Skip to content
Search
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

What We're Watching

Europe’s annual checkup

EU Commision chief Ursula von der Leyen

EU Commision chief Ursula von der Leyen

Reuters
Alex Kliment
By Alex KlimentSeptember 12, 2023
Alex Kliment
Alex wears a few different caps and tips them all regularly. He writes for the GZERO Daily, works as a field correspondent for GZERO's nationally syndicated TV show GZERO WORLD WITH IAN BREMMER, and writes/directs/voices GZERO's award-winning puppet satire show PUPPET REGIME. Prior to joining GZERO, Alex worked as an analyst covering Russia and broader Emerging Markets for Eurasia Group. He has also written for the Financial Times from Washington, DC, and Sao Paulo Brazil. In his spare time, he makes short films and composes scores for long ones. He studied history and Slavic literature at Columbia and has a Master's from Johns Hopkins SAIS. He's a native New Yorker, a long-suffering Mets fan, and owns too many bicycles.
See Full Bio
Make us preferred on Google

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen takes the mic on Wednesday for her annual state of the union address.

She’ll look to tout successes in reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, supporting Ukraine, advancing Europe’s transition to clean energy, and boosting semiconductor production on the continent.

But not all is well in the Union. Inflation is stubbornly high, and the economy is sputtering as Germany, the largest member, slips into recession. Moreover, big questions about EU enlargement loom as the Union considers whether to formally invite Ukraine to begin the process of joining.

Is this a campaign speech? Many will hear it that way. The next European Parliament elections will be held in June 2024, and while von der Leyen hasn’t yet thrown her hat in the ring officially, she is widely thought to be considering it.
european unioneuursula von der leyenursula von der leyen state of eu speech

Latest Videos

Why Europe isn’t falling apart despite political turmoilplay icon
ask ian

Why Europe isn’t falling apart despite political turmoil

Josh Shapiro on how Democrats can learn to love AI
GZERO World Clips

Josh Shapiro on how Democrats can learn to love AI

Trump’s ineffective pressure campaign on Iran and China
Quick Take

Trump’s ineffective pressure campaign on Iran and China

What Josh Shapiro wants the Democrats to learn from Pennsylvania
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

What Josh Shapiro wants the Democrats to learn from Pennsylvania

The false Thucydides trap?
GZERO Live

The false Thucydides trap?

A frozen labor market in the US?
GZERO Reports

A frozen labor market in the US?

More For You

Countries and smugglers go for gold, Denmark’s center-left leader backs EU deportation centers, Humans assist AI for its soccer goals

​Egyptian pounds, a gold bar and a necklace are seen during an interview with Mohamed Abdeen, an Egyptian jeweller, in Cairo, Egypt, on February 5, 2026.

Egyptian pounds, a gold bar and a necklace are seen during an interview with Mohamed Abdeen, an Egyptian jeweller, as demand for gold bars and coins rises in Egypt, with buyers seeking a safer store of value amid volatile markets and economic uncertainty, traders and industry officials said, in Cairo, Egypt, on February 5, 2026.

REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Gold bust along the Egypt-Sudan border Egypt said on Monday it arrested more than 200 people along its southern border – most of them foreigners – as part of a crackdown on illegal gold mining and smuggling in the area. The border region is rich in mines: if you know the regional name “Nubia” you’re actually saying the ancient Egyptian word for [...]

UK’s Burnham waits in the wings as Starmer resigns, Colombia’s “El Tigre” set to win, US-Iran talks continue

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stands with his wife Victoria Starmer after announcing the timeline for his resignation, outside 10 Downing Street, in London, United Kingdom, on June 22, 2026.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stands with his wife Victoria Starmer after announcing the timeline for his resignation, following Andy Burnham's decisive victory last week in the Makerfield by-election, outside 10 Downing Street, in London, United Kingdom, on June 22, 2026.

REUTERS/Jack Taylor
Starmer resigns, and the UK prepares to turn leftAfter less than two years in office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday morning that he would resign as Labour Party leader. “I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision,” said a tearful Starmer outside Downing Street, who will exit office by [...]

US-Iran deal isn’t all good for Tehran, Colombians head to polls for presidential runoff, EU takes a page out of the US’s tariff book

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian displays a memorandum of understanding after signing it in Tehran, Iran, on June 18, 2026.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian displays a memorandum of understanding after signing it in Tehran, Iran, on June 18, 2026, after the document was signed by US President Donald Trump.

Iranian Presidency via ZUMA Press
What does the US-Iran deal mean for Tehran? The interim agreement to end the war, signed by both sides on Wednesday, appears to tilt toward Iran: it lifts the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, grants sanction waivers for Iranian oil products – meaning Tehran no longer has to sell oil at a discount – and gives the Islamic Republic access to [...]

Potential rebuilding fund for Iran, China's effort to keep its money at home, Trump and Modi's reset

People walking along the Dubai Creek Harbour

People walk along Dubai Creek Harbour, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 6, 2026.

REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
Will the Gulf pay for its own protection from Iran? Iran could reportedly receive up to $300 billion in a reconstruction fund for its battered economy as part of its interim peace deal with the US, which is expected to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday. While the structure and management of the potential fund are unclear, US President [...]