Gideon Rachman
In 2006, after 15 years at The Economist, Gideon Rachman joined the staff of the Financial Times, where he now publishes a weekly column. He also writes an excellent blog, which focuses on American foreign policy, Europe and globalization.
Whether Hollande will maintain his anti-austerity stance and side with Greece or whether he will back German policy remains to be seen. No matter how much tweaking of EU fiscal agreements he can negotiate, the political storm brewing in Greece is likely test him sooner rather than later. 
As the financial crisis continues to ravage the West, the dominant ideology of all triumphant free-market liberalism is collapsing. But what new political trends are emerging, and which will succeed? asks Gideon Rachman. 
The arrival of technocratic governments in Greece and Italy may well calm jittery markets, but could also help boost populist political parties who point to the democratic deficit at the heart of the EU, argues Gideon Rachman. 
Both the EU and US have struggled to cope with the economic crisis in their own distinctive ways. A monumental error, argues Gideon Rachman, since their problems are essentially the same. 
As representatives from 40 countries and international organisations gather in London to forge a consensus on Libya after Gaddafi, Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman argues that the war will have repercussions going well beyond the fate of the Libyan dictator. 
Following the leak to the international press of over 90,000 documents related to the war in Afghanistan, there is precious little evidence that the country is stabilising. The west might do well to abandon its counter-insurrection strategy there, and focus instead on counter-terrorism. 
Europe has bought itself time with its €750bn bail-out for the euro. But the long-term problem remains. 
Strengthened by Ireland’s ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Union, it is argued, may now be on the verge of becoming a global superpower. The way to achieve this ambition, notes Gideon Rachman in the Financial Times, is in using the new platform that the G20 offers.