By Kyra Ward Economics & International Relations Student In June of this year, Germany made the unprecedented move to scale back on its world-class green energy sector. One of its radical renewable energy programs Energiewende (literally translating to energy revolution/transition) is taking substantive budget reductions and restructuring. As a country on the forefront of the…
Category: Europe
Brexit Stage Left: The Decline of the United Kingdom and the Future of the European Project
By: Adam Stromme Editor-in-Chief, Economics and International Relations Undergraduate Student The outcome of the European Referendum has already had devastating consequences, and sowed the seeds of uncertainty for people both within Britain and in Europe. St Andrews itself is abuzz with fretting students and rising anxiety, much of which prompted the swift response from the…
Should we stay or should we go?
By Tom Claridge International Relations Graduate Student, Columnist Essentially, both sides of the EU debate are right. The Leave campaign is correct when they talk of the Union’s impact upon Parliament’s sovereignty, as the EU does have the ability to make rules for its twenty-seven member states. Each European law is essentially one part British…
Brexit in the Bubble
By Blanca Franch Camino Undergraduate Economics Student, Correspondent Politics, despite popular misconceptions, affects our lives in several ways. A Brexit would have serious repercussions in St Andrews, since both the financial structure and the entire higher education system are tied up in the European Union. St Andrews would see marked effects on both its funding…
Learning from Brussels
By Erika Brady Columnist, PhD Student at the Handa Center of Terrorism and Political Violence Yet again, the ugly face of terrorism has struck at one of Europe’s capitals, and yet again, we are looking for someone to blame. Following the attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015, fingers were pointed at refugees as being, if not…
For the Refugees: “England good, Norway good, Canada good, America good”
By Tom Mcelholm Correspondent, History Undergraduate Student I stood monitoring the line for clothes distribution in Calais’ Refugee Camp during the emergency week in mid-January. The CRS had announced the impending demolition of a portion of the Kurdish section of the camp. Days after journalists left they would enter the camp in APCs, teargas it…
Shaping Safety: How Architects Can Build a Stronger Peace
By Kate Cyr Correspondent, Master Student in Peace & Conflict Studies I take my home for granted. There, I said it. Chances are you do, too, if your conception of home – like mine – does not include worrying about the daily dangers of a civil war playing out on your doorstep; the mortar shelling that has…
Back in the USSR
By Thomas Claridge Columnist, International Relations Graduate Student As the wintry nights draw in and the festive season tiptoes closer, spare a thought for Sergei Karakayev. As Commander of Russia’s Strategic Missile Troops, he must be quaking in his boots over the all-important question consuming the Kremlin this time of year; what present does one…
European Students: How Valuable Will Your Money Be?
By Blanca Franch Camino Correspondent, Undergraduate Economics Student European Union students at the University of St Andrews have probably been wondering about the most intelligent way to behave regarding recent changes of their finances. Little did they know that many of the most important decisions were being made for them. In fact, during second semester last…
Syria: The Global Conflict
By Ruaraidh Maciver Middle East/Africa Editor, History Undergraduate Student The Islamic State has existed as an independent group for almost two years now, and is currently fighting several different factions within Syria and Iraq. These include the Iraqi army and its’ associated militias, the Kurdish nationalists YPG, the Syrian rebels, the Syrian army, and is…
We are Better than Blaming Refugees
A solution to this crisis will not be easy and results will not be obvious but blaming refugees from the Middle East will gain us nothing.
EU Parliamentary Elections: The Fiscal Standoff
Originally published in Issue IV of the St Andrews Economist By: Grzegorz Janota and Maxime Segui Do we as individual voters really have a say in the fiscal policies of the European Union? Thanks to the Lisbon Treaty, which was adopted in 2009 and came to force in 2011, the answer to that question is…
