A World of News and Perspective
■ WWW.WASHDIPLOMAT.COM
■ VOLUME 22, NUMBER 12
■ INSIDE: LUXURY LIVING SPECIAL SECTION
■ DECEMBER 2015
EUROPE
PEOPLE OF WORLD INFLUENCE
In Wake of Crises, Populist Parties Find Foothold in Europe
Scholarly Life Leads To Solitary In Iran
TUNISIA
The recent terrorist attacks in Paris, along with the wave of migrants flooding into Europe, have bolstered the anti-immigration appeal of right-wing politicians. Yet the surge in populist sentiment across the continent is not a new phenomenon, but rather a wellestablished one. PAGE 6
Haleh Esfandiari is perhaps best known for spending 105 days in solitary confinement in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison in 2007, but it was her highly respected work as director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center in D.C. that put her behind bars. PAGE 4
UNITED STATES
Despite Opposition, Obama Vows to Take In Syrian Refugees As the war in Syria grinds into its fifth year, President Obama’s pledge to welcome more of the conflict’s refugees to the U.S. was welcomed by aid groups but panned by a vocal chorus of lawmakers who’ve raised security concerns over the planned increase. PAGE 8
culture
DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES
THE TUNISIAN EXPERIMENT Five years ago, a humiliated street vendor set himself on fire and sparked a chain reaction that upended an entire region.
Kodak Moments At National Gallery “Celebrating Photography” is a remarkable survey not only of the National Gallery of Art’s expanding collection, but also of the medium itself. PAGE 36
Tunisia’s new ambassador looks back on that landmark event and how his country became a catalyst for change — and one of the Arab Spring’s most closely watched experiments. PAGE 11
Danish Wife Helps to Open Cultural Doors “Cultural doors open political doors,” says Ulla Rønberg, wife of recently appointed Danish Ambassador Lars Gert Lose. From forming museum partnerships in Copenhagen to bringing Danish art to China, Rønberg has spent a career promoting cultural diplomacy long before the term came into vogue. PAGE 37