In the midst of a polarised and tense political landscape, Venezuela has once again become a focal point for international observers as its recent elections unfolded with high stakes and fervent expectations. The preliminary outcomes, though not yet fully confirmed, have already set the stage for significant political, social and economic repercussions in the country.… Continue reading Venezuela’s contentious election stirs hope and fear for the nation’s future
The UK has fallen down Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) after a year of high-profile government scandals. The CPI is not a measure of corruption itself but a measure of how much corruption is perceived to exist across a country’s public sector. For the UK government, already focusing very much on the next general… Continue reading UK slides in Corruption Perceptions Index after series of political scandals
A little over a year since leader of Fratelli d’Italia Georgia Meloni rose to power in Italy, the latest data spells out a clear message: she is not the only ultraright politician surfing on voters’ anxieties. In fact, we may be entering a new cycle of far-right extremism across the continent, with heavy stakes for… Continue reading From France to Italy, Hungary to Sweden, voting intentions track the far-right’s rise in Europe
Ahead of the European Parliament elections in June 2024, Germany has lowered the age limit on participation to 16. This makes it the largest of just a handful of states in the EU to allow people under the age of 18 to vote. Austria, Belgium and Malta have already enfranchised 16 and 17-year-olds, and Greece… Continue reading Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections — but is it playing into the far right’s hands?
Secrecy has become as important for corporations as transparent and taxable profits used to be, according to Raymond W. Baker in his new book Invisible Trillions. Global capitalism, he argues, operates beyond the rule of law. This contributes to extreme inequality that threatens liberal democracy. Deals in the financial secrecy system account for half of… Continue reading Invisible Trillions — global capitalism operates beyond the rule of law and threatens democracy
Knife is Salman Rushdie’s account of how he narrowly survived an attempt on his life in August 2022, in which he lost his right eye and partial use of his left hand. The attack ironically came when Rushdie was delivering a lecture on “the creation in America of safe spaces for writers from elsewhere”, at… Continue reading In Knife, Salman Rushdie confronts a world where liberal principles like free speech are old-fashioned
All prime ministerial memoirs are about shaping legacies. “History will be kind to me”, Churchill is alleged to have said before writing his own six-volume history. “For I intend to write it”. But among these memoir writers sits a sub-genre of leaders who need to do some pretty serious legacy shaping. Think Anthony Eden on… Continue reading Liz Truss’s lessons on how not to be a prime minister
Corruption has long been a scourge in parts of Latin America. Traditionally, it has funnelled down domestic routes, with local politicians, business interests and drug lords benefiting from graft and dodgy dealings. Indeed, a 2022 report from Transparency International found that 27 out of 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have shown… Continue reading How China uses ‘geostrategic corruption’ to exert its influence in Latin America
Albania may be struggling with high levels of corruption at all levels of society, but the country is taking a new approach to tackling this crime with the introduction of a special anti-corruption body, known as the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK). SPAK is made up of a special prosecution office, the National Bureau of Investigation… Continue reading Albania — how one of the most corrupt countries in Europe is tackling crime at the highest level
In the world championship of corruption, the competition is fierce. The non-governmental organisation (NGO) Transparency International has just published its list of countries according to the level of perceived corruption. The gold medal in the competition for the most corrupt country has just been awarded to South Sudan, followed by Somalia, Venezuela, Syria, Yemen, Libya,… Continue reading Corruption and war — two scourges that feed off each other
