Lithuania

Germany

Finland

Latvia

France

Estonia

Romania

Spain

Italy

Politics

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her team of Commissioners, a press release by the Commission shows Sept. 17. 

EU: Von der Leyen Unveils New European Commission

United States

Venezuela

Iran

China

Czech Republic

Russia

Military & Security

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced that the government arrested three U.S. citizens, two Spaniards and a Czech national for their alleged participation in a conspiracy to destabilize the administration, El Pais reported on Sept. 14. 

Venezuela: Alleged Anti-Government Plot Portends Crackdown on Opposition

Economics

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during a press conference in Kunshan, China, following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that the European Union should reconsider plans to impose additional tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) and seek instead to find a compromise with Beijing on the matter, Bloomberg reported Sept. 11.

EU, Spain, China: Spanish PM Sanchez Walks Back on Supporting EU Tariffs on Chinese EVs

Hungary

Hungarian train consortium Ganz-Mavag Europe withdrew its takeover bid for Spanish trainmaker Talgo following Madrid's decision to veto the transaction on national security grounds, the Financial Times reported on Aug. 29.

Spain, Hungary: Madrid Blocks Hungarian Acquisition of Train Manufacturer on National Security Grounds

Libya

Energy

Oil production at Libya's El Sharara oil field in the Fezzan region has reportedly fallen from about 265,000 barrels per day to 120,000 bpd due to a forced closure, Al Wasat reported Aug. 5.

Libya: Forced Closure Cuts El Sharara Oil Field Production

Ukraine

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

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

Snapshots

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (left) and Catalan regional president Pere Aragones (right) pose during their meeting at the Generalitat Palace in Barcelona on July 24, 2024. 

While it may initially appease secessionist sentiments in the region, a proposal to remove Catalonia from Spain's common tax regime could create more political and financial headaches for Madrid in the future.

Understanding Spain's Controversial Push To Give Catalonia Control of Its Taxes

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

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

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

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

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

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

Malta

Greece

Sweden

Bulgaria

Portugal

Croatia

Cyprus

Austria

Slovakia

Slovenia

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

<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: Von der Leyen Unveils New European Commission

Venezuela: Alleged Anti-Government Plot Portends Crackdown on Opposition

EU, Spain, China: Spanish PM Sanchez Walks Back on Supporting EU Tariffs on Chinese EVs

Spain, Hungary: Madrid Blocks Hungarian Acquisition of Train Manufacturer on National Security Grounds

Libya: Forced Closure Cuts El Sharara Oil Field Production

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

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