The Internationalism

Internationalism No. 89, July 2026 Page 3 From the series European news German industrial output has been falling for six years. This is happening at a time when the US is imposing tariffs, competition from China is growing, and the energy shock caused by the war in Iran comes on top of the severing of energy ties with Russia triggered by the conflict in Ukraine. Friedrich Merz's government is attempting to revive the economy through substantial defence spending and investment in infrastructure, combined with domestic reforms. However, the latter is precisely what the government is struggling with, and there is still no sign of the renewed momentum it had hoped for. As frustration grows across the country, the government's decline in the polls has been mirrored by the rise of the AfD. This is the context in which the debate over “China shock 2.0” is unfolding. T...

Internationalism No. 88, June 2026 Page 3 From the series European news As Henry Kissinger wrote in his book Leadership (Penguin, 2022), in the British political system, parties are "rigorously institutionalized": "An electoral victory functions first to empower a party in parliament and, as a consequence of that, to install a new premier". Unlike presidential systems such as the American one, "the British system elevates members of the cabinet to the highest echelons of their party". The prime minister's authority "rests primarily on the maintenance of party discipline" because "the dissent of an influential clique, or the machinations of a single magnetic personality, can limit the premier's ability to pursue desired political objectives". "In extraordinary circumstances", warns Kissinger, ...

Internationalism No. 87, May 2026 Page 3 From the series European news The Hungarian elections of April 12th have taken on a significance that extends far beyond the borders of a country of 10 million inhabitants, as they have been interpreted as a contention between Brussels, Washington, Moscow, and, less openly, Beijing. Brussels has wielded leverage amounting to at least €16 billion, earmarked for Hungary on condition that the rule of law is restored. Outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán combined an openly hostile stance towards Brussels and Kyiv with displays of his close ties to Moscow and Donald Trump's administration. Five days before the elections, US Vice-President JD Vance also travelled to Budapest to support Orbán, a clear demonstration of the US National Security Strategy, published in December 2025: America encourages its political allies in Europe […] ...

Internationalism No. 86, April 2026 Page 3 From the series European news The next half-century will be the age of nuclear weapons . This was the grim prediction with which Emmanuel Macron concluded his speech on nuclear deterrence, delivered on March 2 nd at the Île Longue submarine base. Standing before Le Téméraire , the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine that carries a strike force equivalent to the sum of all the bombs dropped on Europe during the Second World War , the president announced a significant evolution in French nuclear doctrine. The emergence of new threats and the realignment of American priorities make it necessary, according to Macron, not only to strengthen deterrence by increasing the number of nuclear warheads, but also to rethink the deterrence strategy deep inside the European continent . His proposal is the gradual implementation o...

Internationalism No. 77, July 2025 Page 3 From the series European news In her acceptance speech for the Charlemagne Prize in Aachen on May 29 th , Ursula von der Leyen argued in favour of her ambitions for a great unifying project with a view toward an independent Europe . According to the President of the European Commission, the current international disorder characterised by authoritarian powers ready to ruthlessly exploit our divisions or dependencies will give rise to a new world order in this decade . To avoid suffering the consequences , an independent Europe should be able to shape this new order . Yet the victory of Polish nationalist Karol Nawrocki, backed by the Law and Justice (PiS) party, in Poland’s presidential elections has fuelled concerns among the European bourgeoisie about a new wave of victories for parties that are at odds with Von der Leyen’s ambitions. ...