Articles by Shaun Riordan

About the Author

Shaun Riordan
Shaun Riordan is Director of the Department for Diplomacy and Cyberspace in the European Institute of International Studies and a senior visiting fellow of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, “Clingendael”. He is also an independent geopolitical risk consultant. A former British diplomat, he served in New York, Taiwan, Beijing and Madrid, as well as the departments of counter-terrorism and the Eastern Adriatic in the Foreign Office. Shaun has taught at diplomatic academies in the Dominican Republic, Spain, Armenia and Bulgaria. He is the author of “Cyberdiplomacy: Managing Security and Governance Online” (Polity, 2019), “Adios a la Diplomacia” (Siglo XXI, 2005) and “The New Diplomacy” (Polity, 2003). He maintains a blog (www.shaunriordan.com) and can be followed at @shaun_riordan


STAR index

An East wind for technology companies – new STAR Index

Manuel Moreno Capa (Director of GESTORES) | China already has its Nasdaq, its stock market for technology companies – the STAR index. Well, with certain differences: only 25 companies are listed on it, compared to the 3,000 listed on the Nasdaq. But it does not matter. The wind from the East blows hard and will drive technology funds, high risk products, but also with elevated potential returns in the medium and long term.


IAG

IAG results exceeds expectations

Renta 4 │ IAG results for Q219 exceeded expectations. It has maintained its guidance for 2019 and downgraded its expectations for oil prices. Positive impact on share price.


spanish GDP

Spanish GDP slows more than expected

Bankia Estudios | Spanish GDP slows more than expected. The provisional GDP data for Q219 has disappointed, by registering a quarterly growth of 0.5%, one tenth below our forecast and the Bank of Spain´s estimate.


EU perfect storm

Enjoy the holidays: Autumn could get nasty

Shaun Riordan │Many of us are already enjoying our summer holidays. Others are packing now, looking forward to relaxing on the beach, or in the mountains. Wherever we are taking our holidays we should make the most of them. A perfect storm is brewing which could hit Europe hard in the autumn, with devasting economic and political consequences.


Spain's left’s inability to unite against the right

Spain: Political instability at home continues, undermining influence abroad

Shaun Riordan | Pedro Sánchez has failed to secure election as Spain´s Prime Minister in the second investiture vote in the Spanish parliament today. He needed only a simple majority. But the break down in negotiations with Podemos, and their decision to abstain, left Sanchez´ socialist party (PSOE) in a minority. The problems between the two parties seem to have centred not on policy but on the distribution of ministerial portfolios in a coalition government. Sanchez conceded that Podemos could hold ministerial positions, but the far left party complained that the portfolios he offered lacked real substance.


boris johnson 1

Memorandum to Boris Johnson

Shaun Riordan | Prime Minister, You enter office in the middle of the UK´s greatest peacetime crisis. Your optimism and can-do spirit are admirable. You will need to be decisive. But your actions need to be based on reality not fantasy, especially in relation to Foreign policy, on which this Memorandum focuses…


boris jonhson

The Brexiteers may regret supporting Boris as PM

Shaun Riordan | Boris Johnson will fulfill his life-long ambition of becoming Prime Minister this afternoon. The pro-Europeans within his own Conservative Party have postponed their rebellion until after the summer. Mrs May will therefore be able to recommend Johnson to the Queen as the political leader best placed to secure a majority in the House of Commons, and therefore best able to form a new Government. But that majority is wafer thin. Even with the support of the N Ireland Unionists, his overall majority is only three. That is likely to be reduced to two following an upcoming by-election. Up to twenty Conservative MPs have indicated they could be ready to bring down the Government to avoid a no deal Brexit.