19-2 Public Debt: Fiscal and Welfare Costs in a Time of Low Interest Rates | Olivier Blanchard

n his presidential address to the American Economic Association in early January, Olivier Blanchard explored the costs and benefits of public debt in the current environment of low interest rates. In this Policy Brief, he first summarizes his argument; he then addresses a number of objections to his conclusions and considers the practical fiscal policy implications.

How Evolution Has Wired Us For Good | Y.Mounk & N.Christakis (podcast)

Evolutionary arguments often emphasize humans’ ability to inflict violence. Nicholas Christakis argues that our biological history has wired us for good.

Κώστας Σοφούλης: «Fake Political Agenda»

Πρόσφατα, σε ένα παιχνίδι μεταξύ ενηλίκων που δεν ήταν τόσο αθώο, υποσχέθηκα ότι θα αποδείξω στην παρέα ότι δεν ξέρουν τι πραγματικά θα ψηφίσουν σύντομα, όπως δεν ξέρουν και τι πραγματικά είχαν ψηφίσει στις προηγούμενες εκλογές. Κέρδισα το στοίχημα με ελάχιστες επιφυλάξεις

The new identity politics | F. Fukuyama , EUROZINE

Francis Fukuyama’s argument that far-right identity politics were pioneered by the left has been criticized as blame-shifting. But this is a partial reading, he counters: identity politics are inherent to the democratic ethos and rooted in modernity itself. Understanding their use by the far-right enables us to form a response.

WHAT EUROPEANS REALLY WANT: FIVE MYTHS DEBUNKED | ECFR

The big divide is not ‘open Europe’ versus ‘closed nation states’ but between status quo and change. Record numbers of people now support the EU – and even Eurosceptic parties have repositioned themselves.

Watch List 2019 | International Crisis Group

Watch List Updates complement International Crisis Group’s annual Watch List, most recently published in January 2019. These early-warning publications identify major conflict situations in which prompt action, driven or supported by the European Union and its member states, would generate stronger prospects for peace. The Watch List Updates include situations identified in the annual Watch List and/or a new focus of concern.

Is Europe Becoming Gaullist? | Zaki Laïdi at PS

Seventy-four years after the end of World War II, Europeans are still divided over competing notions of national sovereignty and regional integration. But with the rise of China and the fraying of transatlantic relations, the geostrategic vision of France’s Charles de Gaulle has inevitably returned to the fore.

The Return of Economic Nationalism in Germany | PIIE Jeromin Zettelmeyer

The recent embrace of economic nationalism by the United States, China, and many other countries reflects a global shift toward protectionism, restrictions on foreign investment, and aggressive state intervention in domestic economies. These policies are not new ... (pdf)