Category Europe

European Union Foreign Policy and the Failure of Potential

Retired Army Colonel Fitz Fitzpatrick discusses the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defense Policy and the EU’s efforts to address crises in Libya, Ukraine and Syria. He argues that the EU has struggled to establish foreign and defense policies that are independent from the United States, and only an existential crisis will push the EU to fulfill its potential as an actor on the world stage.

Terra Ignota: Catalonia, Secession and the EU

What stance should the European Union take on Catalan secession and membership for separatist regions of member states? SAIS student Emily Ashby explores the legal rationale and precedents for Catalonia’s secession under Spanish national law, European law, and international law. She argues that both the weak legal case and the political nature of the EU membership process constrain the EU’s policy options.

Can Russia Maintain European Demand of Natural Gas in a Changing World?

In this article, author Joniel Cha investigates current trends in Russian natural gas production and exports, focusing on its role in the European energy markets. He analyzes how Russia uses natural gas production for its geopolitical strategy, the policies of different European countries, the effects of external shocks, and other strengths and weaknesses of the Russian gas sector to assess its future as supplier to Europe.

Weber’s Protestant Ethic Revisited: Explaining the Capitalism We Take for Granted

Author Edmund Ruge revisits the German Sociologist Max Weber's theory of international development to see how Weber's theory, as expressed in his classic book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism are still relevant today in the field of international development. Edmund Ruge then juxtaposes Weber's theory of development with two other theories of development that were proposed by Karl Marx and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

Labor Market Reform in France would Help Ease Muslim – non-Muslim Tension

Author Adam Millsap asserts that the liberalization of labor markets in France and other European countries would address concerns of immigrant assimilation by providing more economic opportunity for immigrants, which would make it easier for them to adjust to their new surroundings. He concludes that labor market liberalization could also provide long-term economic prosperity for all in France.