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Chris Patten

Chris Patten

Writing for PS since 2000
165 commentaries
3 videos & podcasts

Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong and a former EU commissioner for external affairs, is Chancellor of the University of Oxford and the author of The Hong Kong Diaries (Allen Lane, 2022).

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  1. The West Must Not Let Putin Win
    patten165_Anastasia VlasovaGetty Images_ukraine war Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images

    The West Must Not Let Putin Win

    Apr 29, 2024 Chris Patten implores the US and Europe to continue supporting Ukraine’s fight for freedom with weapons and aid.

  2. China Tightens Its Grip on Hong Kong
    patten164_ JUSTIN TALLISAFP via Getty Images_hongkongsecuritylaw Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

    China Tightens Its Grip on Hong Kong

    Mar 29, 2024 Chris Patten condemns the latest attempt by the Communist Party’s puppet government to curb democratic freedoms.

  3. The UK’s Upcoming Election and Its Consequences
    patten163_ LEON NEALPOOLAFP via Getty Images_starmersunak Leon Neal/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    The UK’s Upcoming Election and Its Consequences

    Mar 12, 2024 Chris Patten urges British policymakers to collaborate with their European counterparts on migration, security, and trade.

  4. If Trump Wins, So Will China
    patten162_FRED DUFOURAFP via Getty Images FRED DUFOUR/AFP via Getty Images

    If Trump Wins, So Will China

    Feb 13, 2024 Chris Patten urges Western countries to uphold the principles that have underpinned their success for nearly 80 years.

  5. Another Trump Presidency Is the Biggest Threat to Liberal Democracy
    patten161_ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDSAFP via Getty Images_trump ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

    Another Trump Presidency Is the Biggest Threat to Liberal Democracy

    Jan 2, 2024 Chris Patten explains why so many people around the world dread the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election.

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  1. bp india election Photo by SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images

    Will India’s Election Destroy Its Democracy?

    Since taking power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have stoked Hindu nationalism, hollowed out India’s democracy, and overseen an economy that is probably performing far worse than official figures suggest. And yet Modi and the BJP are genuinely popular, making them likely – though not certain – to emerge victorious when the ongoing parliamentary election concludes in June.

  2. benami213_YEHUDA RAIZNERAFP via Getty Images_israelflag Yehuda Raizner/AFP via Getty Images

    The Unbearable Lightness of Anti-Zionism

    Shlomo Ben-Ami warns that demonizing all Israelis will only make peace less likely – though that may be the point.
  3. alfredsdottir1_Getty Images_pay gap Getty Images

    How to Close the Gender Wage Gap

    Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir argues that Iceland’s experience lends further support to Nobel laureate economist Claudia Goldin’s research.
  4. brown107_Jeff J Mitchell - Pool Getty Images_covidvaccine Jeff J. Mitchell/Pool/Getty Images

    Getting the Pandemic Treaty Across the Finish Line

    Gordon Brown

    Just as governments are working tirelessly to conclude negotiations on a new pandemic treaty, a torrent of misinformation and fake news has been unleashed to undermine the process. For the sake of current and future generations, policymakers must resist the propaganda and get the job done.

    hopes negotiations will conclude this month, and pushes back on a last-minute wave of misinformation.
  5. singer231_Michael M. SantiagoGetty Images_college protests Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    When Is Criticism of Israel Anti-Semitic?

    Peter Singer rejects comparisons of the recent US campus protests to the actions of Nazi student groups in the 1930s.
  6. Project Syndicate

    Trump’s Plans for the Fed Would Revive 1970s-Style Inflation

    Maurice Obstfeld thinks the presumptive GOP nominee’s policies reflect an outdated understanding of the economy.
  7. adebajo5_Getty Images_southafricaelection Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    Mandela’s Heirs Face Their Biggest Election Test

    Adekeye Adebajo explains why the African National Congress could lose its 30-year monopoly on power.
  8. dalmia1_DIBYANGSHU SARKARAFP via Getty Images_bjp DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images

    What Explains the BJP’s Rise?

    Gaurav Dalmia ennumerates the reasons why the ruling party has come to dominate the country’s electoral landscape.
  9. zhang66_STRAFP via Getty Images_chinaelectricvehicles STR/AFP via Getty Images

    Why China Provides Evidence for Optimists and Pessimists Alike

    Zhang Jun explains why rigorous, evidence-based assessments of the economy's performance can diverge sharply.

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