Economy and ecology | IPS Journal

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picture alliance | Eibner-Pressefoto/Florian Wiegand

Economy and ecology

Euro-visions (not the song contest)

ECB President Lagarde wants a larger global role for the euro, but Europe’s economic realities may turn privilege into pressure

By Peter Bofinger

picture alliance / CFOTO

Economy and ecology

When the disciple becomes the master

China, once the target of Western hopes for liberal change through trade, is now reshaping the global order by exporting its own policies

By Konstantin Kladensky

picture alliance / CFOTO

Economy and ecology

Too much of a green thing

Europe’s relentless push for more (renewable) energy raises questions about sustainability — and who ultimately pays the price

By Lucy Anns, Luisa Fondello

picture-alliance/ dpa | Rainer Jensen

Economy and ecology

A trim too far?

The EU’s latest agricultural reform promises to cut red tape. But for many observers, it’s cutting corners — particularly on environmental protections

By Natasha Foote

picture alliance / Anadolu | Tamam Jerbi

Economy and ecology

Reconstruction begins where sanctions end

The lifting of US sanctions marks a turning point for Syria and its new president, offering more than 20 million people hope for a better future

By Marcus Schneider

Canva/ChatGPT

Economy and ecology

Cargo kings and cocaine rings

Rotterdam’s fight against drug smuggling shows that public and private forces, when united, can set a new standard for European port security

By Richard Van Herzeele

picture alliance / Reuters | Marvellous Durowaiye

Economy and ecology

Fifty and fractured

Half a century after ECOWAS promised peace and prosperity, three breakaway states are testing West African solidarity, sparking a potential trade war

By Zikora Ibeh

picture alliance / ZB | Martin Schutt

Economy and ecology

Home sweet hurdle

Europe’s housing crisis is more than a numbers game — it’s about the growing inequality that shapes where people live, work and raise their families

By Gerald Koessl

picture alliance / abaca | ABACA

Economy and ecology

Germany’s incoming government has embraced military Keynesianism

With billions for military vehicles and crumbs for green tech, Germany’s fiscal shift risks fueling discontent — and extremism

By Tom Krebs, Isabella M. Weber

picture alliance / Anadolu | Gerald Anderson

Economy and ecology

An ocean of gold but no water to drink

Privatisation was once heralded as the key to Africa’s economic revitalisation. Decades later, the reality looks very different

By Sefa Ikpa