18 February 2014
Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement made stunning gains at Italy’s last election, writes James Panichi. But as the controversy over its guiding…
8 January 2014
Australia’s clash with Philip Morris over plain packaging has disrupted trade talks between the United States and Europe, reports James Panichi in Brussels
12 December 2013
Unlike its political counterpart, the seventeen-member eurozone has no government and no centre of political power, writes James Panichi. Debate is intensifying about…
Essays & reportage
14 October 2013
Unlike Australia, the European Union buckled on plain packaging in the face of fierce lobbying, writes James Panichi. Still not satisfied, the tobacco industry sought to…
Essays & reportage
1 July 2013
Targeting marginal seats is nothing new in politics, but the gambling industry has shown it can work for lobby groups too. James Panichi pieces together the story
From the archive
1 March 2013
When politicians start invading their own privacy, it’s not surprising that the media follow their lead
Essays & reportage
18 December 2012
In Brussels, it can seem like language is no barrier. But Belgium as a whole is divided and uncertain, writes James Panichi
19 October 2012
The next few years is likely to be bumpy but vitally important for Europe. Can the corps of foreign journalists in Brussels rise to the occasion, asks James Panichi
21 September 2012
Italy’s long-running battle between politicians and judges has taken a new turn, writes James Panichi. Meanwhile, a new political force is emerging
14 September 2012
You can drive for days, but Brussels always catches up with you, discovers James Panichi
11 July 2012
European integration has come a long way since the European Coal and Steel Community was created in 1951. A stroll through the Parlamentarium in Brussels reveals the strengths and…
Essays & reportage
8 December 2011
Must Australian politicians work “tirelessly” for their communities or face electoral oblivion? James Panichi looks for the middle ground
National affairs
13 May 2011
James Panichi updates his account of the reform of Australia’s federal environmental legislation
Essays & reportage
25 March 2011
Despite the recommendations of an expert panel, changes to federal environmental legislation have stalled, writes James Panichi
Essays & reportage
4 December 2008
Rugby star David Campese, Victorian Labor MP Carlo Carli and Argentinean millionaire Luigi Pallaro (pictured) all took a keen interest in Italy’s experiment in democracy. But it…