Rubrics » Bridging News
When Chaos Becomes a Playing System
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 Tactical systems in football are a thing at least since the Scots put the ball on the grass and developed the passing game at the expense of the “kick-and-rush”. If kick-and-rush can hardly be called a tactical system (there was / is nothing systemic about it), the passing game gave rise to the WM formation, later tweaked by Hungarian coaches such as Márton Bukovi and Gusztáv Sebes. And even with the WM, a distinction must be made between a playing formation (which it more closely resembled) and a tactical system (which it was not yet). But it became one, at least from the moment of Helenio Herrera’s Catenaccio, followed by Cruijff’s Totaalvoetbal, and more recently, Spanish tiki-taka. More
Technocracy and the Economy
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 The words “technocrat” and “technocracy” have recently returned to public discourse in Romania. It appears that they were coined in 1919 by the American engineer W. H. Smith to designate a mode of economic organisation inspired by the rational principles of the natural sciences. The appeal of this current of thought was amplified by the disastrous effects of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Today, governments composed of technocrats are often regarded as viable solutions in times of crisis or when political leaders prove timid, indecisive, or discredited. More
When Consensus Becomes Systemic Risk: Mark Twain and the Failure of Experts
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 Financial crises are often explained as failures of markets, regulation, or monetary policy. More often than not, however, they begin as failures of judgment. That may sound obvious. Yet modern societies continue to place extraordinary faith in expert opinion, particularly when uncertainty is high. Investors seek forecasts. Governments seek guidance. Central banks seek credibility. The assumption is that more expertise leads to better decisions. More
One Fifth of Young Romanian People Neither in Employment nor in Education or Training
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 Last year, almost one fifth of young Romanian people were neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET), according to data compiled and published by Eurostat. It is the largest proportion among all EU member states, well above the European average, and the situation has improved very little over the last ten years, in contrast to the progress recorded in neighbouring countries. More
Positional Power Plays between the USA, China and Russia: The Case of Iran and Venezuela
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 In recent decades, particularly in the aftermath of the Second World War, Western Europe has sought to withdraw from the logic of realist geopolitics, still bearing the scars of the many wars that have shaped European history, seeking peace through interdependence, integration and intergovernmental leadership. Although most EU member states are NATO members with the exception of Malta, Cyprus, Austria and Ireland, and armed forces from Western European states have participated in conflicts abroad (e. g. Iraq, Afghanistan), the memory of war and the brutality of realism-driven politics is largely a relic best locked away, an ever-present ghost the EU guards against, confined to the borders of faraway lands – other continents, other countries outside the EU’s borders – that is, until Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine forced Western Europe to acknowledge the reality of war as an ever-present possibility right near its doorstep. The United States, in turn, underwent several shifts, from its ideological and geopolitical Cold War to a unipolar world order that eventually turned multipolar, seeking to maintain its international presence in a world where its dominance following the crash of the USSR began to face the emergence of new poles of power. The United States’ military (through NATO) and diplomatic intervention in the Yugoslav Wars, most notably in Serbia and Kosovo, mirrored its concern for global security in an increasingly globalized environment, a mindset which was further cemented in the US National Security Strategy of 2000. The 9/11 attacks and the ensuing war on terror redefined the US security strategy, further amplifying its focus on global security. In hindsight, the absence of an unclassified national security strategy in 2003 makes sense given the US-led invasion of Iraq. The United States’ approach has always been marked by a need to maintain its competitiveness while also focusing on cooperation with its allies with a focus on global peace. Yet the most recent document the White House Administration published in November 2025 marks a shift in tone as per its own admission. The United States’ National Security Strategy, is unapologetic in its realist approach, its realpolitik tone evident even as it declares itself “realistic without being realist”. More
Energy Security and the Green Transition in Central Europe: Between Necessity and Resistance
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 Romania’s energy security and green transition have become increasingly interdependent, shaped by both regional geopolitical pressures and the obligations of EU climate policy. While Romania benefits from low energy-import dependency and a structurally resilient electricity mix dominated by natural gas, nuclear, and hydropower, its progress in renewable energy deployment has been slow. Drawing on Eurostat, ENTSO-E, EC Climate Monitoring Reports, and national energy-planning documents, this article blends security analysis with transition governance to evaluate Romania’s energy system between 2015 and 2025. The findings show a country well-positioned for resilience, but institutionally slow to transition, with grid constraints, weak permitting systems, and regulatory inconsistency acting as major barriers. The discussion interprets these dynamics through regional comparisons and EU conditionality, proposing strategic pathways for Romania’s 2030 energy future. More
Gambling with God
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 This year, I spent Orthodox Easter several thousand kilometres away from home, in a corner of the world where the Christian calendar leaves barely a faint imprint on the public rhythm of life. My stay in Malaysia, at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, through an Erasmus+ mobility program – interrupted by a brief foray into Singapore, coinciding with the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, when, instead of the candles of home, I found myself gazing at the surreal illuminations of Gardens by the Bay –, placed me in a world that seemed, at first glance, radically other. More
The High Stakes of Hormuz: Why the US-Iran War Will Not End Soon
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 The ceasefire between the US and Iran was greeted with an optimism that I consider premature. We are not witnessing a moment of rupture, but a new phase of the same negotiation process that has been underway since it became clear that the regime in Tehran would not collapse under US military pressure and that, perhaps paradoxically, it has emerged from the confrontation more internally strengthened than before. Categorical statements about the refusal of any negotiation or the imminence of devastating strikes against civilian infrastructure have been part of the communication game of both sides. The reality on the ground is different and much more complicated. More
To Use or Not to Use?
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 One of the loudest debates in the world today is about AI (artificial intelligence). People are understandably disturbed and uneasy because of the contradictory information circulating in the public sphere: AI is the future, if we live to see it; AI provides solutions for most of our problems; yes, but it also makes us less intelligent. In short, AI may save us or destroy us. More
What Is an Economic Miracle? A Concept Without a Definition
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 What does it take for an economy to be called a “miracle”? Is it rapid growth, institutional strength, resilience to shocks, or simply the ability to outperform expectations? The term is used with striking confidence in policy debates and public discourse. Yet despite its popularity, economists have never agreed on what constitutes an economic miracle. More
Regimes of Philosophic Doubt
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 The Austrian-American emigré scholar Peter F. Drucker’s The End of Economic Man (1939) was an early study of the political causes of the rise of totalitarianism. The author began drafting it in 1933 when Hitler first came to power in Germany. Already holding a doctorate in international and public law, the 23-year-old Drucker had begun lecturing as a Dozent at Frankfurt University the previous year. He feared that Hitler would come to power and was prepared to leave Germany. So when, a month after Hitler was appointed chancellor in January, the new Nazi commissar harangued the faculty and forbade the presence of Jews on campus, Drucker abruptly resigned his position and returned to Vienna. He later left for the United States shortly before the Anschluss of 1938. Thus he became part of a large influx of scholars to America – the beginning of what later in the 1950s would be called the “brain drain” from Europe. Drucker eventually became the leading management consultant in the United States. More
Sustainable Finance Unfolded: When Classic Banking Aligns with Environmental Goals
No. 59, May-Jun. 2026 At a time when the debate surrounding the green transition oscillates between strategic urgency and immediate economic cost, sustainable finance has long since outgrown its status as a niche topic confined to public policy circles or academic discussions. From the European taxonomy, ESG regulations and climate finance to the redefinition of the role of banks, investments and fiscal policies, sustainable finance has become one of the major intellectual and institutional challenges of our time. For some, it represents an unavoidable necessity in a world increasingly confronted with climate, energy and social pressures; for others, the pace and costs of the transition raise legitimate questions regarding economic competitiveness, energy security and the social sustainability of the proposed transformations. Precisely for this reason, such a topic calls for discernment, critical thinking and interdisciplinary dialogue. More
