Backstage: The new balance of Asia-EU-US trade relations

Bruegel is currently hosting the two-day Asia-Europe Economic Forum in Brussels where SAIS Europe Director Michael Plummer sat down with Bruegel senior fellow André Sapir on the Sound of Economics Podcast. Plummer and fellow guest Moonsung Kang, a professor at Korea University, talk about the rapid transformation of the global trade landscape in relation to Asia, the European Union and the United States.

The Mirage of Regionalism in the Middle East and North Africa Post-2011

Raffaella Del Sarto's recent Working Paper highlights the growing contrast that has emerged in the MENA region that has resulted in a "mismatch between failed regionalism and a growing regionalization." Focusing on the League of Arab States, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Arab Maghreb Union, Del Sarto and co-author Eduard Soler i Lecha show that "regional dynamics are becoming increasingly blurred."

The Euro-Mediterranean energy relationship: a fresh perspective

In his latest Bruegel publication, Simone Tagliapietra 'analyses the current renewable energy development in Southern Mediterranean countries and proposes a climate financing strategy that retreats from the Eurocentric approach." "Not only will it allow the region to meet its energy demand sustainably," Tagliapietra concludes, "it will also benefit the EU, both in economic and political terms."

EU to offer billions of funding for electric battery plants

Simone Tagliapietra, in the Financial Times, weighed in on EU plans to allow for billions in state funding for battery plants, a move which the EU hopes will ensure that European companies aren't left behind in the race for a mass market electric vehicle. "The EU carmakers have refused to see the change occurring in electric vehicles for a long time and are only now starting to go in this direction. However, catch-up is still possible due to the EU industry's innovation capabilities and skills"

The Governance of Migration and Border Controls in the European-North African Context

Raffaella Del Sarto was recently published by the Istituto Affari Internazionali as part of their MENARA Working Papers series. Del Sarto an co-author Jean-Pierre Cassarino explore the trends MENA states are displaying in relation to migration and border control, especially in the years since the Arab uprising in which migration intro Europe from the region sharply increased.

Brussels passes the ball back

Erik Jones, writing for Chatham House, says that the banking crisis has seen a shift in the EU from European solidarity to national responsibility. "This is a contest that will shape the European parliamentary elections to be held in May 2019," Jones added. "What the EU needs to shift from national responsibility to solidarity is a more compelling vision of what the strengthening of European social bonds can accomplish."

U Briselu nema entuzijazma za prijem Srbije u EU (in Serbian)

Mark Gilbert was interviewed in the Serbian publication Politika, in an article titled "In Brussels there is no enthusiasm for Serbia's admission to the EU", providing insight into a wide array of European topics from Brexit to EU enlargement to the rise of EU populists. On Brexit, Gilbert notes that a second referendum is unlikely, stating that "Even if this government falls, which is not excluded, Britain must leave the EU." The decision should have been left to elected politicians, Gilbert added, and never to a popular referendum.

Improving the efficiency and legitimacy of the EU: A bottom-up approach

Writing for Bruegel, the Brussels-based think tank specializing in economics, Simone Tagliapietra and co-authors discuss a recent proposal calling for a restructuring of of EU integration and governance. Tagliapietra and colleagues 'argue for the principle of “an ever closer union” to be safeguarded by a bottom-up approach to respond to the common needs of the citizens.'

The Arc of Crisis in the MENA Region

Simone Tagliapietra authored a chapter in the recently released collaborative report by ISPI and the Atlantic Council entitled "The Arc of Crisis in the MENA Region." Tagliapietra's work focuses on The Implications of Natural Gas Potential in the MENA Region, specifically in regard to the eastern Mediterranean.

Koko kansan liitto (in Finnish)

In the latest issue of Ulkopolitiikka, The Finnish Journal of Foreign Affairs, Mark Gilbert weighs in on the rise of Matteo Salvini in Italy. Under Salvini, Gilbert notes, the Northern League became a "sovereign and nationalistic party" rather than a regionally focused group. Gilbert adds that Salvini's rhetoric entices Italians who are looking for a politician who makes decisions and takes actions, "instead of just talking."