In January I wrote about the era of protectionism and populism, which we seem to have entered. As discussed, these trends seem to indicate a globalization backlash, voiced by Brexit and Trump supporters, who probably haven’t felt the benefits of a globalized market. As one Financial Times article puts it, the current socio-political climate is…

Integration may bring important benefits to Africa. It will foster higher growth and development (see Intra-African trade and transportation, Agenda 2063 (II): Connecting Africa through high-speed trains, Regional integration in Africa). Needless to say, regional transport infrastructure improvements play a key role in this. Africa’s infrastructure deficits, that include transportation and energy access, have been…

Between August 2015 and February 2017 Apple has objected at least 13 different courts requests to unlock the iPhone of suspected terrorists. This situation obtained the attention of the public in December 2015 when, after the San Bernardino terrorist attack, FBI recovered an Apple iPhone 5c who was used by Syed Rizwan Farook, one of…

Every continent has its share of populist movements, both right-wing and left-wing, but only some actually reach a critical mass of power, while others remain on the sidelines. The term “populist” is frequently used as a political weapon to show disdain for a policy, even when it doesn’t quite fit the definition. This is because…