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Carl Bildt

Carl Bildt

Writing for PS since 2009
123 commentaries

Carl Bildt was Sweden’s foreign minister from 2006 to 2014 and prime minister from 1991 to 1994, when he negotiated Sweden’s EU accession. A renowned international diplomat, he served as EU Special Envoy to the Former Yugoslavia, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Special Envoy to the Balkans, and Co-Chairman of the Dayton Peace Conference. He is Co-Chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations. 

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  1. Trump Is Putin’s Only Hope Now
    bildt122_Mikhail SvetlovGetty Images_trumpputin Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

    Trump Is Putin’s Only Hope Now

    Apr 25, 2024 Carl Bildt considers the implications of Ukraine finally receiving the Western military aid it has been waiting for.

  2. The Indo-Pacific Strategy’s Fatal Blind Spot
    bildt121_PAVEL BYRKINSPUTNIKAFP via Getty Images_putinxi Pavel Byrkin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

    The Indo-Pacific Strategy’s Fatal Blind Spot

    Mar 20, 2024 Carl Bildt worries that Western strategists are not paying enough attention to the incipient Russia-China axis.

  3. Russia Will Honor Navalny Someday
    bildt120_VASILY MAXIMOVAFP via Getty Images_navalny VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP via Getty Images

    Russia Will Honor Navalny Someday

    Feb 21, 2024 Carl Bildt reflects on the murdered opposition leader’s success in challenging Vladimir Putin’s regime.

  4. Extremism From the River to the Sea
    bildt119_MAHMUD HAMSAFP via Getty Images_gazawar Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images

    Extremism From the River to the Sea

    Jan 23, 2024 Carl Bildt laments the outsize role of one-state chauvinists on both sides of today's Israeli-Palestinian divide.

  5. Putin’s Dead-End
    bildt118_OLEKSII FILIPPOVSPUTNIKAFP via Getty Images_putin Oleksii Filippov/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

    Putin’s Dead-End

    Dec 19, 2023 Carl Bildt thinks the Russian leader's war against Ukraine is still destined to fail, irrespective of what America does.

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  1. spence173_ Joe RaedleGetty Images_power Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Crunch Time for the Power Sector

    Michael Spence

    Making the power sector fit for the twenty-first century requires a “banker” that finances and coordinates relevant long-term investments, and an “architect” that guides the development of a complex, interconnected smart-grid system. National governments need to fill both roles.

    argues that developing flexible, stable, and resilient smart grids requires an expanded industrial policy.
  2. op_janeway16_SAUL LOEBAFP via Getty Images_bidenchips Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    The Rise of Mesoeconomics

    William H. Janeway

    A growing body of literature focusing on the domain between the microeconomic and the macroeconomic has become increasingly relevant in a world beset by supply shocks. Armed with such insights, those designing industrial policies will have a better chance of achieving their overlapping economic- and national-security goals.

    details how a long-neglected field of economic study can be applied to today's most pressing policy challenges.
  3. strain27_Philipp von Ditfurthpicture alliance via Getty Images_AIeducation Philipp von Ditfurth/picture alliance via Getty Images

    What the AI Pessimists Are Missing

    Michael R. Strain points out that the technology will help to address many of the risks it creates.
  4. ito37_Spencer PlattGetty Images_columbiaprotests Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The Innocent Bystanders of College Protests

    Takatoshi Ito laments that a radical minority can disrupt the lives of so many in the broader university community.
  5. lacamera1_Wang DongzhenXinhua via Getty Images_COP28 Wang Dongzhen/Xinhua via Getty Images

    Only Public-Private Cooperation Can Accelerate Decarbonization

    Francesco La Camera & Bruce Douglas explain how to translate political commitments into actual wind turbines and solar panels.
  6. haass167_ANATOLII STEPANOVAFP via Getty Images_ukrainesoldiers Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

    Defining Success in Ukraine

    Richard Haass calls for a shift to a defensive posture and efforts to bring about a long-term ceasefire.
  7. aslund75_Pierre CromGetty Images_ukraineconflict Pierre Crom/Getty Images

    A Unified Western Strategy for Ukraine

    Anders Åslund proposes a maximalist approach to military aid to replace the current piecemeal injections of old weapons.
  8. khrushcheva180_ContributorGetty Images_shoiguputin Contributor/Getty Images

    Russia’s Battle of the Ministries

    Nina L. Khrushcheva sees a high-ranking official's recent arrest as a sign of declining confidence in Vladimir Putin's leadership.
  9. ghosh77_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_ajaybanga Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    The “Billions to Trillions” Charade

    Jayati Ghosh explains why using development banks' resources to incentivize private-sector finance is unlikely to succeed.

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