*[Enwl-eng] Sweden joins Nato, Germany gets a wake up call, Spain looks to Latin America

[ENWL]

What changes now Sweden is a Nato member? Europe’s security map has been significantly redrawn this week at a meeting in Lithuania, where world leaders finally greenlit Sweden’s membership of Nato. The move came as Turkey ended its veto on allowing the Nordic nation to follow Finland in joining the alliance.  The addition of Sweden bolsters Nato’s northern European border and, as security experts suggest, will help with efforts to defend areas more directly adjacent to Ukraine – important given how difficult it would be to make Ukraine itself a member of the security alliance under current conditions.  In Germany, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland has won election to two mayoral posts and is outperforming the parties of the coalition government in some opinion polls. The gains don’t necessarily spell a takeover by extremists but, as Ed Turner writes, the AfD’s popularity should nevertheless serve as a wake-up call to Olaf Scholz’s floundering coalition ahead of state elections. Unable to agree on some of the most important decisions, including energy and finance policy, the coalition has left space for AfD’s hardline rhetoric on climate change and immigration to prosper.  Spain, meanwhile, has made rejuvenating relations with Latin America a priority for its presidency of the council of the European Union. Once upon a time, leaders from the two regions met regularly and fruitful economic partnerships flowed forth. But political instability in Venezuela in particular led to these meetings being put on ice. A summit next week marks a new beginning and Spain is calling on fellow EU member states to consider whether doing deals with emerging economies in South America and the Caribbean could help European supply chains become less dependent on China. August is now tantalising close, opening up the prospect of a relaxing holiday for many Europeans. Have you ever noticed that even just the prospect of an impending trip lightens your mood? It’s not your imagination but a chemical reaction in your brain, which is getting a hit of dopamine at the thought of new experiences and a change of scene. This exploration of the neuroscience of vacationing provides a powerful evidence base for anyone asking their boss for time off in the next few weeks. Holidays, we learn, make for better cognitive functioning back home.  That said, if your holiday is in a tropical location, your excitement may be tempered by the worry of coming into contact with deadly spiders and snakes. Such “biophobias” can really turn some people off spending time in the great outdoors. But is it possible that this very tendency to stay away from nature is what drives our phobias in the first place? A look at our googling habits suggests it might be.  And finally, a historical investigation debunks an enduring myth about how cognac found its way out of a small town in France into the heart of 90s and noughties hip-hop culture.  - Laura Hood, Senior Politics Editor and Assistant Editor for The Conversation UK    Sweden is joining Nato: what that means for the alliance and the war in Ukraine Turkey's decision to end its veto on the Nordic nation's membership enables the alliance to bolster key border regions in Russia's vicinity.  Was this email forwarded to you? Join the hundreds of thousands of people who subscribe to email newsletters from The Conversation. Subscribe now. Recap Spain's EU presidency is an opportunity to reset relations with Latin America and the Caribbean Germany’s far right AfD makes key political gains as Olaf Scholz's governing coalition wobbles Biophobia: search trends reveal a growing fear of nature   For the curious Why does our brain feel so good after a holiday? From Black GIs to Puff Daddy: how African Americans fell in love with cognac   Podcast Researchers are constantly pushing at the edges of human knowledge. In a global podcast from The Conversation, Dan Merino and Nehal El-Hadi get leading scientists and scholars to connect new discoveries with the biggest trends, ideas and issues of today. New episodes every Thursday. Follow wherever you get your podcasts. Recommended newsletters for you Global, best of the network, twice a week. Curated by the executive editors. Give it a go Imagine, deep dives in possible climate actions. Give it a go       The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public. You are receiving this email because you have signed up to a weekly newsletter about Europe from The Conversation.   From: Laura at The Conversation Europe Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2023 2:02 PM Subject: Sweden joins Nato, Germany gets a wake up call, Spain looks to Latin America

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