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Leon Willems

Leon Willems

6 commentaries

Leon Willems is Director of Free Press Unlimited.

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  1. Preventing the Death of Independent Journalism
    willems6_ Eko Siswono ToyudhoAnadolu AgencyGetty Images_riot police press freedom Eko Siswono Toyudho/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

    Preventing the Death of Independent Journalism

    Dec 7, 2020 Leon Willems warns that a critical public good could be lost, undermining informed debate and political accountability.

  2. The Demonization of Journalists Must End
    willems5_FRANCOIS GUILLOTPOOLAFP via Getty Images_charliehebdomemorial Francois Guillot/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    The Demonization of Journalists Must End

    Jan 9, 2020 Leon Willems says continued violence against members of the press represents an assault on a vital pillar of democracy.

  3. Justice for Journalists
    willems4_YASINAKGULAFPGettyImages_candlevigilwithkhashoggiposter Yasin Akgul/AFP/Getty Images

    Justice for Journalists

    Jun 18, 2019 Leon Willems suggests how to fight the culture of impunity surrounding violent crimes against reporters in many countries.

  4. Condemning Khashoggi’s Killers
    mbs g20 Nicolas Asfouri - Pool/Getty Images

    Condemning Khashoggi’s Killers

    Dec 11, 2018 Leon Willems says the apparent state-sanctioned murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi must not go unpunished.

  5. How Press Freedom Is Won
    Protesters holds placards during a rally against corruption and to pay tribute to murdered Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images

    How Press Freedom Is Won

    May 2, 2018 Leon Willems urges news consumers to reflect on the successes and sacrifices of journalists around the world.

  1. rodrik231_Andrej IvanovGettyImages_us_canda_border Andrej Ivanov/Getty Images

    How Not to Respond to Trump’s Tariffs

    Dani Rodrik advises America’s trade partners not to embrace retaliation, because that would harm mainly themselves.
  2. landau5_Thierry MonasseGettyImages_eu_competitiveness_compass Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

    Europe Found Its Values and Lost Its Way

    Jean-Pierre Landau

    European integration – and the stability and prosperity it supports – has always depended on a pragmatic, incremental approach. If the EU is to navigate today’s challenging geopolitical environment, it must again embrace this approach, rather than continue to allow high-level principles to dictate policy.

    warns that the EU’s focus on high-level principles is undermining its economic dynamism and global influence.
  3. cferguson4_Patrick T. FallonGettyImages_jensen_huang Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images

    The Crisis in Western AI Is Real

    Charles Ferguson

    Given the risks involved in the race for AI dominance, maintaining a strong lead within democratic advanced economies justifies a public-private strategic mobilization on the scale of the Manhattan Project. Yet the West is doing the opposite, largely owing to its own AI industry’s arrogance, shortsightedness, and greed.

    thinks the US industry bears a considerable share of the blame for China’s DeepSeek breakthrough.
  4. singer239_Andrew HarnikGetty Images_americafirst Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    “America First” in Action

    Peter Singer assesses the damage Donald Trump has already done to long-term US interests since returning to the White House.
  5. varoufakis124_Luke SharrettGettyImages_palantir_demo Luke Sharrett/Getty Images

    Technofeudalism Is War’s Handmaiden

    Yanis Varoufakis explains how the rise of cloud capital is steering the world toward well-known strategic traps.
  6. buiter54_FABRICE COFFRINIAFP via Getty Images_swissnationalbank Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

    The Positive Case for Negative Rates

    Willem H. Buiter & Ebrahim Rahbari see the widely scorned monetary-policy tool as a necessary option in the absence of fiscal alternatives.
  7. ahzhang20_PETER CATTERALLAFP via Getty Images_deepseek Peter Catterall/AFP via Getty Images

    Will DeepSeek Upend US Tech Dominance?

    Angela Huyue Zhang says the firm’s disruption of the AI industry is about market – not great-power – competition.
  8. buruma222_Anna MoneymakerGettyImages_donald_trump_cross Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    Breaking US Democracy Beyond Repair

    Ian Buruma warns that Donald Trump’s efforts to tear down America’s “civic religion” will be difficult to reverse.
  9. patten172_Scott OlsonGetty Images_trump Scott Olson/Getty Images

    Can the Liberal International Order Survive Without America?

    Chris Patten urges Western countries to safeguard the institutions that have underpinned their postwar stability.

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