For a long time, social media were presented as a wonderful tool for citizen empowerment. They were supposed to democratize information, give a voice to those who had none, and strengthen democratic participation. Fifteen years later, the reality is much more nuanced. Information has never circulated so quickly. Citizens have never had access to so…
Belgium likes to present itself as the laboratory of European compromise. Yet, behind this reassuring image lies a more worrying reality: never in several decades has the country appeared so politically, socially, and culturally fragmented. Recent developments in the Belgian political landscape reveal a major underlying trend: the multiplication of divides. Flemish versus French-speakers. Regions…
Political careers often end when circumstances demand qualities that a politician cannot supply. That seems especially true of Sir Keir Starmer. On Monday, he stepped down as Labour leader, hours before Andy Burnham arrived at Westminster to take his seat as MP for Makerfield. Sir Keir’s achievements were real. He won a large parliamentary majority in 2024, provided…
When the pandemic came to an end, many people who had been working from home assumed they would be allowed to maintain that habit at least a few days a week. But today in the U.S., a third of companies have forced everyone back to the office full time and have banned remote and hybrid…
The transatlantic relationship between Europe and the United States is entering a new phase of uncertainty. The return of Donald Trump to the White House marks not only a political shift in Washington, but also a profound questioning of the strategic balances that have structured the West since the end of the Second World War….
For decades, Europe was convinced that its economic, social, and political model constituted a global benchmark. It possessed a powerful industry, considerable diplomatic influence, and one of the highest standards of living on the planet. Today, this certainty is wavering. The observation is brutal. The United States dominates disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms….
The “ceasefire” in Gaza is a “cruel and deadly illusion”, warned James Elder, the Unicef spokesman, on Friday. Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians since its declaration in October, says the Gaza health ministry, including 265 children – an average of one a day. The killings and broader humanitarian crisis have been overshadowed…
A historian once told me that the presidency would distill Donald Trump to his essence. That essence, it turns out, is trillions of microscopic organisms that suck up all the oxygen and endanger life around them. That essence is slimy, stinky and unrelenting, as reflected in the mass of algae that infests the Reflecting Pool…
This week, we saw two distinct visions of what it means to honor and celebrate the United States. The first is the one you know, the Ultimate Fighting Championship spectacle in Washington, where President Trump presided over pyrotechnics, blood sport and general mayhem. Ostensibly planned to mark the 250th anniversary of the nation — which,…
In a London court in 1670, a judge, livid with the jury, locked them away for two days without food, water or even a chamber pot. The jury’s offence? Defying the judge’s direction to convict the Quaker William Penn – the future founder of Pennsylvania – charged with preaching sedition in the City of London….
