The World Next Week: Egyptians Protest, Europeans Fret, Haitians Vote

The podcast for The World Next Week is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the protests in Egypt; the anniversary of the Treaty of Maastricht; President Obama’s upcoming address before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Haiti’s presidential election prospects; and the most important sporting event of them all, the Super Bowl.

[audio: http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/media/podcast/2011/20110203_TWN…]

The highlights:

• Egypt’s political future remains very much up in the air as the regime’s supporters push back against its critics.
• Europe marks the nineteenth anniversary of the signing of the Maastricht Treaty with the Eurozone in turmoil and the broader EU suffering a crisis of confidence.
• President Obama will use his speech at the Chamber of Commerce--a bitter critic of his energy, tax, regulatory, and health care policies--to make the case he started at the State of the Union that he wants to work with business to help Americans "win the future."
• Haitians continue their search for a leader who can help the country tackle its many problems.
• The Super Bowl may be America’s last great communal event, even if my beloved New England Patriots didn’t make it to the game.

Bob and I aren’t the only commentators getting a head start on next week’s news. To learn more about the protests in the Mideast, start with the CFR.org Issue Guide, and read the New York Times’ analysis. The New York Times also has insight on the EU’s struggle to preserve regional unity despite the economic crisis, and Businessweek covers inflation risks in the Eurozone. In advance of Obama’s address to the Chamber of Commerce, learn about the battles brewing over clean energy goals and the tax code. The Washington Post reports on the Haitian presidential elections, and the UN Dispatch touts international efforts to avoid unrest and secure a run-off election. ESPN.com and SI.com provide all the Super Bowl coverage that you could ever possibly hope to have.