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Politics

European Union leaders are expected to agree on the next President of the European Commission and other top appointments for the bloc, as well as on the European Union's strategic priorities for the next five years during a two-day summit in Brussels starting on June 27, the EU Council's official meeting agenda showed on June 27.

EU: EU Leaders to Approve Top Jobs and Strategic Priorities for the Bloc During Two-Day Summit

Belgium

Netherlands

Italy

European Union leaders failed to agree on top appointments for the bloc during their first informal meeting in Brussels since the June 6-9 European Parliament elections, delaying a decision until the European Council summit on June 27-28, Reuters reported June 17. 

EU: Von der Leyen Likely to be Confirmed as European Commission President Despite Delayed Decision

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Norway

Ireland

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Norway, Spain and Ireland formally recognized Palestine as an independent country, France 24 reported on May 28.

Israel, Europe: More European Countries Recognize Palestinian Statehood

United States

Economics

Military & Security

Norwegian, Irish and Spanish leaders said their governments will formally recognize Palestinian statehood on May 28, with the expectation that some other countries in the European Union would follow suit, Al Jazeera reported on May 22.

Palestinian Territories: Norway, Ireland, Spain To Recognize Palestinian Statehood on May 28

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

EU member states formally adopted proposals to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and to loosen environmental requirements under the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), two separate press releases from the EU Council show on May 13. 

EU: Member States Approve Stricter Emissions Reduction Targets for Trucks, Looser Environmental Rules for Farmers

Algeria

Morocco

United Arab Emirates

Energy

Algeria said it would stop delivering natural gas to Spain's Naturgy if the utility company sells shares to another company, Reuters reported on May 6.

Algeria: Algiers Threatens To Stop Gas Deliveries to Spain's Naturgy if Its Shares Are Sold

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that he would not resign over a corruption and influence peddling investigation into his wife, Begona Gomez, and that he would instead fight the smear campaign against his family, El Pais reported on April 29.

Spain: Prime Minister Decides Not To Resign Over Wife's Corruption Investigation

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on April 24 that he was canceling his public duties until April 29 and was considering resigning after a court in Madrid announced the beginning of an investigation into his wife for alleged influence-peddling and corruption, El Mundo reported the next day.

Spain: Prime Minister Threatens Resignation Over Corruption Accusations

Assessments

Kenya

Saudi Arabia

Taiwan

Europe

Taiwanese President-elect William Lai (C) on Jan. 13 in Taipei, Taiwan. Lai will officially begin his four-year presidency May 20.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Kenya's President Visits Washington, Lai Inaugurated in Taiwan

PSC candidate Salvador Illa waves following Catalonia's regional elections May 12 in the Spanish city of Barcelona. While the result of Catalonia's regional election reduces the risk of another push for independence in the short to medium term, it also increases uncertainty regarding the stability of the Spanish central government and its ability to pass legislation.

While the result of Catalonia's regional election reduces the risk of another push for independence in the short to medium term, it also increases uncertainty regarding the stability of the Spanish central government and its ability to pass legislation.

A Socialist Win in Catalonia Reflects a Diminished Separatist Drive

Brazil

Chile

China

Russia

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Putin Goes to China, New U.S. Tariffs on China

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Argentina

Bolivia

Peru

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his wife, Begona Gomez, arrive Oct. 5, 2023, at the Carlos V Palace at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Sanchez is expected to make an announcement about his political future on April 29 following his surprise decision April 25 to suspend public appearances after a court in Madrid announced an investigation into his wife for alleged influence-peddling and corruption.

The Weekly Rundown: South American Foreign Ministers Visit China, the Spanish Premier Announces His Political Future

Snapshots

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez leaves during a break of the plenary session before a vote on the government's controversial amnesty bill for Catalan secessionists at the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, Spain, on Jan. 30, 2024. 

If lawmakers approve an amnesty law for Catalan secessionists in the coming days, it will secure the stability of Sanchez's government and open the door to tax reforms.

What the Approval of a Controversial Amnesty Law Would Mean for Spain

Romania

A woman waves a French flag in support of protesting farmers as a tractor drives by in Agen, southwerstern France, on Jan. 25, 2024.

Farmers across Europe are protesting environmental regulations, foreign competition and falling government support, which will likely impede Brussels' ability to enact climate reforms and negotiate new trade deals.

Growing Farmer Protests Add to the EU's Political Woes

Columns

On Geopolitics

Burkina Faso

Mali

Niger

South Africa

Mexico

Turkey

Hong Kong SAR, China

Japan

South Korea

United Kingdom

Poland

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bangladesh

India

Pakistan

In this scorecard, we take a critical look at our successes and slip-ups in forecasting geopolitical events over the past year.

Grading Our 2023 Annual Forecast

Tunisia

Tunisian dinar.

Tunisia will push European states for more aid as migrants use the country as a launching point to the Continent.

Tunisia Angles for More European Aid as Migrants Travel North

Luxembourg

Lithuania

Malta

Finland

Latvia

Czech Republic

Greece

Estonia

Sweden

Bulgaria

Portugal

Croatia

Cyprus

Austria

Slovakia

Slovenia

Hungary

Members of the European Parliament take part in voting on the Artificial Intelligence Act during a plenary session at the European Parliament.

Cyber

The EU's recently negotiated Artificial Intelligence Act will bolster the European Union's dominance as a regulatory heavyweight in emerging technologies, yet anticipated enforcement challenges and stringent stipulations with the Act risk impeding AI innovation within the bloc.

EU Lawmakers Clinch Agreement on Artificial Intelligence Act 

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

Liberia

Madagascar

U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia.

The Weekly Rundown: Xi and Biden at APEC, a Saudi Summit on Gaza

Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks in Madrid after signing an agreement to form a coalition government on Oct. 24, 2023. 

The prime minister's move to grant amnesty to secessionists will keep him in office, but it will also increase the risk of social unrest, legal battles and a renewed push for Catalan independence.

To Stay in Power, Spain's Sanchez Cuts a Deal With Catalan Separatists

<p>Spain is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula and is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, France, the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. Spain is separated from France by the Pyrenees, a protective mountain barrier between the two countries. The Strait of Gibraltar divides Spain from Africa, which at its narrowest is about 15 kilometers (9 miles) wide. This eased the invasion of the Moors in the eighth century during the rise of the Islamic caliphate. The Arab presence lasted until the end of the 15th century, when Christian Spanish kingdoms unified modern Spain. This unification helped Spain compete with other maritime powers such as the United Kingdom and continental powers like France. Spain&rsquo;s access to the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic, along with its need for natural resources, promoted its consolidation into one of the greatest naval and colonial powers of Europe. While Spain has had external challenges, its main geographic challenge comes from within. Spain&rsquo;s core is Madrid, the country&rsquo;s capital, most populated city and political center. Madrid sits on Spain&rsquo;s Meseta Central and was chosen as the capital in the 16th century to allow more centralized control of the country. But Spain&rsquo;s mountainous terrain has historically determined its political life by hindering communication between different regions within the country. This geography has led to the emergence of regionalist and separatist movements, especially in Catalonia and the Basque Country. Spain&rsquo;s challenge, then, is to bring about a truly united nation with a balance of power between the central government in Madrid and the autonomous regions, especially as Catalonia.</p>

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

The Fate of the Eurozone

European Disintegration

SITUATION REPORTS

EU: EU Leaders to Approve Top Jobs and Strategic Priorities for the Bloc During Two-Day Summit

EU: Von der Leyen Likely to be Confirmed as European Commission President Despite Delayed Decision

Israel, Europe: More European Countries Recognize Palestinian Statehood

Palestinian Territories: Norway, Ireland, Spain To Recognize Palestinian Statehood on May 28

EU: Member States Approve Stricter Emissions Reduction Targets for Trucks, Looser Environmental Rules for Farmers

Algeria: Algiers Threatens To Stop Gas Deliveries to Spain's Naturgy if Its Shares Are Sold

Spain: Prime Minister Decides Not To Resign Over Wife's Corruption Investigation

Spain: Prime Minister Threatens Resignation Over Corruption Accusations

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