Mabel Berezin, professor of sociology at Cornell University and an expert on international populism, says Macron’s decision was a “political mistake” that could hand control of France’s government to Marine Le Pen’s right-Wing National Rally (RN) party.

International

Foreign Policy

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As the European Union (EU) prepares to vote for the next members of the European Parliament, experts anticipate significant gains for the far-right, populist parties. Mabel Berezin is a professor of sociology whose work explores challenges to democratic cohesion and solidarity in Europe and the United States. She highlights the prominent women leading the right in the upcoming EU elections.

International

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Sabrina Karim is an assistant professor of government at Cornell University and studies police and peacekeeping in post-conflict states. She notes that the U.N.-backed mission, led by Kenya, must have full understanding of the local context before engaging in any political or police action. 

International

Foreign Policy

Law, Government & Public Policy

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Mexicans will cast their votes on Sunday to elect thousands of congressional and local officials, as well as the successor to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Gustavo Flores-Macías is a professor of government at Cornell University and an expert in Latin American politics. He discusses the significance of this vote and the upcoming challenges for Mexico’s next president.

International

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Following another weekend of deadly clashes between police and demonstrators, Bangladesh’s army chief announced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned. Sabrina Karim, associate professor of government, says what stands out about this historic day is the role of the military, which was divided on the use of repression.

International

Arts and Sciences

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Lourdes Casanova, director of the Emerging Markets Institute at Cornell University, says that despite economic turmoil and the world’s highest debt to the International Monetary Fund, Argentina’s economy has the potential to improve. This suggests Argentines may choose continuity over change, according to Casanova.

International

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Ukraine parliament passed a bill on Thursday overhauling mobilization rules. David Silbey is an associate professor of history at Cornell University specializing in military history, defense policy and battlefield analysis. He says, “Large industrial wars like this one are as much about organization as they are about fighting, and this is a sign that Ukraine takes that lesson seriously.”

International

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As the International Seabed Authority meets in Jamaica this month, Maha Haji, professor of engineering, comments on a promising alternative to seabed mining.

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Engineering

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Richard T. Clark is a political scientist who studies policymaking at the World Bank. He describes the objectives as bolstering the Bank’s budget, reorienting lending to tackle climate change, and competing with China on infrastructure spending.

International Reach

International

Economics and Business

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David Silbey is an associate professor of history at Cornell University where he specializes in military history and defense policy. Based on the evidence, he says the Iranian attack seemed designed more for show, than an attempt to actually inflict casualties.

International

Foreign Policy

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