A lot has been written about what Mario Draghi's arrival in Italy means for Italy. But little has been said about what he could mean for Europe. I think Draghi could be a game changer for EU; he could even turn its toxic North-South dynamic on its head. Thread 1/

Why? The @EU_Commission is currently reviewing (quietly) member states reform plans. These are basis upon which EU capitals hope to begin receiving their allocation, in transfers & loans, from the €750 billion Recovery Fund, starting later this year 2/
Remember the numbers are unprecedented. Italy is eligible for ~€188bn (roughly €65.5bn in grants; €123bn in loans). Spain a €144bn, roughly €59bn in grants & €85bn in loans etc etc. The amounts for all member states are unprecedented 3/
Yet despite this, & fact Fr & Ger pushed hard for this deal, officials in Bxl are scathing about proposals advanced by.. Paris & Berlin. I oversimplify: but basically, Macron is distracted by Covid; Merkel, elections in Sept. Sweeping reforms are the last thing on their minds 4/
This puts Commission in its usual bind. If Bxl doesn’t raise the reform bar with Chancellery & @Elysee, it will have no credibility to push southern Europe to do same. But it also can’t impose reforms on countries that aren’t willing to do them, especially not the big 2 5/
Queue Draghi, who is likely to prove the exemplar: slashing red tape, addressing structural admin & judicial bottlenecks that have prevented Italy properly absorbing EU funds; tax & labour market reform, & a focus on levels & efficacy of investment 6/
Of course, none of this will be easy. The politics in parliament are treacherous, there's lingering divisions within his new Govt, big concerns over how long it will last & reforms will be pol charged & take on powerful interest groups 7/
But Draghi commands huge public support (60% & rising; Italy’s most popular pol figure by far) & a huge parliamentary majority. He also has a deep level of knowledge & expertise, & likely wouldn't have taken the job unless he had some assurances he could get his agenda through 8/
Perhaps most importantly: the example Draghi sets will create space & precedent for the Commission to go back to Berlin & Paris & demand they do more. It will reduce risk Bxl is scapegoated for not properly enforcing Dec deal (€ for reform); it may encourage Macron to do more 9/
The Recovery Fund needs to succeed in a few test countries, esp Italy but also France, to increase legitimacy of fiscal transfers within EU - either as a permanent feature or in event of future crisis. Even if Draghi makes this slightly more likely, this would be a big win 10/
But this isn't all. Draghi could also positively impact discussion on reform of EU’s outdated fiscal rules. Immediately re-applying the old rules after Covid - 3/60% deficit/debt limits & movement to those thresholds obvs makes no sense in light of unprecedented borrowing.. 11/
the pandemic has necessitated. The result would be (again) unprecedented austerity that even northern Europe recognizes would be counterproductive.  So rules will probs remain suspended this/next year as EU capitals negotiate what to do about them 12/
However, as we all know, the 3/60% & idea of debt reduction are hardwired into EU’s treaties & won’t change. But the secondary legislation that implements the treaty could be up for grabs. This is where the “Draghi effect” could have an impact 13/
Seeing reforms in Italy cd encourage more hawkish Northern states to back a set of rules that are slightly less obsessed with austerity & more focussed on growth (a “golden rule“) that carves out fiscal space for high quality public spending on green & digital transitions 14/
Bottom line: Draghi is unlikely to be the subordinate previous Italian PM's have been to their masters in Berlin, Paris, the Hague, Brussels & even DC. Draghi is a different beast 15/
If he delivers Recovery Fund reforms & spending in Italy that are seen as a success, Draghi could fundamentally change the econ conversation in Europe, & even its architecture/institutions & prospects over medium term

My latest in @POLITICOEurope

https://t.co/o60uA48OwB

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In 2016,Turkey arrested Abdulkadir Yapcan, a prominent Uighur political activist living in the country since 2001 and initiated his extradition. In 2017, Turkey and China signed an agreement allowing extradition even if the purported offense is only illegal in 1of the 2️⃣countries


Since early 2019, Turkey has arrested hundreds of Uighurs and sent them to deportation centers. And Erdogan’s remarks have turned diplomatically bland, just like any Uighur-related coverage in newspapers controlled by Erdogan and his supporters.
Watch the entire discussion if you have the time to do so. But if not, please make sure to watch Edhem Eldem summarizing ~150 years of democracy in Turkey in 6 minutes (starting on 57'). And if you can't watch it, fear not; I've transcribed it for you (as public service). Thread:


"Let me start by saying that I am a historian, I see dead people. But more seriously, I am constantly torn between the temptation to see patterns developing over time, and the fear of hasty generalizations and anachronistic comparisons. 1/n

"Nevertheless, the present situation forces me to explore the possible historical dimensions of the problem we're facing today. 2/n

"(...)I intend to go further back in time and widen the angle in order to focus on the confusion I  believe exists between the notions of 'state', 'government', and 'public institutions' in Turkey. 3/n

"In the summer of 1876, that's a historical quote, as Midhat Pasa was trying to draft a constitution, Edhem Pasa wrote to Saffet Pasa, and I quote in Turkish, 'Bize Konstitusyon degil enstitusyon lazim' ('It is not a constitution we need but institutions'). 4/n

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The first ever world map was sketched thousands of years ago by Indian saint
“Ramanujacharya” who simply translated the following verse from Mahabharat and gave the world its real face

In Mahabharat,it is described how 'Maharishi Ved Vyasa' gave away his divine vision to Sanjay


Dhritarashtra's charioteer so that he could describe him the events of the upcoming war.

But, even before questions of war could begin, Dhritarashtra asked him to describe how the world looks like from space.

This is how he described the face of the world:

सुदर्शनं प्रवक्ष्यामि द्वीपं तु कुरुनन्दन। परिमण्डलो महाराज द्वीपोऽसौ चक्रसंस्थितः॥
यथा हि पुरुषः पश्येदादर्शे मुखमात्मनः। एवं सुदर्शनद्वीपो दृश्यते चन्द्रमण्डले॥ द्विरंशे पिप्पलस्तत्र द्विरंशे च शशो महान्।

—वेद व्यास, भीष्म पर्व, महाभारत


Meaning:-

हे कुरुनन्दन ! सुदर्शन नामक यह द्वीप चक्र की भाँति गोलाकार स्थित है, जैसे पुरुष दर्पण में अपना मुख देखता है, उसी प्रकार यह द्वीप चन्द्रमण्डल में दिखायी देता है। इसके दो अंशो मे पीपल और दो अंशो मे विशाल शश (खरगोश) दिखायी देता है।


Meaning: "Just like a man sees his face in the mirror, so does the Earth appears in the Universe. In the first part you see leaves of the Peepal Tree, and in the next part you see a Rabbit."

Based on this shloka, Saint Ramanujacharya sketched out the map, but the world laughed