The new Italian coalition government led by Enrico Letta faced large protests against the austerity policies of the government. The government is based on a shaky coalition between the center-right and center-left parties due to the refusal of the Five Star Movement led by Beppe Grillo to join any coalition government. Polls indicate that the new government has very weak support and the protests could lead to a failed government–a move that would shock the European markets. Prime Minister Letta has few options since it is unlikely that the EU and the IMF would balk against any stimulus moves. It is more than likely that no one will challenge the new government simply out of fear of precipitating a collapse.
Zahra Shahid Hussain, a leading supporter of Pakistani Presidential candidate Imran Khan, was assassinated in Karachi. The killing took place in the context of a re-vote in the city due to irregularities in the vote last week. Hussain was a very vocal supporter of Khan and she was a powerful member of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party. Her death will further unsettle an already volatile situation.
The Atlantic published a conversation among Eric Schmidt, Jared Cohen, and Steve Clemons on the internet’s role in transforming world politics. The conversation was grim, with the discussants raising the possibility that the internet might actually lead to greater divisions within the global culture due to the power of governments to manipulate information. That possibility flies in the face of what we once expected: that the internet would limit the power of states. I recommend the conversation–it is stimulating, thoughtful, and well-informed.
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