New Atlanticist

The Rise of the Strongman

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US official cites challenges to making the case for internationalism, free trade, open borders In the prevailing atmosphere of growing nativism and xenophobia, the phenomenon of the strongman is on the rise across the globe, said a senior US official, and this will be the case as long as people believe that the world will […]

Reclaiming Central Europe

By Maciej Kuziemski

Central Europe long served as an example of everything the European Union has craved—youthful energy, bold ideas, and unparalleled growth. Its countries have overcome Soviet rule more or less peacefully, but it didn’t happen instantaneously. The path toward democracy had been paved long before the collapse of communist regimes in the region in 1989. It […]

Georgia’s Ruling Party Triumphs in Elections. Now for the Hard Part.

By Laura Linderman

The pro-Western ruling party’s decisive victory in parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 8 is a reflection of voters’ preference for stability and staying the course.  The Georgia Dream-Democratic Georgia (GD) was followed in second place by the United National Movement (UNM), which was in power from 2003-2012. GD will need to work hard to […]

Defending Europe Against Russia

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former secretary general of NATO, has some advice for European governments: invest more in defense in light of the threat posed by Russia. “I think more and more people understand that Russia has changed from being a strategic power to being a strategic challenge,” said Rasmussen. Rasmussen, who is also a […]

Rebuilding Trust in the European Union

By Rachel Ansley

Faced with challenges posed by Brexit, an unprecedented influx of migrants, and feeble economies, the European Union must work hard to rebuild confidence among European publics, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák said at the Atlantic Council on October 6. “Our main focus now is bringing the European Union closer to Europeans,” said Lajčák. Slovakia holds […]

Negotiating a Brexit

By Ashish Kumar Sen

EU will seek ‘best exit possible’ for the United Kingdom, says David O’Sullivan, EU’s ambassador to the United States The European Union wishes to negotiate the “best exit possible” for the United Kingdom from the bloc, said David O’Sullivan, the EU’s ambassador to the United States. “I don’t think it is a question of saying […]

Investing in a Solution to the Migrant Crisis

Nations that have taken in refugees must prioritize economic development while seeking political solutions to the crises that have forced migrants to flee their homes. Matthew T. McGuire, the US executive director at the World Bank Group, said “one of the biggest indicators for someone returning to their home country is how well they’ve fared […]

Inoculating Against a Cyber Attack

By Rachel Ansley

The recently reported vulnerability in insulin pumps, while not in itself a significant threat, underscores the danger posed by hackers who could take control of medical devices, according to Beau Woods, deputy director of the Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative. “The risks of connected medical devices can be anywhere on a spectrum: from almost none […]

Can an EU Army Be More Than Just a Pipe Dream?

By Lukas Trakimavičius

In recent weeks, the idea of establishing a European Union army was reintroduced to the public debate. During a visit to Lithuania, Germany’s defense minister, Ursula von der Leyden, noted that “it’s time to move forward to a European defense union.” Days later, in his State of the Union address, the president of the European […]

Colombia’s Peace Plebiscite: A Divided Nation

By Andrea Saldarriaga Jiménez

On October 2, Colombians rejected the peace agreement brokered between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The “no” vote won the plebiscite by less than 0.5 percent of the vote with only 37 percent of voter participation. The world is shocked and Colombians astonished. Polls leading up to the plebiscite had […]