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“How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?”, asked Charles de Gaulle in 1962. Well, after its forthcoming elections, a plethora of cheese varieties may be the least of France’s problems. Risks abound for both France and Europe. Read more

Political strategists are obsessed with the art of winning elections. However, they sometimes overlook the equally impressive skill of losing them spectacularly. Read more

For over a decade, we at The New Zealand Initiative have been staunch advocates for liberalising New Zealand’s foreign direct investment (FDI) regime. Our consistent message has been that New Zealand needs an influx of foreign capital to accelerate economic growth, and that our current FDI rules are overly restrictive, acting as a significant deterrent to potential investors. Read more

The European Central Bank’s decision to cut interest rates for the first time since 2019 is a significant turning point in the Eurozone’s monetary policy. After months of grappling with stubbornly high inflation, the ECB has finally blinked, betting that the worst of the post-pandemic price pressures are behind us. Read more

Yesterday, 6 June, was the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied landings in Normandy. This day marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazism. Read more

The nation is in shock following reports that former President of the USA, Donald Trump, is eyeing up New Zealand as a retirement option. With the two-term limit on the American presidency due to kick in if he wins the coming election, the former host of NBC’s ‘The Apprentice’ is considering a quiet exit from politics as New Zealand’s premier. Read more

As the European Parliament elections loom next month, a political earthquake is reshaping the landscape of the continent’s far-right. In a stunning move, Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) party has abruptly severed ties with its long-time German ally, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Read more

White sand beaches. Palm trees waving in a gentle breeze. Read more

Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong’s speech at the China Business Summit 2024 in Auckland on Monday was, at first glance, a typical diplomatic address. He extolled the strength of China’s economy, the benefits of bilateral trade, and the importance of the New Zealand-China relationship. Read more