Disengagement or delusion?
By (25/06/2008)
Irish voters’ rejection of the Lisbon Treaty has sent shockwaves through the EU.
Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Images
In this Comment article Irish Times journalist Tony Kinsella explores the political blunders which made it possible for the “No” camp to secure victory, despite all five of the main political parties throwing their support behind the treaty.
The EU opens a new phase in its relations with Cuba
By (25/06/2008)
Alter a lengthy internal debate the EU decided, on 23 June 2008, to put an end to the sanctions against Cuba that were imposed in 2003 but have been suspended for the past three years. The ball is now in the Cuban court to open a new era in a relationship that has, for the past 20 years, oscillated between friendliness and distance.
FloraG/Flickr
Latin America and the United States of America: an agenda set adrift
By (12/06/2008)
A new US administration in 2009 could bring with it new and profound changes in Western hemispheric policy. For this to take place and a common agenda must be agreed, and the concepts used to analyse and diagnose Latin America’s problems need to be modified, along with the multilateral institutions used to carry out collective action, and the security perspective limited to matters of a purely military nature.
Europe, USA and Middle East
By (12/06/2008)
The opening of negotiations between Syria and Israel over the Golan Heights and the appointment of a new president in Lebanon are both important political developments for the Middle East. And although the region remains devastated by conflict, forthcoming events in both the US and the EU open certain possibilities.
USA 2008: candidates confront the critical issues in Colombia
By (28/05/2008)
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| STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images |
The US presidential candidates attitudes towards the issues surrounding US-Colombian relations provide an opportunity to speculate on possible changes in US policy towards Colombia and the region in general after November 2008.
Despite the similarities between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, for a variety of reasons Obama appears to be the candidate with greater potential for translating campaign positions into a progressive shift in US foreign policy.
