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Mark Leonard

Mark Leonard

Writing for PS since 2004
96 commentaries
6 videos & podcasts

Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, is the author of The Age of Unpeace: How Connectivity Causes Conflict (Bantam Press, 2021).

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  1. The Trump Effect Takes Europe
    leonard98_Tobias Hasepicture alliance via Getty Image_mettefrederikson Tobias Hase/picture alliance via Getty Images

    The Trump Effect Takes Europe

    Feb 20, 2024 Mark Leonard sees the threat of another “America First” presidency spurring Europeans into action on three key issues.

  2. Has the “Polycrisis” Overwhelmed Us?
    leonard97_FABRICE COFFRINIAFP via Getty Images_davos FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

    Has the “Polycrisis” Overwhelmed Us?

    Jan 26, 2024 Mark Leonard reports on the debates that defined this year’s summit of global political and business leaders in Davos.

  3. Europe Needs a New Ukraine Strategy
    leonard96_KENZO TRIBOUILLARDAFP via Getty Images_zelenskymichelvonderleyen Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images

    Europe Needs a New Ukraine Strategy

    Dec 21, 2023 Mark Leonard urges policymakers to reckon with the long-term challenges posed by the conflict with Russia.

  4. Polywar and Polyamorous Geopolitics
    leonard95_EVAN VUCCIPOOLAFP via Getty Images_bidenmodilula Evan Vucci/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    Polywar and Polyamorous Geopolitics

    Nov 16, 2023 Mark Leonard identifies a growing preference for flexible options, rather than rigid alliances, in international relations.

  5. The Global Consequences of the Israel-Hamas War
    leonard94_Mustafa HassonaAnadolu via Getty Images_gaza Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The Global Consequences of the Israel-Hamas War

    Nov 3, 2023 Mark Leonard considers the conflict's implications for the Middle East, Europe, China, and the United States.

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  1. stiglitz331_serggnGetty Images_techregulation serggn/Getty Images

    A Big Defeat for Big Tech

    Joseph E. Stiglitz

    Tech companies know that if there is an open, democratic debate about data security, consumers’ concerns about digital safeguards will win out. And while the industry's lobbyists tried to ensure that no such debate could ever occur, one of their more cynical moves has now been exposed and thwarted.

    details how the industry tried to slip extraordinary protections against regulation into US trade agreements.
  2. zizek27_Giles ClarkeGetty Images_jimmycherizier Giles Clarke/Getty Images

    Haiti’s Proud Boys

    Slavoj Žižek

    If we measure a failed state by the cracks in the edifice of its power, reflected in brewing ideological civil wars, deadlocked assemblies, and increasingly insecure public spaces, we must recognize that the United States is not so unlike Haiti. Both have given rise to violent gangs with political ambitions.

    warns that rich Western democracies are not immune to politically motivated gang violence.
  3. hedegaard11_y Dursun AydemirAnadolu via Getty Images_parliament elections Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Unity Is Europe’s Greatest Asset

    Connie Hedegaard emphasizes the importance of stability amid persistent economic and geopolitical crises.
  4. qian34_PEDRO PARDOAFP via Getty Images_immigration PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

    The Truth About US Immigration

    Nancy Qian warns that overheated campaign-season rhetoric is dangerously polarizing and ultimately self-defeating.
  5. mueller51_ David McNewGetty Images_gop trump David McNew/Getty Images

    The Zombification of Political Parties

    Jan-Werner Mueller argues that Donald Trump’s capture of the GOP’s organizational machinery recalls authoritarian tactics elsewhere.
  6. basu100_David Dee DelgadoGetty Images_newyork David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

    The Economic Consequences of Legal Behavior

    Kaushik Basu highlights the potential benefits of emphasizing adherence to the spirit of laws, if not their letter.
  7. brown106_KOLA SULAIMONAFP via Getty Images_nigeriaschool Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images

    For Nigeria’s Schools, Safety Must Come First

    Gordon Brown writes that the latest mass abduction of students underscores the dilemma facing parents throughout the country.
  8. owoo1_disabled iStock / Getty Images Plus

    Give Women with Disabilities a Chance

    Nkechi S. Owoo explains what is needed to protect and empower one of the world’s most vulnerable demographic groups.
  9. op_mkurz3_Spencer PlattGetty Images_rustbelt Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    How Capitalism Became a Threat to Democracy

    Mordecai Kurz examines the economic policies and market dynamics that have ushered in America's Second Gilded Age.

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