<p>To the west of Eurasia lays Europe, a region predisposed to division. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by islands and peninsulas that make it difficult for Europe to cohere. The northern half of the continent, moreover, sits on a plain whose short, meandering rivers tend to empower countries without forcing them to work with others. The southern half is situated on more mountainous terrain that has historically impeded the creation of strong, unified economies. As a result, Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.</p>

Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.

Europe

Belize

Andorra

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

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Greece

Holy See

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Spain

Montenegro

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Italy

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Iceland

Hungary

Kosovo

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The Ukraine Conflict

The Politics of Pipelines

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

The Fate of the Eurozone

Banking

Crossing Borders

Globalization

European Disintegration

Echoes of the Cold War

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Assessments

Mozambique

Syria

Anti-riot police officers with dogs walk past burning barricades made by protesters in Maputo, Mozambique, on Nov. 7, 2024. 

Military & Security

Politics

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: A New French Government, a Ruling on Mozambique's Disputed Election

Snapshots

United States

Economics

Increased EU purchases of U.S. fossil fuels may ease trade tensions and facilitate talks with the incoming Trump administration, but they are unlikely to alone defuse the risk of tariffs and other trade disputes in the years ahead.

Can the EU Avoid Trump's Tariffs by Importing More U.S. Oil and Gas?

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

South Asia

Cargo containers painted with Chinese and U.S. flags. Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025.

Cyber

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025.

2025 Annual Forecast: A Global Overview

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

South Korea

Russia

A sign reading ''leader of insurgents'' on a photo of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's face is held up during a protest calling for Yoon's ouster in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 8, 2024. 

The Weekly Rundown: Putin's Annual Press Conference, Another Impeachment Vote in South Korea

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

(From left to right) Argentine President Javier Milei, Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Paraguayan President Santiago Pena pose for a photo during the Mercosur summit in Montevideo on Dec. 6, 2024. 

The agreement offers significant market access and diversification opportunities for both trade blocs, but it also faces a complex ratification process and potential political backlash in Europe.

25 Years in the Making: Reviewing the EU-Mercosur Trade Deal

Chart of stock market investment trading on blue background.

Economic coercion is becoming more prevalent in international politics, with certain countries leveraging their economic power to pursue political goals. 

Economic Power in International Politics

Ghana

Iran

Turkey

Protesters call for the ouster of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 6, 2024.

The Weekly Rundown: An Impeachment Vote in South Korea, Syria's Government Wavers

Demonstrators hold EU and Romanian national flags during a pro-European rally in support of democracy at University Square in Bucharest, Romania, on Dec. 5, 2024, a few days before key elections. 

The ruling may bolster support for anti-establishment parties, undermine public trust in Romania's institutions and establish a dangerous precedent in other parts of Europe.

Romania's Election Annulment Raises the Stakes Domestically and Abroad

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier delivers a speech at the National Assembly, the French Parliament's lower house, in Paris on Dec. 2, 2024.

France faces heightened political instability as no-confidence votes threaten the government following Prime Minister Barnier's use of Article 49.3 to pass the 2025 budget without parliamentary approval.

Barnier's Budget Gambit Triggers Political Showdown in French Parliament

People visit the 1627 Pilgrim Village at "Plimoth Plantation," where role-players portray pilgrims seven years after the arrival of the Mayflower, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

On Thanksgiving, the United States celebrates the Plymouth Colony. However, few know that New England's colonization was a response to major geopolitical pressures -- particularly England's struggle against the Spanish both on the Continent and in the New World.

Thanksgiving and Puritan Geopolitics in the Americas

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has unveiled his government, which consists mostly of centrist and conservative lawmakers, Reuters reported on Dec. 23.

France: French Prime Minister Bayrou Unveils His Government

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Dec. 22, in a visit that had not been announced in advance, the Financial Times reported the same day.

Slovakia, Russia: Slovak PM Meets with Putin in Surprise Visit to Moscow

Romania's outgoing Prime Minister and center-left Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Marcel Ciolacu pulled out of negotiations with three other centrist, pro-EU parties -- the former co-ruling center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), the liberal center-right Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) -- to form a coalition government following the Dec. 1 parliamentary elections, Romania-Insider reported Dec. 19.

Romania: Social Democrats Exit Coalition Talks, Clearing Path for Center-Right Minority Coalition

The European Commission is investigating TikTok for a suspected breach of the EU Digital Services Act over alleged failures to thwart foreign election interference in Romania's Nov. 24 presidential election, the commission announced on Dec. 16.

EU: European Commission Investigates TikTok Over Election Influence in Romania

France's National Assembly unanimously voted in support of a "special law" authorizing the government to continue collecting taxes and renew state spending at the 2024 level until a new budget for 2025 is adopted, Le Figaro reported on Dec. 16.

France: National Assembly Unanimously Supports Temporary 2024 Budget Roll-Over

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in parliament, with 394 lawmakers voting against him, 207 in favor and 116 abstaining, DW reported on Dec. 16. 

Germany: Bundestag Ousts Scholz in No-Confidence Vote, Paving Way for February Elections

President Emmanuel Macron appointed centrist Francois Bayrou as France's new prime minister, Le Figaro reported on Dec. 13. 

France: President Macron Appoints Centrist Francois Bayrou as Prime Minister

Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Warsaw, Poland, on Dec. 12 to discuss with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk the hypothetical deployment of a post-war peacekeeping force to Ukraine that would preserve Ukrainian sovereignty in the event of a deal between incoming U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Politico reported on Dec. 11.

Ukraine, France: Macron To Pitch Deployment to Ukraine as Part of Post-War Security Guarantee

Europe

SITUATION REPORTS

France: French Prime Minister Bayrou Unveils His Government

Slovakia, Russia: Slovak PM Meets with Putin in Surprise Visit to Moscow

Romania: Social Democrats Exit Coalition Talks, Clearing Path for Center-Right Minority Coalition

EU: European Commission Investigates TikTok Over Election Influence in Romania

France: National Assembly Unanimously Supports Temporary 2024 Budget Roll-Over

Germany: Bundestag Ousts Scholz in No-Confidence Vote, Paving Way for February Elections

France: President Macron Appoints Centrist Francois Bayrou as Prime Minister

Ukraine, France: Macron To Pitch Deployment to Ukraine as Part of Post-War Security Guarantee

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