The World Today

Winter 2024: How Europe can tackle its triple crisis

The World Today is a quarterly magazine that stimulates debate on international affairs by providing fresh insights from Chatham House experts and authorities around the globe. The current issue is open access with previous editions reserved for our members and magazine subscribers.

The threats to Europe

Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron and Trump at Notre Dame Cathedra, Paris, 7 December 2024

Europe’s leaders have been struggling to deal with war, populist nationalism and a flagging economy. Trump 2.0 sharpens all three challenges and is a necessary wake-up call. José Manuel Barroso explains why.

Grid of headshots of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un and Ayatollah Ali Khameneih

Russia, China, Iran and North Korea have formed a destructive partnership which isn’t just enabling Putin’s war in Ukraine, but could destabilize the rest of Europe, warns Armida van Rij.

people walk in a protest holding an Irish flag

A nascent far-right movement has exploited concerns about high immigration and a housing shortage. And despite poor electoral results, it remains a force in Irish politics, writes Shane Harrison.

two men in suits stand next to each other at podiums speaking

Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz are politically weak and don’t get along. But the EU urgently needs France and Germany to emulate the golden era of François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl. John Lichfield explains why.

a man in military uniform speaks on stage with two women

This was the question debated by some of the brightest minds at Chatham House’s recent conference of the same name. Armida van Rij offers three take aways from the annual event in Berlin.

man sits in row of people side on to the camera

The third global AI summit convenes amid fears the EU is falling behind America and China in the race to exploit the economic potential of artificial intelligence, writes Georgia Cole.

man in suit and red tie stands in front of US flag pointing ahead

Here’s what Chatham House’s experts will be keeping their eyes on in the year ahead

Europe is facing crisis – in our winter issue, we examine the threats to Europe within and beyond. We also eye up what’s in store for the world in 2025: from Trump’s return to the White House to the likelihood, or otherwise, of a ‘pandemic treaty’ – and more.

Also in this issue

man in dark suit stands in front of microphone being interviewed in a rural setting

The former UN humanitarian chief tells Iona Allan about the impunity he sees in Gaza and Sudan, the failings of the Security Council and why aid is not a substitute for ‘principled’ conflict mediation.

a group of young women in headscarves sit on the floor in dark classroom looking ahead

Banned from much work, high school and speaking in public, women are subject to ever-worsening oppression at the hands of the Taliban. Zahra Joya meets the activists staging small acts of resistance against this ‘gender apartheid’.

black and white photo of missile batteries during the Cuban Missile Crisis

The outgoing director of Chatham House’s International Security Programme shares her first memory of the bomb, what inspired her career in nuclear physics and the amazing women written out of history.

man stands in front of presentation holding a microphone

Tel Aviv may have the upper hand over Tehran, but Israel’s 1981 attack on Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor stands as a warning about the risks of miscalculation, writes Marion Messmer.

man in suits speaks to reporters holding a microphone

Gabriel Gatehouse and Matthew Sweet discuss what America’s rampant conspiracy culture means for truth and democracy now that some of its leading proponents may soon be in office.

As international assistance in the civil war falters, Emergency Response Rooms and other mutual aid groups are offering millions of Sudanese a humanitarian lifeline – and the glimpse of a non-violent future, writes Kholood Khair.

group of people stand around a bonfire in the dark

Failed states and criminality are driving record numbers of people to the US border. The resulting crisis of polarization may be regional, but the response should be global, writes Christopher Sabatini.

women in red clothing protest holding signs and with their fists in the air

Without reform of the crucial clothing industry, Yunus and his interim government will struggle to pull off a democratic transition, writes Patrick Schröder.

young man wrapped in Iraqi flag looks down towards protestors

The 2019 uprising ended violently, but young people’s fight for a better future carries on. Hayder Al Shakeri meets the activists adopting new tactics to tackle Iraq’s most pressing challenge yet.