Bashar Assad’s Big Push to Recover His Eastern Border
With Western-backed forces closing in on Mosul and Raqqa, Syria’s dictator can take advantage of the Islamic State’s weakness.
Analysis
Dutch Parties Name Seasoned Negotiator In Bid to Break Impasse
Parties hope elder statesman Herman Tjeenk Willink can succeed where Edith Schippers failed.
Italy’s Renzi Calls for German-Style Voting System
German voting rules could pave the way for a grand coalition.
Merkel’s Call Not to Rely on America: Reckless or Prudent?
It depends on whether you think the election of Donald Trump was an aberration or not.
Why Spain’s Podemos Now Supports Catalan Referendum
Hint: It’s not because the far-left movement is suddenly in favor of Catalan independence.
Reasons to Doubt Labour’s Poll Surge Will Last
Labour has gone up in the polls, but it still has a long way to go.
Trump’s Team Was Desperate for Back Channel with Moscow
On at least three occasions did the president’s underlings propose to bypass the American national security apparatus.
Trump Is Not the First American Leader to Criticize German Exports
Barack Obama also felt the Germans relied too much on selling goods to other countries.
Duterte’s Play for a Dictatorship
The Filipino leader’s war on drugs is starting to look like a pretext for keeping himself in power.
Trump Hectors NATO Allies at 9/11 Memorial
The American reminds his allies of their military spending commitments at the worst possible moment.
NATO Throws Austria Under the Bus to Appease Turks
Turkey threatened to blow up NATO’s entire partnership program unless the Austrians were kicked out.
Rajoy’s Attitude Makes Catalan Secession More Likely
Belittling Catalan demands can only harden attitudes in the region.
Dutch Christian, Liberal Parties End Talks, Putting Pressure on Labor
Labor is reluctant to govern, but it could hold the key to forming a majority government.
Smart Policies, Wrong Vision from Germany’s Social Democrats
The party has a plan to help middle-income voters, but it tries to sell it as an agenda for social justice.
Pedro Sánchez 2.0
The reelected Spanish Socialist Party leader promises to be more disruptive this time around.
