Salvatore Rossi, member of the governing board and deputy director general of the Bank of Italy, discusses the Eurozone crisis, the likely European Central Bank response, and the future of the Italian economy.
Wolfgang Münchau writes that despite isolating himself from his peers in the European Central Bank, Jens Weidmann, president of the Deutsche Bundesbank, is actually winning the debate about future ECB policy.
George Soros explains the events that led to the recent bond purchase announcement by the European Central Bank solidifying its commitment to do whatever it takes to save the euro, and discusses the larger political implications this decision will have for the future of the European Union.
Edward Alden says increased internal and external border enforcement as well as economic crisis has decreased the population of unauthorized immigrants in both Europe and the US. Policies should provide incentives to encourage legal migration rather than just disincentives against illegal migration.
The ongoing eurozone debt crisis continues to threaten the future of the single currency, even as European policymakers work to forge a closer political and fiscal union, explains this CFR Issue Guide.
Russia finally joins the WTO, but Charles A. Kupchan says that political tensions between Washington and Moscow still trouble commercial relations between the U.S. and Russia.
Pakistan-U.S. ties have rebounded, but domestic turmoil and looming leadership transitions should command U.S. attention on this vital terrorist frontline, writes CFR's Daniel Markey.
The trial of a punk band in Russia reflects the Putin regime's hard-line opinions on political dissent, and those views are shaping its foreign policy, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.
Robert Rubin writes that the ECB would risk losing its credibility and stoking inflation if it did not impose conditionality on its bond-buying program.
Amartya Sen writes: "Europe has been extraordinarily important for the world, which has learned so much from it. It can remain globally important by setting its own house in order--economically, politically, and socially. The first step is to understand properly, with some clarity, the policy challenges that Europe faces today. A failure to do so will reverberate far beyond Europe's own borders."
The manipulation of interbank lending rates by a host of global financial institutions could have significant repercussions for financial markets, consumer loans, and regulatory policy, explains this Backgrounder.
Russian President Putin, mistrustful of Western motives, is likely to resist pressure to commit to stronger sanctions against Syria's government, says expert Dimitri Simes.
A proposed centralized banking supervisor could help stabilize Europe's struggling banks and increase vital capital flows within the euro area, says expert Domenico Lombardi.
The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.