Seven Transversal Signals from the Aspen Ideas Festival 2024

Becoming a Fellow of the Ideas Festival, the Aspen Institute’s flagship event for 20 years held in the heart of the Elk Mountains over 2000 meters above sea level, was a humbling and mind opening experience.

Neither David nor Goliath: Perspectives on the Ukraine Defense

"For almost a year now, Russia has taken the initiative on the front. Despite their considerable military superiority, however, the Russian forces have not been spectacularly successful. There are also no signs that the Ukrainian defense could collapse in the coming months. Russia is not in a position to claim victory on the battlefield, but is hoping for a favorable political settlement. The outcome of the war depends largely on the West's determination to continue supporting Kyiv," says Wojciech Konończuk.

Scholz’s Politics are Lacking in Consideration for Europe as a Whole

Germany is currently struggling with its own crises and does not seem too interested in leading or even setting itself as an example for the rest of Europe, says Milan Nič in conversation with Robert Schuster.

Xi’s Credibility Gap

The centralization of power in Xi Jinping’s hands leaves China’s economy without experienced experts to manage policy. As everything must be decided personally by the president, delays and about-faces abound. Beijing needs to close a gap in its leadership’s credibility, which – together with its limited room for maneuver on the international stage – is hampering the country’s growth.

Future Tense

The Crisis of Narration Byung-Chul Han Polity Press, 2024 76 pages By Benjamin Cunningham

The Baltic Sea and Central Europe

Has the situation in the Baltic Sea changed after Sweden and Finland joined NATO? It probably has, if the head of Polish diplomacy says publicly that the Russian Baltic Fleet may meet the same sad fate as the Black Sea Fleet. Bartosz Wieliński