The United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary in muted fashion, and not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With rising nationalism and the return of great-power rivalry threatening to paralyze the organization at the heart of the multilateral system, many are asking whether global cooperation has a future.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s unexpected resignation for health reasons has ended the tenure of Japan’s longest-serving premier, raising questions about the future direction of economic and foreign policy. His successor, Yoshihide Suga, who was Abe’s closest ally in government, must now convince voters and the rest of the world that he is up to the job.
As rich-country governments spend unprecedented sums to mitigate COVID-19’s economic impact, levels of public debt unseen since World War II seem like a problem for another day. But once the pandemic has passed, the inevitable question will arise: Who will foot the bill?
Since the Industrial Revolution, major urban hubs have powered the global economy by serving as magnets for talent and capital. But as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc and millions discover the benefits of remote working, are the megacities of the pre-pandemic era approaching their expiration date?
US President Donald Trump’s demagogic nationalism has seriously damaged America’s global standing and weakened the rules-based multilateral system that Trump’s predecessors built and led. Will November’s presidential election pave the way for the United States to resume its international leadership role, or fuel global chaos?
The US currency’s recent marked decline against the euro has heightened concerns about its global standing, which had already been eroded by President Donald Trump’s risky and erratic economic policies. Is the greenback’s current weakness the result of short-term factors, or does it augur the end of a monetary era?
Nationwide protests against President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s 26-year rule have escalated in the aftermath of the flagrantly fraudulent election on August 9. With factory workers striking and security forces quitting in disgust, could Lukashenko’s usual response to street demonstrations – mass arrests and escalation of official violence – fail to save him this time?
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s incendiary anti-China speech in late July provides a useful guide to the official thinking underlying the burgeoning Sino-American cold war. But Pompeo’s Christian millenarian worldview is not necessary to explain the two sides’ battle for technological supremacy.
The pandemic-battered United States suffered its sharpest economic contraction on record in the second quarter. As has become overwhelmingly clear, any meaningful recovery will require policymakers finally to get serious about combating COVID-19.
European Union leaders have reached a landmark deal on a €750 billion ($867 billion) recovery fund intended to help those member states hit hardest by COVID-19. Next Generation EU, as the rescue package has been dubbed, could pave the way for the bloc to pursue far more ambitious reforms, and may boost Europe’s international standing, too.
The United States will not suddenly revert to its post-war global leadership role should presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden win November’s presidential election. But a Biden victory could reinvigorate the transatlantic alliance and revive US engagement on key international issues.
By forcing much of the world to go online, the COVID-19 crisis has rapidly broadened the global technology debate beyond questions of surveillance and privacy. The digital policies that governments adopt today will increasingly shape how we work, learn, and entertain ourselves – and how we manage future crises.
Not long ago, America was the unchallenged global hegemon. But as inept leadership fuels an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases amid deepening economic distress and nationwide protests against systemic racism and police violence, many are wondering whether the US can govern itself, much less lead the world.
The United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary in muted fashion, and not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With rising nationalism and the return of great-power rivalry threatening to paralyze the organization at the heart of the multilateral system, many are asking whether global cooperation has a future.
