Global Analysis is born out of a lifetime passion for history and world politics. It is informed by an eagerness for the bigger picture. It is in essence the desire to understand the world and try to explain it. Higher quality specialised media and publications do provide a number of perspectives that shape world affairs, but they only represent a small minority compared to the mainstream, which tends to provide more local viewpoints. In the worst cases, some media provide partisan, divisive, and often factually inaccurate accounts, having only profit and not good information in mind. And as frequently, media consumers are driven by their confirmation bias, whereas challenging and revisiting one’s own opinion seems to be either too demeaning for their pride or too much of an intellectual endeavour. Even though it is impossible to eliminate bias entirely, it is essential to be aware of it and be honest about it. However, an attempt to limit bias should not be in contradiction with standing for one’s values, in this case the founding values of modern democracies and the legacy of the Enlightenment, respect of each individual’s freedoms, equal rights, tolerance, embracing reason and science, constitutional government.

Being based in Europe, the starting point of view is a European one. That is why this project starts with an extensive historical analysis of the early years of European integration and an Opinion Piece about its legacy and future prospects. At the same time, the reading list in the Book Picks section can be interpreted as an aspiration of where the project is heading to. Gradually there will be book reviews and more Opinion Pieces that will build that multifaceted interconnection of regional and global perspectives that can explain the world around us. Direct access to the sources is limited by language, in this case direct access is possible for sources in English, German, Italian and Spanish. Fortunately, there are translations for most books, and scholarly work is often written in English. When dealing with sources it is important to keep in mind where they are based, who owns them, what editorial line they espouse. That should help understand if they are promoting a particular agenda or ideological position, or if they have their own particular bias. At the same time, an assessment of sources should be based on the content they produce and not our own prejudice.

This is a personal project and not a corporate enterprise. It is ambitious in its intents but also humble and aware that there are many voices out there. I hope that with time, this can develop into a reliable place for anyone who wishes to look at the world with an open mind and wants to gain some useful insights. I will try to aggregate some of the most interesting ideas in the debate on foreign affairs, provide historical background and possibly offer an original take on the subjects I am most passionate about.