Transatlantico

(photo: the German Leopard 2A6 battle tank) – by Paolo Balmas – In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, from a defense and security perspective the main reaction of the major European Union member states, Germany, France, and Italy, has been to stress the need to increase cooperation on intelligence sharing and defense, which means […]

(photo: the headquarters of Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the oldest bank in the world)  – by Andrew Spannaus – Italian banks have been under the spotlight in recent months, considered as a potential source of serious risk for European financial markets and beyond. The danger comes from the level of non-performing loans (NPLs) they […]

Antonio Maria Costa on his thriller The Checkmate Pendulum – by Andrew Spannaus – Antonio Maria Costa is an Italian who has worked more abroad than in his own country. He has held important positions in international institutions for decades: at the European Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Organization […]

– The victory of the Syriza party in the recent Greek elections has brought Europe to a crossroads: it is clear that the politics of austerity must be abandoned, but the institutions of the European Union cannot allow themselves to admit that their model is a failure. The result is a tension between appearances – […]

Summary: The search for efficiency through the Internet of Things, in which more and more aspects of human society are connected, is leading to challenges for the role of governments and for the security of citizens, both in physical terms, for example concerning the reliability of infrastructure, and in social ones, as regard the use […]

Andrew Spannaus, prepared remarks/notes for the conference: “The Tensions in the Middle East and the Prospects for Resolution of the Syrian Crisis” Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Marini (Chamber of Deputies) March 11, 2014 The United States between Intervention and Diplomacy From Libya to Ukraine, the orientation of the Obama Administration in international crises.  Good evening. […]

– Interview with Antonio Maria Costa – Former UNODC Head Talks About Drugs in the World Banking System – by Andrew Spannaus – From 2002 to 2010, Antonio Maria Costa was the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), headquartered in Vienna, Austria. He became world famous in January 2009-only […]

Article published in Executive Intelligence Review magazine on August 8, 2011 – As the global financial system continues its wrecking campaign, the nation of Italy has become the most recent target. In the past few weeks, a massive speculative campaign has been unleashed aimed at forcing the country to implement harsh austerity and “structural reforms,” […]