The Outcome of the EU Parliamentary Elections 2024: The Likelihood of a Far-Right Wave

This text explores the recent success of the far-right in different national elections in Europe to try and determine whether this might translate into a far-right “wave” at the next EU parliamentarian elections.

Lebanon: When everything went South

The conflict between Palestine and Israel has heavily impacted the southern region of Lebanon, exacerbating the situation across the entire country. Israel’s motivations, including concerns over border security and control over certain territories, add complexity to the conflict, particularly in the South. Despite diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing further escalation, internal divisions within Lebanon continue to pose challenges.

Argentina’s Lithium Industry: Reforms and Radical Rhetoric

President Javier Milei’s ultraliberal policies, including the radical deregulation plan signed into decree DNU 70/2023, aim to revitalize Argentina’s economy by reducing state involvement and promoting private sector growth. Argentina’s lithium industry, critical for the global energy sector, stands to be significantly impacted. The country, poised to outpace Chile as a top lithium producer by 2027, faces major changes under Milei’s governance which emphasizes alignments towards U.S. interests and potentially increases foreign investors’ power, raising concerns among local and Indigenous communities about sustainable development.

Let’s Tune In To The EU’s Periphery: Italy Fights EU On Nutri-Score System

Giorgia Meloni opposes the EU’s Nutri-score system that is proposed to score foods in supermarkets due to the system ignoring benefits of caloric dense products such as olive oil.

EU Affairs: Evolutions in Civic Space from Offline to Online

Civic Space has been situated in the public sphere until the development of the internet, where new restrictions and technology has led to heightened security and means to repress society. In Europe, there has been a rise in surveillance capabilities and lawsuits targeting political participants, leading to the necessity to look into possible restrictions on the freedoms of expression and participation.

(Analysis) China’s push for influence in Central Asia

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Central Asia has fallen largely under Russia’s sphere of influence. However, China has had its eye on the region in recent years and is increasing efforts to dominate the land mass as part of its narrative of rebuilding its historic glory as the “Middle Kingdom”.

(Analysis) The rise of Private Military Companies in Modern Conflict

Long have the Private Military Companies (PMCs) lurked in the shadow of the modern conflict; the recent Russo-Ukraine war pushed them to light. This article argues that Wagner is not an exceptional case of a PMC that fully engaged in conventional warfare, but rather a part of the overall trend of the privatization of security on the global level. This article will further examine what conditions contribute to this trend, and how they will affect the nature of future conflicts.