Project Syndicate

en English Politics Apr 17, 2026 The tense negotiations between the United States and Iran have exposed the limits of bilateral diplomacy. With the crisis fueled by overlapping, interconnected conflicts, the only viable path forward is a broader regional framework that addresses the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear proliferation, Palestinian statehood, and proxy warfare.

Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images en English Sustainability Now Apr 17, 2026 The Iran war has reminded everyone, but especially Africans, of the structural instability of fossil-fuel prices. For African trustees, directors, asset managers, and other fiduciaries, the question is not whether capital should reposition, but whether institutions will act before events compel them to do so.

Donwilson Odhiambo/Getty Images en English Sustainability Now Apr 17, 2026 and The international community is increasingly trying to distinguish between climate, development, and humanitarian finance—as if they can be neatly compartmentalized. But this siloed approach overlooks how social-protection programs providing cash transfers to vulnerable households can strengthen resilience to climate shocks.

de German Innovation Apr 17, 2026 and Under the banner of the European Union’s Digital Decade agenda, Europe is investing in digitalization to protect its industries from shocks like the one currently emanating from the Middle East. But if EU leaders think their current program is sufficient, they are in for a rude awakening.

en English Culture Apr 17, 2026 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's response to Donald Trump's attacks on Pope Leo XIV may strain her relationship with the White House, but it is likely to help her domestically. Remarkably, this outcome materialized in a staunch, if unwitting, defense of European values. FLORENCE—There are moments when a deep well of individual feeling reveals something important about political history.

OnPoint Subscriber Exclusive Longer Reads provide in-depth analysis of the ideas and forces shaping politics, economics, international affairs, and more. Subscribe Cheng Xin/Getty Images en English Longer Reads Apr 17, 2026 Among the world’s major economies, only China and Russia have managed to build digital industries that stand apart from American platforms.

en English Politics Apr 16, 2026 By taking a wrecking ball to the global rules-based order, Donald Trump has thrown the entire world into chaos, reminding us why our post-World War II forebears laid the foundation for that order. The task now is to re-imagine an international legal regime that works more reliably for more people, without exception for the powerful.

en English Economics Apr 16, 2026 The Wealth of Nations offers a useful lens for understanding why US President Donald Trump’s mercantilist agenda has fallen short of its own stated goals. It also points to a better path, combining competitive markets with policies that help workers and communities build skills and keep pace with economic change. NEW YORK—November’s midterm elections pose a serious challenge for US President Donald Trump.

en English Economics Apr 16, 2026 The argument that the natural-resource curse is at work in the US rests on the assumption that rising oil and gas production will necessarily crowd out manufacturing, including renewables. But while the argument is increasingly heard, past experience in the US—as well as in Australia, Chile, Norway, and elsewhere—does not support it.

OnPoint Subscriber Exclusive Longer Reads provide in-depth analysis of the ideas and forces shaping politics, economics, international affairs, and more. Subscribe Balint Szentgallay/NurPhoto via Getty Images en English Longer Reads Apr 16, 2026 Ordinary Hungarians have paid a steep price for Viktor Orbán’s smash-and-grab mafia state, where family and friends enriched themselves while living standards stagnated.