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Simona Guerra

Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics, University of Surrey
My main research interest is in attitudes towards European integration and citizens' perceptions of the EU and its institutions, in particular in candidate countries in the post-Communist region and Western Balkans. I further examine these themes in the European Parties Election & Referendums Network.

I am generally interested in the history and politics of EU integration; in the impact of integration on the accession states and the new balance in the enlarged EU. That is a theme of the network ‘Assessing Accession’.

Analyses on religion and politics have focused on the process of secularisation and indicated a lack of comparative studies on religion as a social and political actor. In my analysis I investigate the role of the Church in the public life and answer 'if', 'when' and 'how' it strategically chooses to become a Eurosceptic political actor. The comparative perspective on Central and Eastern European countries offers a contribution to the literature on the economics of religion, the politics of the Catholic Churches in post-communist Europe, and Euroscepticism.

Following the award of the Loughborough University SPG Seedcorn Grant 2011 (Activity title: Governance, Corruption and Anti-Corruption Policies: The EU and members states, candidate and third countries.), I examine how the EU frames its policies in relation to corruption in current member states, candidate and third countries. This study aims to contribute towards this task by a novel focus on the role of the EU within debates which draws from both the political science literature on governance and the EU and an emerging critical geography and critical management studies literature on global anti-corruption initiatives in order to provide an original inter-disciplinary perspective on the issue (with Dr Ed Brown, Department of Geography, Loughborough University).

Poland votes for change after nearly a decade spent sliding towards autocracy – but tricky coalition talks lie ahead for Donald Tusk

Oct 18, 2023 11:33 am UTC| Politics

People were seen queuing in long lines outside polling stations in what appears to have been an election with record-breaking turnout (74.31%) in Poland. Now it seems the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) is on the...

Economy

Fed Rate Hike Threatens Housing as U.S. Growth Leans on AI, Citi Says

The Federal Reserves latest interest rate hike could deepen the U.S. housing downturn while making economic growth increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence investment, according to Citi Research. The Fed raised its...

Strait of Hormuz Oil Shipments Hit Six-Month High as U.S. Clears Mines

Oil and liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have climbed to a six-month high over the past two weeks, as U.S.-led naval escorts and mine-clearing operations improve access to the critical energy...

Bessent, He Lifeng to Discuss AI Security and Trade in New York

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday for talks covering artificial intelligence security, trade and other major economic issues, according to a person...

Canada Eyes India Trade Deal by Year-End

Canada is increasingly optimistic that it can finalize a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) with India before the end of the year, with energy, nuclear power and critical minerals emerging as major areas...

Mexico Pushes for US Trade Deal Before Midterms

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that her government is working to secure a trade agreement with the United States as quickly as possible, following what she described as a productive conversation with U.S....

Politics

Germany’s Carsten Breuer Elected Next NATO Military Committee Chair

German General Carsten Breuer has been elected as the next chair of the NATO Military Committee, putting Germanys chief of defence in line to become the alliances most senior military officer. Chiefs of defence from NATOs...

Turkey Ready to Aid Saudi Arabia Under Defence Pact as Houthi Attacks Escalate

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that Ankara is prepared to help Saudi Arabia meet potential military needs as Houthi attacks intensify, citing a trilateral defence agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia...

US, Denmark and Greenland Reach Deal to Expand American Military Presence

The United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached an agreement allowing Washington to expand its military presence in Greenland while restricting US adversaries from establishing bases or making sensitive investments...

Israeli Strikes Across Gaza Leave at Least Three Dead

Israeli airstrikes killed at least three Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials, as violence continued despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. One Israeli strike near the...

Trump Plans Federal AI Force and AI Czar

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he plans to create a federal AI Force and appoint an artificial intelligence czar, outlining an effort to accelerate U.S. AI development while using existing laws to address...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SpaceX Nasdaq 100 Weight to More Than Double in Rebalance

SpaceX is set to gain significantly more influence in the Nasdaq 100 Index when the benchmark completes its quarterly rebalance on Monday, with the companys weighting expected to more than double. According to Bloomberg,...

Westinghouse Targets $50 Billion Valuation in U.S. IPO

Westinghouse Electric Co. is seeking a valuation of more than $50 billion for its planned U.S. initial public offering, as the nuclear technology company moves closer to a public market debut amid growing interest in...

NASA, Boeing Discuss Expanding Starliner Missions

NASA is holding discussions with Boeing about expanding the use of its Starliner spacecraft for future missions, potentially giving the troubled vehicle a larger role in U.S. human spaceflight plans. The space agency and...

Apple Pay Set for India Launch With Axis Bank

Apple is preparing to launch Apple Pay in India next month, initially partnering with Axis Bank to support the lenders credit cards, according to three people familiar with the plans. The rollout would bring Apples digital...

Hyundai CEO Warns Chinese Automakers Could Disrupt US Market

Hyundai Motor CEO Jose Munoz warned that Chinese automakers could eventually reshape the US auto market as they have in Europe unless Washington maintains tariffs and other market-access protections. Speaking in San Jose,...