🌍 The EU’s budget battle

Hi Intriguer. I’ve been in London this week, and there’s truly no better city to be in for the lead-up to Christmas. Dark pubs are transformed into mustering points for people only too happy to have their arms twisted for a quick pint before they head home for the holidays.

I grew up in Australia, where the Christmas holidays are spent by the pool eating whatever the opposite of a hot roast dinner is.

Wherever you spend your break, or even if you don’t take one, the end of the year is a great chance to take stock of things. In that spirit, our 2023 year in review will be hitting your inbox this Sunday.

– John Fowler, Co-Founder

Clock Ticking. Visiting Tel Aviv, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has reportedly told Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel's war in Gaza needs to "transition to the next lower intensity phase in a matter of weeks, not months." Netanyahu says he told Sullivan that Israeli troops will fight “until full victory.”

Mission to the mainland. The vice chair of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), is now visiting China less than a month before the self-governing island holds elections. While the ruling Democratic Progressive Party has irked Beijing with its preference for greater independence, the opposition KMT says its trip to China is designed to promote “peace, stability and prosperity”.

Putin presser. Vladimir Putin has told a Russian TV audience that his goals in Ukraine haven’t changed: “the de-Nazification and de-militarisation of Ukraine, and its neutral status." He also hinted at a possible deal to free Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US marine Paul Whelan, two US citizens imprisoned in Russia.

Terror arrests in Europe. Authorities have arrested four people across Germany and the Netherlands in connection with an alleged Hamas plot to attack Jewish institutions in Europe. Another three with suspected Hamas links were arrested on separate terrorism charges in Denmark.

Iron fist. Argentina’s new security minister has announced plans to impose fines, ban road-blocks, and call in federal police to clear upcoming protests against President Milei’s economic “shock therapy”. One protest leader says it’s like a “plan for war against the people”. He argued, “there will probably be 50,000 people in the street, are they supposed to all walk on the sidewalk?”

INTRIGUE’S TAKE

Diplomats often get formal training in negotiation, and some of our core negotiation principles were first popularised in Herb Cohen’s legendary 1982 best-seller, ‘You Can Negotiate Anything’. It’s worth a read.

One key takeaway is that, no matter how intractable the situation, there’s almost always a possible “win-win” (incidentally, a term also popularised in Cohen’s book).

And this week’s EU membership decision on Ukraine really looks like a classic example: everyone takes a win, and the mechanics of the decision are arranged so that Orbán never technically has to cross his own red line.

But if it was this hard to get agreement on what’s essentially a symbolic step for the EU, a $55B aid package in the new year feels like more of a stretch.

Also worth noting: 

• Fun fact: a draft budget proposal is sometimes referred to as a “negobox” in EU bureaucratic slang.  

• In response to the EU’s decision on membership talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that “right now in Ukraine, a lot of us are feeling really uplifted, and it’s a big deal”.

FINANCIAL TIPS FROM FINANCE BUZZ

• 6 things to help financially… These small (but smart) moves can help you supplement your income and earn legit cash – without doing much extra “work”! 

• Experts urge Americans to transfer their balances by 2024… Some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt. By getting a new 0% intro APR credit card, no interest means you could pay off your debt faster. See the full list of cards here. 

• Amazon hates when you do these 8 things (but they can't stop you)…  Here are 8 secret hacks that you need to know if you're an Amazon shopper. They can help you save money, cancel unwanted subscriptions, and earn legit cash.

MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE…

1. 🇯🇵 Japan: The UK, Italy, and Japan formally agreed in Tokyo yesterday (Thursday) to jointly develop a new advanced fighter jet. The organisation tasked with developing the jet will be based in the UK, and leadership will rotate between the countries every few years. 

2. 🇦🇱 Albania: The Constitutional Court of Albania has suspended a plan for Italy to send asylum seekers to Albania for processing. Opponents petitioned the court to block the plan, saying it would deny migrants basic constitutional rights.

3. 🇲🇲 Myanmar: China says it’s mediated a ceasefire between Myanmar’s ruling junta and opposition forces. Around 300,000 people have been displaced since the rebels began their latest offensive in October, mostly along the border with China.

4. 🇨🇴 Colombia: A congressional committee in Bogotá has ordered an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations by President Gustavo Petro. The president’s son was charged in August with facilitating illegal contributions to his father’s campaign.

5. 🇸🇳 Senegal: A judge ruled yesterday that opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, jailed since June, will be allowed to contest next year’s presidential election. Sonko is popular with young voters in Senegal and is seen as the most likely successor to outgoing President Macky Sall.  

EXTRA INTRIGUE

Some recommendations from Team Intrigue if you’re lucky to find yourself in 🇫🇷 Paris this weekend

• Christmas shopping: Head to ‘La Défense Marché de Noël’ (🇫🇷), the city’s largest Christmas market, for a steaming cup of mulled wine.

• Eat: Pop by ‘La Maison Rose’ in Montmartre for a classic Parisian café frequented by tortured artists and folks who just really like pink houses.

• Culture: Visit the ‘Hôtel de la Marine’, an 18th-century palace and former naval office, which opened to the public for the first time in 2021.

MAP OF THE DAY

Canada’s provinces and territories feature some pretty sweet flags across the board, but Nunavut (the northernmost territory) really levels up. Its theme is navigation: the red inuksuk (a traditional stone landmark) helps guide travellers, while the blue north star is a navigational beacon and symbol of elder wisdom.

Our rating: 9.6/10

FRIDAY QUIZ

The US stock market rallied yesterday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossing the 37,000 mark for the first time. So, let’s do some Wall Street trivia.