Ρεαλισμός, ελληνική κρίση και μεταρρυθμίσεις

Η κρίση κρατικού χρέους συνεχίζει να ρίχνει σκιές στην δειλή οικονομική ανάκαμψη της Ευρώπης. Το ζήτημα έχει ανακτήσει περίοπτη θέση μετά από τη νίκη του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ στις πρόωρες εκλογές του Ιανουαρίου 2015. Η τρέχουσα ελληνική κυβέρνηση τάσσεται υπέρ μιας ριζοσπαστικής επαναδιαπραγμάτευσης του προγράμματος βοήθειας, συμπεριλαμβανομένων πιο ευέλικτων όρων αποπληρωμής και το τέλος της δημοσιονομικής λιτότητας. Ένα σχετικό, ζωτικής σημασίας ζήτημα είναι αυτό των διαρθρωτικών μεταρρυθμίσεων για να αποκατασταθεί η βιώσιμη ανάπτυξη. Η τελική διέξοδος από την κρίση απαιτεί από την Ελλάδα να βελτιώσει την αποτελεσματικότητα του κράτους (δηλαδή, την είσπραξη φόρων) και την αποτελεσματικότητα της αγοράς εργασίας. Ωστόσο, η πολιτική διαδικασία έχει μέχρι στιγμής αποτύχει να φέρει μεγάλες μεταρρυθμίσεις. Είναι η κρίση χρέους μια ώθηση ή ένα εμπόδιο στις μεταρρυθμίσεις;

More OPEC Oil Coming When Iranian Sanctions Removed

If the West and Iran can sign a comprehensive agreement that leads to the removal of sanctions on Iran, how will OPEC respond to the prospect of a flood of new Iranian oil?

The oil majors are all highly interested in jumping into Iran. In Vienna for the OPEC summit this week, executives from Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and Total all expressed interest in the oil and gas reserves in Iran.

The Two Words that Explain China’s Assertive Naval Strategy

The just-completed Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore dwelt largely on China’s maritime ambitions, zeroing in on its construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea. In his keynote address, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter vowed to “continue to protect freedom of navigation and overflight principles that have ensured security and prosperity in this region for decades.” There should be no mistake, continued Carter, that “the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as U.S. forces do all over the world.” The United States, its allies, and its partners will exercise “the rights of all nations” to their fullest, he said. That the U.S. secretary of defense traveled to the far side of the world to speak so bluntly shows how seriously Washington takes the China challenge.

Know your enemy: How to break the EU’s gridlock on security measures

Terrorism and organised crime are serious threats to Europe. The EU is better placed than the member-states to deal with the transnational aspects of these threats. But disagreements between the Council and the Parliament result in gridlock over security measures. One reason is that sensitive information cannot be shared with MEPs, leaving them in the dark about both the threats and the means to deal with them. If the EU wants to tackle the threat of terrorism effectively, MEPs should be given adequate access to confidential information.

How Islamic State Victories Shape the Syrian Civil War

Forecast

• The Islamic State will prioritize the defense of its core supply lines, used to provide equipment and much-needed recruits.
• The Islamic State will continue to demonstrate considerable flexibility in its offensive operations. 
• The Syrian government and rebel forces will have to increasingly devote their attention and resources to fighting the Islamic State, rather than prioritizing battles with each other.