On January 6th Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, announced his resignation. Over the past year he has became an isloated and deeply polarising figure as supporters have abondoned his Liberal Party, angry that it has failed to tackle inflation, housing costs and the strains from high immigration. In the coming weeks the Liberals will be gripped by a leadership struggle. Potential replacements include Mark Carney, who ran the Bank of England, and before that the Bank of Canada; Chrystia Freeland, whose surprise resignation as finance minister precipitated the crisis that forced Trudeau out; and Dominic Leblanc, who succeeded Freeland as finance minister.
Tag: European Union
African Economies will Flourish in 2025
In October the IMF described a “two-track growth pattern” in sub-Saharan Africa. On one track are most of the 23 countries with sizeable exports of non-renewable commodities such as oil, gold or diamonds. These include Angola, Nigeria and South Africa. As prices for their exports sagged, their GDPs per person have dropped in the past decade. Most resource-rich countries have also been focused more on dividing the spoils of the boom years than on using the proceeds to build resilient economies.
EU Ambitions in the Western Balkans
On Wednesday leaders from the six western Balkan countries hoping to join the European Union meet their counterparts from the bloc’s member states. They will discuss the EU’s “growth plan”, which aims to absorb the countries into individual aspects of the union, such as its single market, before they become full members. The region’s accession process began in 2003 but has generally slowed. Bulgaria, already an EU member, is blocking North Macedonia; Serbia’s dispute with Kosovo, its former province, hampers the accession of both; and Bosnia’s Serb leadership is more interested in destroying Bosnia-Herzegovina as a state than joining the EU.
A Nudge for Europe’s Economy
The European Union’s (EUs) economy is only about 1 percent bigger than it was a year ago. And inflation, at 2.3 percent in November, is close to the European Central Bank’s target of 2 percent. The prices of services across various member countries among EU have been rising by around 4 percent a year and there is sustained pressure from growing wages – the Netherlands, which has the most up-to-date figures, estimates these as rising at 6.5 percent.
Time for Europe: Forging a New Path Ahead
The US Elections are over and the victory is resoundingly for Donald Trump. Europe leaders are nervous about what it would mean for Europe, NATO and the war in Ukraine. European Union, the largest regional bloc, still doesn’t speak in one voice. French President Emmanuel Macron has been leading the charge in forging an independent Europe. Since the end of World War 2, Europe has been tangled with the US in all the ways possible which has created an atmosphere of dependence on the US.
How can China Respond to Trump’s New China Policy?
During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised to impose 60% tariffs on Chinese goods and services coming to the United States. This time, Beijing seems already strategising to retaliate against the upcoming tariffs from the second Trump administration. Trump’s proposed tariffs on Chinese imports could disrupt China’s export-driven economic model, which has driven the country’s growth over the past few decades.
Total Annihilation of Health System in Gaza
Guns & Bullets, our popular briefing offering critical intelligence, analysis and news on current ongoing wars and conflicts around the world. In this issue, the cover story is “Total Annihilation of Health System in Gaza.”
Silent Adjudicators Amidst the Iran-Pakistan Cross-Border Strikes
States are the primary actors in international relations, driven by self-interest and the pursuit of power. In this context, the Iran-Pakistan conflict can be understood as a struggle for influence and security along their shared border. The volatile region of Baluchistan province is being heightened by the recent airstrikes between Iran and Pakistan, posing concerns about potential escalation of tensions. The ongoing conflict is influenced by power dynamics and national interests, while China’s GSI is playing a stability role.