Articles written by Soeren Kern
By Soeren Kern
09 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
The future direction of European defense is at a crossroads, with the NATO experience in Afghanistan casting into stark relief the
limits of European military capacities, and the recently enacted
Lisbon Treaty offering important new opportunities to improve European
defense capabilities. To establish itself as a credible security
actor on the global stage, the EU will need to not only improve the
way it works together on defense, but overcome the persistent lack of political will to do so.
By Soeren Kern
12 Jan 2010 |
World Politics Review
MADRID -- Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has announced several priorities for Spain's six-month presidency of the European Union, which
began on Jan. 1. But during a period that will test how well the EU's
new institutional architecture works in practice, Spain's role at the
helm of the union is unclear and its leadership has been seriously
questioned.
By Soeren Kern
16 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
The
Lisbon Treaty is designed, in part, to significantly boost the EU's global clout. A more powerful EU will, in turn, affect changes in the world's
geopolitical landscape in ways that are still unknown. Among the big
unanswered questions is what impact the Lisbon Treaty will have on
transatlantic relations in general, and on the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization in particular.
By Soeren Kern
08 Sep 2009 |
World Politics Review
The four nations involved in the Eurofighter Typhoon military aircraft consortium signed a long-awaited contract in late July
to buy more of the controversial fighter jets. The breakthrough
represents a much-needed financial boost for a program central to
European defense cooperation, one that, like other European defense projects, has been dogged by technical problems and spiraling costs.
By Soeren Kern
03 Aug 2009 |
World Politics Review
The Basque terrorist group ETA marked the 50th anniversary of its founding last week with back-to-back bombings that killed two
people and injured more than 50 others. Analysts say the group is under pressure to show it can still mount attacks despite having been weakened by a series of high-profile arrests in recent years, in order to force
the Spanish government back to the negotiating table.
By Soeren Kern
02 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
Spanish judges have gained a reputation for activism in recent years by
using the principle of universal jurisdiction to pursue cases against
suspected human rights violators overseas, most famously the former
Chilean dictator, Gen. Augusto Pinochet. But a number of recent developments, including legislative efforst to limit the legal concept, mark a significant setback for its Spanish advocates.
By Soeren Kern
19 Jun 2009 |
World Politics Review
France and Germany have decided to wait another six months before determining the fate of the troubled A400M military transport plane, a €20 billion collaborative defense project that is now three years behind schedule and nearly €6 billion over budget. The exploding costs of projects like the A400M,
coupled with rising expenditures on military missions, are tearing many European defense budgets apart at the seams.
By Soeren Kern
28 May 2009 |
World Politics Review
As if to illustrate the challenges facing an integrated European defense market, a French naval shipyard is suing Spain's leading state-owned shipbuilding firm for allegedly stealing trade secrets relating to the Scorpène submarine project. The Scorpène is not the only European defense joint venture
that has run into trouble. Indeed, some projects have fared far worse.
By Soeren Kern
13 May 2009 |
World Politics Review
BARCELONA, Spain -- As the once-vibrant Spanish economy plunges
deeper into recession, the government of Socialist Prime Minister José
Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is struggling to staunch the country's
skyrocketing jobless rate. And among the first casualties is Spain's
famously lenient immigration policy, which the Spanish government is now rethinking in order to ward off social tensions.
By Soeren Kern
06 Apr 2009 |
World Politics Review
U.S. President Barack Obama's debut NATO summit at the
Franco-German border over the weekend was a triumph of style over
substance. Although allies put on a public face of unity, they were
unable to agree on any of the major problems facing trans-Atlantic
security. As NATO marks its 60th birthday, the alliance is mired in a
profound identity crisis offering little reason to celebrate.
By Soeren Kern
20 Mar 2009 |
World Politics Review
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has responded to critics of his decision to return France fully to NATO by downplaying the significance of the plan. But there is probably far more to the move than he is letting on. Sarkozy argues that France must have a voice in the alliance's strategic decision-making in order to defend its own interests. But he also has other motives for reaching out to NATO.
By Soeren Kern
20 Jan 2009 |
World Politics Review
MADRID, Spain -- Barack Obama begins his presidency with an unprecedented level of
goodwill among Europeans, who are hoping he will reverse many of the
unpopular policies that embittered transatlantic relations under his
predecessor. As the contours of Obama's foreign policy come into focus,
however, much of the onus for smoothing the frayed relationship will
lie with Europe, not the United States.
By Soeren Kern
20 Nov 2008 |
World Politics Review
MADRID, Spain -- Spain is on high alert for a possible terrorist attack
following the arrest on Nov. 17 of the head of the Basque terrorist
group, ETA. Mikel Rubina's arrest by French police in the southern French Pyrenées region is a serious setback for the armed separatists, especially for the hard-line faction within ETA opposed to peace talks with the Spanish government. Since the bombing of the Madrid airport on
Dec. 30, 2006, that ended ETA's ceasefire, the Spanish government has launched an
unprecedented and, so far, successful crackdown on the group.
By Soeren Kern
23 Apr 2008 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he will decide by late 2008
or early 2009 whether France will fully rejoin NATO. Even if Sarkozy has pro-American leanings, he also is
thoroughly Europe-centric in his worldview; correspondingly, he has
spelled out French conditions for rejoining NATO that are very similar
to those of former French President Jacques Chirac: American acceptance of an independent European
defense capability and a leading French role in NATO's command
structures.