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A careful selection and summary of editorials, commentaries, and analyses from the world’s leading newspapers and magazines to help you stay on top of the latest debates and developments in the transatlantic agenda. See list of monitoring sources.
Readers can also see how the perspectives and priorities diverge in different regions.

Greater Role for the State in the 21st Century

The financial crisis has proven that there is still a major role for the state to play in our global era. ++ New challenges, such as intense capital transactions, have increased pressure on the state and require it to complement its traditional (albeit still capital) functions of protecting its citizens through the monopoly of force, promoting democratization and so forth. ++ In order to succeed in the fulfillment of this task, the state ought to be backed by both supranational and regional institutions, whose roles are likely to increase.

Obama Suggests Tax Cuts To Stimulate Economy

President Obama has introduced a new stimulus plan to revive the US economy. ++ While the plan aims to reduce tax payments by $300 and provide relief to both families and business, US officials warn against the unnecessary spending that usually accompanies tax cuts. ++ While the complete plan has yet to be worked out, the Obama administration has characterized it as ‘ideologically neutral.’ ++ Some Republican members seem to doubt the effectiveness of the new stimulus package but appreciate the President’s attempt to openly discuss the plan.

UN Must Condemn Palestinian Abuse of Civilians

Palestine’s exploitation of its refugees and use of children as human shields are among the most shameful practices in the Israel-Palestine conflict. ++ The international community has for years sustained these abuses: the UNRWA perpetuates the misery of Palestinian refugees, doing nothing to dismantle camps or help them rebuild their lives, acting as “facilitator for the terrorists' goal of grinding an entire civilian population under their thumb.” ++ The West has a duty to condemn these tactics and recognize Palestinians’ human rights.

Financial Crisis Sways German Electoral Campaign

Germany is getting ready for a year rich in elections at every level, concluding with the September legislative duel between Chancellor Merkel and FM Steinmeier. ++ A recent survey places Merkel in the lead; however, the financial crisis and its social repercussions make every prediction highly precarious. ++ The two candidates have therefore opted for officially starting the electoral campaign in the summer, an attempt to prove to the electorate that party competition does not prevail over governmental duty.

End of Dollar Era, Back to the Gold?

Originating in the US, the economic recession has gradually affected all economies. ++ International responses vary from smooth European behavior, where the Bundesbank still plays a key role in shaping the ECB policies, to an aggressive macroeconomic stimulus program in the US, making several ponder its potential inflationary repercussions. ++  There is, however, no current currency alternative to the dollar to avoid the risk of inflation. ++ Could the reemergence of the gold standard be an option?

Obama Should End US Involvement In Afghanistan

Analysts and scholars warn that the problems that the US faces in Afghanistan - continued insurgencies, opium production, a US army demoralized and drained of resources given the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan - will compromise the success of any new deployments in the region. ++ In the midst of the financial crisis and with firm evidence that the US commitment in Afghanistan contributes to the destabilization of nuclear Pakistan, President Obama should reconsider his ambitions to commit more troops in Afghanistan.

Will China Miss George W. Bush?

While the world welcomes the end of the Bush presidency and places its hopes on the man who promised change, China stands aloof from the celebrations. ++ President Bush turned a blind eye to China’s human rights abuses and failed to provide criticism of Chinese military expansion, leaving it undisturbed to pursue its goal of becoming a world power. ++ Currently, global recession and a new democratic leadership combine to create uncertainty as to the future of the bilateral relation which was strengthened under the Bush administration.

Three-State Solution Ought to be Considered

The war in Gaza is evidence that the current governance paradigm has failed the Palestinian people. ++ It is bizarre that a two-state solution continues to be advocated; "instead, we should look to a three-state approach, where Gaza is returned to Egyptian control and the West Bank in some configuration reverts to Jordanian sovereignty." ++ The suboptimal character of this solution is clear, as is the difficulty of implementing it. ++ However, an alternative that satisfies all parties seems today more than ever impossible to find.

Rethinking Germany's Rescue Package

One of the conditions of Germany's rescue package stating that salaries of top management ought to be limited to €500,000 a year found itself at the origin of several critiques. ++ Contested is the fact that "one cannot give the banks the freedom to decide whether to accept help and at the same time threaten managers with salary cuts." ++ Dropping this restriction ought to be envisaged urgently in order to achieve the needed recapitalization of the banking system as the country revealed to be more affected by the crisis than at first assumed.

Evaluating India's Options

A few months after the Mumbai terrorist attacks and in a climate of growing suspicion that Pakistani groups are responsible, India is still uncertain of how to respond. ++ The ramifications of the military option could stretch from a negative shift in the balance of power between the Pakistani secular community and the military elite, to a large scale war between two nuclear powers. ++ While all options are still on the table, the safest choice for India and the world would be to seek a multilateral solution through the UNSC.