Western Europe

Is Germany going soft on China?

By Noah Barkin

If Germany gets its way, it would be the strongest sign to date that Europe is charting its own course in its ties with China, ignoring pressure from hawks in the Trump administration to pare back economic links.

Boris Johnson: 1066 and all that

By John M. Roberts

Johnson—'minister for the Union', as he has styled himself—now only represents one element of the United Kingdom, albeit the largest. When he addresses the House of Commons on Hastings’ Day, he will truly 'Speak for England,’ and England alone.

Taking on the temperature

Paris is certainly a leader in the effort to confront climate change and has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050; it recently released a comprehensive “urban cooling strategy” to prepare for the extreme heat that has cost lives and livelihoods in the recent past.

Will suspending parliament strengthen Boris Johnson’s Brexit hand?

By David A. Wemer

Johnson’s decision to call for a suspension—also known as prorogation—drew fire from MPs across the political spectrum who view it as an attempt to sideline Parliament in the lead-up to the October 31 Brexit deadline.

No-Deal Brexit comes further into focus

By Nick Brown

Johnson’s political honeymoon lasted a matter of days. Financial markets are swiftly repricing the greater odds of a messy exit.

Why Germany resoundingly rejected joining a US-led mission against Iran

By Gert Hilgers

On July 31, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced Germany’s refusal to join a US-led military mission to safeguard the international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian aggression and criticized what he called America’s “maximum tension” approach.