Academic papers and books on democracy continue to proliferate.  Mainstream western opinion supports views such as: • Rapid economic development quickens democratisation. • The liberal democratic path is the only sustainable route to modernity. • Non-democratic regimes are necessarily ridden with corruption and cronyism. Two questions which require far more attention than they receive are: • What is meant [...]

The credibility gap between the political class and the people is widening in most Member States, but there is no consensus as to what to do.  The economic and financial challenges facing Europe require decisive leadership, but most national electoral systems make this difficult.  The remedies to overcome the economic and financial crisis involve ‘pain [...]

  President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo University on 4 June, rivals the brilliance of John F Kennedy’s Ich bin ein Berliner 1963 speech in Berlin.  Shrewdly, the event was hosted by Cairo University, founded in 1908, al-Azhar University, founded in 975.  I could not resist watching its entire 54 minutes.  Of course, words alone [...]

    Mutual understanding is essential to underpin a long term strategic relationship.  Despite the common belief that Europeans and Americans share basic, common values, languages and culture, there is clearly considerable lack of mutual transatlantic understanding.  Europeans and Americans are very different in many ways, think differently, are influenced differently, and frequently see problems [...]