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Curated by Project Syndicate

Happy 60th Birthday, Europe?

55 commentaries

On the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, European heads of state convene again in the Italian capital. But with the EU beset by populist and nationalist challenges, the looming start of Brexit, and uncertainty about America’s global role, is the European project nearing retirement?

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  1. Populism at the Barrel of a Gun?
    Antoni Macierewicz NurPhoto/Getty Images

    Populism at the Barrel of a Gun?

    Apr 6, 2017 Sławomir Sierakowski sees in the Polish government's military shakeup another step toward authoritarianism.

  2. Europe’s Reform Opportunity
    Greece eurozone Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images

    Europe’s Reform Opportunity

    Apr 6, 2017 Herman Van Rompuy, et al. propose ways to improve intra-eurozone policy coordination after the French and German elections.

  3. Europe’s Other Populist Problem
    Greece ATM Milos Bicanski/Getty Images

    Europe’s Other Populist Problem

    Apr 5, 2017 Anders Åslund points out that eurozone policies since the financial crisis have followed a classic model.

  4. Europe’s Illiberal Establishment
    Alexis Tsipras NurPhoto/Getty Images

    Europe’s Illiberal Establishment

    Apr 1, 2017 Yanis Varoufakis blames EU elites for the wave of nationalism now threatening European unity.

  5. President Trump’s Necessary German Lessons
    sinn73_Patrik Stollarz_AFP_Getty Images_mercedes Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

    President Trump’s Necessary German Lessons

    Mar 28, 2017 Hans-Werner Sinn dismantles the US president's latest charge of currency manipulation against a key trade partner.

  6. A Dramatic Comeback for Europe
    Netherlands election voters John Thys/AFP/Getty Images

    A Dramatic Comeback for Europe

    Mar 28, 2017 Anatole Kaletsky foresees a surge in confidence and eurozone investment if centrist forces win in France and Germany.

  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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