Gone are the days when the world was viewed through the lens of Pax Americana; a time when the United States predominantly set the tone and rules of the game. Today, we find ourselves in the midst of a profound long-term global political and economic transformation leading to a radically changed world. Finances on a …
Dr. Alexander Mirtchev provides his take on the rising tide of challenges to the world order. A confluence of crises in different regions and of varied nature heralds an across-the-board push against or outright rejection of this order. Examples include: the Ukraine crisis, where international relation’s norms based on the Peace of Westphalia have been …
What are the geo-economic and foreign policy implications and advantages associated with the so-called “shale gas revolution?” The growing significance attached to non-traditional fossil fuel resources is seen as a factor that can remove previous dependencies on external suppliers, the need to protect transport routes and choke points, as well as the need to maintain …
Shale gas – the new best US foreign policy tool? | By Dr. Alexander Mirtchev Read More »
While the meeting at Enniskillen resulted in an overarching policy position by the G8, it was not accompanied by much in the way of immediate policy output. Achieving tangible outcomes was not helped by the diverse issues requiring urgent response – the conflict in Syria, trade, tax avoidance, corporate transparency, as well as other concerns …
The summit’s agenda is being shaped by the divergent pressures of political urgency and the need to meet long-term geopolitical and geo-economic necessities. Beyond the immediate foreign policy challenges and conflicts, this agenda is focused on the “hot” issues of the day – global growth, stability and governance. Paradoxically, the dominance of these issues coincided, …
The latest step in worldwide quantitative easing measures was undertaken by Japan, which broke away from years of financial discipline. Japan’s central bank – the Bank of Japan – announced an unprecedented stimulus package of $1.4 trillion over 10 years. Monetary easing affects the perception of the world markets about the willingness of major economies …
BBC World News Interviews Dr. Alexander Mirtchev Read More »
The concept of a ‘green economy’ enjoys support among the G20 and was a central theme at Rio+20. This begs a question: If everyone from members of civil society to corporate and government leaders vigorously nod their heads when ‘green’ is mentioned, why doesn’t the issue ever get advanced in a global context? One answer …
Under the auspices of the Financial Stability Board, more than 30 recommendations have been set out as part of a massive and far-reaching G-20 financial regulatory reform package to ostensibly minimize risk in the financial system and maximize consumer protection….Indeed, the call for increased regulation follows in the wake of every major crisis, and no …
Will Financial Regulation Trash Global Economic Security? | By Dr. Alexander Mirtchev Read More »
While the EU has modernized and expanded in ways that its founders may not have envisioned, the architecture that underpins the Union has not adapted to the realities of a globalized twenty-first century. In effect, “we are all Europeans now, as the euro zone crisis threatens global economic security and threatens to evolve into a …
We are all Europeans Now | By Dr. Alexander Mirtchev Read More »
With the adoption of its new External Energy Policy, the EU has finally made a first step towards its integration as a single negotiating bloc in the world energy market. As such the External Energy Policy could become an important factor in the global energy security picture and a possible geopolitical game-changer. However, it remains …
