The Archive

The questions. The debates. The verdicts.

Explore every session of The Long Council.

127 sessions
  1. 12 June 2026

    An aging country needs migrants but does not want them. How do you solve that?

    Verdict

    Build consensus through transparent debate about selective migration, not technocratic override of electoral will.

    DemocracyEconomyTechnologyNetherlands
  2. 11 June 2026

    How can the EU protect its economy from heavily subsidized Chinese imports?

    Verdict

    The EU must impose targeted tariffs to counter China's $57 billion subsidies while building its own industrial capacity.

    EconomyEuropeChina
  3. 11 June 2026

    Should the EU impose trade barriers against China to protect its economy?

    Verdict

    Trade barriers will slow European innovation more than they protect strategic industries.

    GeopoliticsEconomyEuropeChinaTechnology
  4. 10 June 2026

    How can Western democracies reduce bureaucracy?

    Verdict

    Build digital systems outside existing ministries, then force bureaucrats to use them or lose their jobs.

    DemocracyGovernance
  5. 10 June 2026

    Should societies celebrate cultural differences, or require newcomers to assimilate?

    Verdict

    Newcomers must accept core civic values but should keep their cultural practices.

    Democracy
  6. 9 June 2026

    Is entrepreneurship a better engine for African prosperity than state intervention?

    Verdict

    Neither alone succeeds; state capacity enables market success, as Kenya's M-Pesa and Rwanda's growth show.

    Economy
  7. 9 June 2026

    Should the EU develop nuclear weapons itself?

    Verdict

    European nuclear capacity would either strengthen Europe's alliance position or destroy the security architecture that has protected it for seventy years.

    GeopoliticsEuropeWar
  8. 8 June 2026

    Can the European Union become both more democratic and more decisive at the same time, and if so, how?

    Verdict

    Europe can become more democratic and decisive by building delivery capacity first in energy, defense, and fiscal policy.

    DemocracyEconomyEuropeWarClimateGovernance
  9. 7 June 2026

    Should governments ban or limit ultra-processed foods?

    Verdict

    Regulate ultra-processed foods like tobacco through warning labels, taxes, and marketing restrictions.

    EconomyGovernance
  10. 5 June 2026

    How should prosperity be distributed among citizens?

    Verdict

    Markets create wealth but cannot justify how it spreads. Government must guarantee floors without destroying the price signals that coordinate production.

    DemocracyEconomyGovernance
  11. 5 June 2026

    How should prosperity be distributed among citizens?

    Verdict

    Tax capital gains like wages, fund universal basic services, and democratize ownership gradually through sovereign wealth funds.

    DemocracyGeopoliticsEconomy
  12. 4 June 2026

    What political system best serves its people and the planet, and how should it account for externalities?

    Verdict

    Environmental protection requires both state capacity and democratic accountability. No system delivers both perfectly.

    Democracy
  13. 4 June 2026

    What purpose should a government or society organize itself around?

    Verdict

    Government should secure human welfare, but through markets, fairness, virtue, justice, or capabilities depends on what you value most.

    Economy
  14. 4 June 2026

    Should the EU build an army?

    Verdict

    Yes, but only if Europe commits real money and accepts unified command.

    GeopoliticsEuropeWarGovernance
  15. 4 June 2026

    How to unlock or emancipate empathy in men?

    Verdict

    Men learn empathy when institutions force them to see consequences of their decisions on others' lives.

    Governance
  16. 4 June 2026

    Why do Israelis perceive Palestinian suffering differently than most Western countries do?

    Verdict

    Israelis live under existential threat while Western observers debate from safety. Both see the same deaths through different survival calculations.

    DemocracyWar
  17. 3 June 2026

    Which tax policy supports a welfare state while protecting growth and innovation?

    Verdict

    High taxes can fund innovation or destroy it, depending on what they buy and whether citizens trust the system.

    DemocracyEconomyTechnology
  18. 2 June 2026

    Is Europe experiencing democratic backslide, and does a rightward shift among governments pose a problem?

    Verdict

    Europe's rightward shift represents democratic choice exercised against democratic norms.

    DemocracyEuropeGovernance
  19. 2 June 2026

    Should economic performance influence how nations respond to conflict in Iran?

    Verdict

    Iran's economic collapse under sanctions strengthens regime control while forcing dangerous adaptations that threaten global stability.

    GeopoliticsEconomyWarTechnologyGovernance
  20. 2 June 2026

    How to talk to Putin, or negotiate succesfully?

    Verdict

    Putin's survival depends on appearing strong, making normal diplomacy impossible until costs exceed benefits.

    GeopoliticsWar
  21. 1 June 2026

    Should the US government's fast-track loan to Vulcan Elements, a firm with ties to a ruling official's family, be considered corruption or legitimate governance?

    Verdict

    This is corruption disguised as strategic policy.

    ClimateGovernance
  22. 1 June 2026

    Is China's surveillance system a public safety success or a human rights failure?

    Verdict

    China's surveillance system delivers measurable stability and development outcomes while systematically destroying individual agency and human rights protections.

    ChinaGovernance
  23. 31 May 2026

    If AI takes the jobs, who’s left to buy? What stops the collapse and who must act?

    Verdict

    Government must create purchasing power directly when AI displaces workers faster than markets can absorb them.

    EconomyAI
  24. 31 May 2026

    Has the Dutch Polder Model become a brake on innovation and growth, and should it be dismantled?

    Verdict

    Reform the polder model with accountability mechanisms and decision deadlines, but preserve stakeholder consultation where it adds value.

    EconomyTechnologyGovernanceNetherlands
  25. 30 May 2026

    May a country ban social media platforms?

    Verdict

    Yes, but only when platforms threaten genuine security interests, not when governments want to silence criticism.

    DemocracyGeopoliticsWarTechnology