will Meloni be able to govern Italy?
Mario Draghi’s national unity government lost badly in yesterday’s Italian election – worse even than the polls predicted. Fratelli d’Italia,…
Europe’s new migrant crisis
Earlier this month I spent a week in Sicily, driving south from Palermo to Agrigento and then east to Syracuse…
Europe’s looming energy wars
This summer marks a truce. But if, as expected, Liz Truss becomes prime minister, it is almost inevitable that tensions…
Ukrainians aren't surprised by Amnesty's victim-blaming
Is Amnesty International victim-blaming? The Ukrainian military has been endangering civilians, it said, by establishing military bases and putting weapons…
Viktor Orbán's Texas rodeo
Say what you want about Viktor Orbán, but he gives a good speech. His address on Thursday in Dallas on…
Is war brewing between Serbia and Kosovo?
Serbia and Kosovo are close to conflict. Of all things, a dispute over car number plates is threatening the fragile…
The next PM must be ready for Putin
Westminster is understandably obsessed with the question of who makes the final two of the Tory leadership race, but today…
How Justin Trudeau caved to Putin
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the West was certain that its sanctions were worth the pain. But there always was a…
The problem with euro-dollar parity
The euro is nearly level with the dollar. It should not matter in theory, because of the relatively low share…
Macron vs the deep state
French diplomats are on strike today. But will anyone notice? Not to be immodest, I am especially well qualified to…
How Russia wins
It is still too early to predict the outcome of the war in Ukraine. Russia has certainly solidified its position…
