Beyond borders: the strategic role of a European rail network
Where would Europe be without trains? Rail powered Europe’s industrial revolution, providing fast, affordable and reliable transport for goods, raw materials and workers. It enabled cross-border trade, helped drive Italy’s manufacturing boom in the late 19th century, and opened leisure travel to all social classes. It is no exaggeration to say that rail transformed Europe. […]
Greenland, Europe and the Question of Sovereignty
On September 22, 2026, Donald Trump, together with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland, signed an agreement on strengthened security in Greenland and the wider Arctic and North Atlantic region. Just days earlier, on September 18, Trump had announced that the United States had reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that, in his words, […]
Europe’s high-speed rail plan: spreading the competition dividend
Europe has invested heavily in high-speed rail. New lines have shortened journeys and connected major cities. But building infrastructure is only part of the game. Tracks create the possibility of better services. They do not guarantee them. To obtain the full return on public investment, Europe also needs competition between operators. Europeans saw competition transform […]
Europe’s history, between trade and security, along Rail Corridor No. 5
On a large map of Europe, a set of coloured lines crosses the continent like the lines of a metro map in a big city. “It’s the most evocative representation of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T),” says Maurizio Bufalini, director of Telt, the Franco-Italian company digging the Turin-Lyon tunnel. “The routes are the metro lines […]
The battle to bring General de Gaulle to the screen
One of the cultural events of this summer in France has been the huge success of two Pathé blockbuster films, collectively titled “La Bataille de Gaulle”. Directed by Antonin Baudry, they are based on my biography of General Charles de Gaulle, “A Certain Idea of France”, with Simon Abkarian in the lead role. At the […]
A liberal manifesto for not dying of doom-mongering
“Because they dislike tribalism, many liberals don’t like explaining why they are liberals, unlike illiberals, post-liberals and anti-liberals. For liberals, writing about it can even become a chore,” writes Cass R. Sunstein in his latest book, “On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom”, just out in Italy from Silvio Berlusconi Editore with the title “Esperimenti di […]
Strolling around Europe’s labs of scientific (and security) excellence
On the road to Lake Maggiore, in the province of Varese, the driver takes the curves confidently and happily tells the story of the area: “There used to be a subsistence economy here. If you were doing well, you had a few cows or goats, and could produce some cheese to sell. Then Ispra-1 and […]
In the Kyiv shelters with dogs and cats, amid sirens and blasts
On the evening of August 28, Natalia was calmly walking her golden retriever Rocky in the village of Petrushky, in the Kyiv region, where they live. At that very moment, a Russian drone struck a warehouse in the neighbouring village of Myla. The warehouse held Ukrainian ammunition, which began to detonate. The explosions rang out […]
Will Trump continue to blotch his peace-making efforts in Ukraine?
Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, finally made it to Kyiv. After more than a year and a half of failed peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, this was their first visit to the Ukrainian capital. President Trump seems to want to resurrect his peace-making efforts in Ukraine. The Envoys’ say that they […]
Another jumbo summit with decisive choices, between war and competitiveness
A Jumbo European Council A new approach to enlargement, a new Multiannual Financial Framework, support for Ukraine amid the direct threat from Russia, migration policy, competitiveness and China: the agenda for the European Council of 15–16 October is so packed it would take a week to untangle the issues EU leaders are facing. Instead, heads […]