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Atlantic Sentinel

The view from across the Atlantic, by Nick Ottens

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Nick Ottens

Nick Ottens writes about American and European politics for Atlantic Sentinel and Wynia’s Week. He specializes in the politics of France, the Netherlands and Spain, and is interested in Catalan separatism, drug, energy and housing policy, the future of farming and meat, health care and multiparty democracy. He has been published by the Atlantic Council, EUobserver, Spain’s The Corner and World Politics Review.

Nick grew up in the countryside of North Holland and lived in New York and Barcelona. He wrote opinion columns about Catalan politics and the region’s attempted breakaway from Spain for De Standaard of Belgium, the NRC newspaper of the Netherlands and The National Interest. He worked for three political-risk consultancies and a non-profit, XPRIZE, where he designed multimillion-dollar prize competitions to accelerate innovation, including in health care and meat alternatives.

In his spare time, Nick edits the online (alternate) history magazine Never Was and writes about the making of Star Trek for Forgotten Trek. He is a member of the Netherlands’ liberal party, VVD.

New York ambulance

American Health Care Is Understaffed, Because It Is Overregulated

The pandemic highlighted the need for more doctors and nurses.

Nick OttensApril 19, 2022May 18, 2022
Boris Johnson Emmanuel Macron

Macron Is Wrong to Back Away from Pension Reform

French pensions are too generous. The pension system is too expensive.

Nick OttensApril 13, 2022May 12, 2022

Design and Newsletter Updates

The Atlantic Sentinel gets a facelift. The newsletter moves to Substack.

Nick OttensApril 12, 2022May 11, 2022
Emmanuel Macron

Macron Places First, But Le Pen Is Stronger Than Ever

Takeaways from the first presidential voting round in France.

Nick OttensApril 10, 2022May 8, 2022
Elysée Palace Paris France

Macron and Le Pen Win First Voting Round in France

This presidential election will be a rematch of the last.

Nick OttensApril 10, 2022April 24, 2022
Valérie Pécresse

French Presidential Election Guide

The electoral system, the candidates, the key issues and the most likely outcomes.

Nick OttensApril 9, 2022May 6, 2022
Elysée Palace Paris France

Five French Election Scenarios

Whoever wins the presidency, France will probably have five years of divided government.

Nick OttensApril 8, 2022April 24, 2022
Marine Le Pen

Programs of the French Presidential Candidates, Compared

Policies include leaving NATO, legalizing cannabis, raising the retirement age and renationalizing motorways.

Nick OttensApril 4, 2022April 20, 2022
Emmanuel Macron

Macron’s Successes and Failures

What the French president has, and hasn’t, got done in five years.

Nick OttensMarch 28, 2022April 24, 2022
Sigrid Kaag

Netherlands’ Kaag Disappoints Liberal Well-Wishers

Foreign journalists thought this Dutch finance minister would be different.

Nick OttensMarch 26, 2022April 23, 2022
Barcelona Spain

Catalan Support for Independence Down, Autonomy Up

The shift in public opinion suggests a way out of the decade-long dispute with Spain.

Nick OttensMarch 20, 2022April 21, 2022
Emmanuel Macron

Ukraine War Gives European Defense Union New Urgency

Countries had already been spooked by Donald Trump’s verbal attacks on NATO.

Nick OttensMarch 19, 2022April 10, 2022

Recommended Reading on the Russo-Ukrainian War

Russia may be in for a long war, but few experts believe Vladimir Putin will fall.

Nick OttensMarch 18, 2022April 9, 2022
The Hague Netherlands

Dutch Ignored Warnings About Relying on Russian Gas

The Dutch government was warned many times Russia could not be trusted and bought its gas anyway.

Nick OttensMarch 17, 2022April 8, 2022
Olaf Scholz

Germany Admits Failure of Ostpolitik 2.0

It was about time.

Nick OttensMarch 15, 2022April 7, 2022

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