By: Rainer Zitelmann

Dr Rainer Zitelmann is a German historian, sociologist and author. His latest book is "The Origins of Poverty and Wealth" https://origins-poverty-wealth.com/

All 65 Articles

Von Der Leyen’s vaccine strategy violates the EU’s founding principles

February 9, 2021

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has conceded that individual countries could have vaccinated their populations quicker had they acted alone rather than relying on the EU’s collective vaccine purchase and distribution program. She has effectively acknowledged that her vaccine procurement programme violated a fundamental principle of the European Union’s founding treaties. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has published an op-ed in the leading German daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “I ask myself the same questions every day: Could we have been much [...]
Why has Donald Trump done much better than Europeans expected — again?

November 4, 2020

As was the case four years ago, most media outlets in Europe have been predicting a massive victory for the Democrats. Now the election results are much tighter than expected. Why? Well, among lots of Europeans it was the wish for an overwhelming victory for Joe Biden that shaped the narrative. The majority of western [...]
Coronavirus: The state is strong where it should be weak, and weak where it should be strong

April 16, 2020

After politicians in countries all around the world – including political leaders in the United States and Europe – initially ignored and massively underestimated the dangers associated with the coronavirus, it is now clear that huge numbers of people will sooner or later become infected. Even with decisive action, hundreds of thousands will die worldwide. [...]
Germany’s SPD following Labour’s footsteps

December 2, 2019

Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) have just elected Norbert Walter-Borjans, the former finance minister of north Rhine-Westphalia, and Saskia Esken, a member of the German parliament, as their party’s new joint leaders. The two left-wing candidates gained 53.06 per cent of the vote in the run-off election, clearly beating the moderate German vice-chancellor Olaf Scholz, and [...]
South Korea is shifting to the left, but pro-capitalists are fighting back

June 10, 2019

At this year’s Cannes film festival, the South Korean director Bong Joon-ho was awarded the coveted Palme d’Or for his satire Parasite. The film is an attack on capitalism: a poor family insinuate themselves as servants into a much richer one. One of the film’s core messages is that it is almost impossible to bridge [...]

Regulator struggles to tackle harassment and bullying at law firms

England World Cup base to get extra security, say Kansas City officials

A-List Cotswolds takeover: Have Kim Kardashian and Ellen ruined the countryside?

By: Rainer Zitelmann

All 65 Articles

Subscribe