In the last edition of the Monday Briefing for this semester we take a closer look at the election of Leo XIV, while in the Indian Subcontinent tensions rise between Delhi and Islamabad. In other new Ukraine and Russia closer to negotiation, while Albania chooses a fourth Rama term.
Spotlight: Habemus Papam, and a Yankee one.
When the white smoke comes out of the infamous chimney, built on purpose on the top of the Sistine Chapel, a new age for the Catholic Church begins. Obviously, we are far from the days when the papal succession could determine the fate of millions of lives across Europe and beyond, but the immense power that the Bishop of Rome holds to this day cannot be understated. After only twenty-four hours of Conclave, Habemus Papam.
Robert Francis Prevost, who from now on will be known as Leo XIV, was chosen by the cardinals to succeed Pope Francis, who died three weeks ago, on Aprile 21st. The whole world was watching while the new pope came out of Saint Peter’s Balcony, to salute his flock. In his brief introductory speech, he spoke of peace and unity in the world, underlying the necessity to continue the legacy of his predecessor in several fields. Indeed, Leo is considered by many as a continuation of Bergoglio line on migration and social topics, while he is seen as more conservative on others, like the role of women in the church and the LGBTQ+ question. The very fact that he is a middle ground between the more progressive cardinals and the traditionalists, united with his peculiar history and origin, has allowed him to gather enough support in the conclave.
Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955, making him the first ever US national to become the head of the Catholic Church. His life was dedicated to missionary work in Peru, where he lived between 1985 and 1998 as priest and an administrator and then again between 2015 and 2023, when he assumed the role of Bishop of Chiclayo. Between these two periods he was the Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, the religious order inspired by the teaching of the ancient philosopher and theologian Saint Augustine of Hippo. In 2023, Pope Francis transferred Prevost in Rome, where he started to work in the Dicastery of Bishops, the organ which is tasked with the selection of the new bishops globally. In the same year he was also named cardinal by the Pope.
The new successor of Saint Peter has assumed his role as head of the Catholic Church and monarch of the Vatican City, the remnants of the once powerful Res Publica Santi Petri. As all other Popes when they are elected, Prevost has assumed a new name for his papacy, choosing the powerful Leo XIV. Many have tried to comment on this decision, which is always considered as a hint to the kind of Pope we can expect. The most obvious connection is with the last Leo, who has gone down in history for having drafted the social doctrine of the Church during the age of the industrial revolution. Another possible explanation, one which directly links Prevost with his predecessor, is the story of Brother Leo, a close friend and advisor of Saint Francis. My personal favorite is nonetheless the connection with the first Pope to use the Name Leo, the one that, according to the now proven wrong legend, stopped Attila the Hun from sacking Rome.
With the Holy See [VA1] [PF2] not vacant anymore, the Catholic Church enters a new era. Only time will tell how history will play out, but something can be already said: this conclave has been massively followed worldwide, even by people that do not consider themselves to be Catholics. The immense news space that Rome was able to claim in these days has been unprecedented and could eventually be a permanent shift in the Papacy. After all, Leo XIV is the first ever Pope to have a social media presence before his election: he really is the first boomer Pope.
Seventy-seven years later, and still on the brink of war: Kashmir tensions rise.
Up until a couple of days ago, two out of the world’s nine nuclear nations appeared to be escalating uncontrollably and inevitably towards war. While on paper it would appear that this steep escalation took place in the 48 hours in which both nations carried out attacks on the other’s territory, the conflict had been brewing up for about two weeks.
On 22nd April 2025, five heavily armed militants inflicted only the second worst attack in Indian history in terms of civilian casualties. Innocent tourists were targeted as they gathered in the scenic Baisaran Meadow, a popular tourist spot in the contentious Kashmir region. The attack claimed the lives of twenty-six people, primarily men. This attack, however, differed gravely from the previous numerous attacks that the Kashmir region has had to suffer. The attack was planned to have an impact beyond the on-ground massacre and cause deep instability in the Indian subcontinent by inciting communal and political tensions. The militants carried out the killings discriminately, primarily targeting Hindu tourists. People were asked to recite the Islamic religious verses in order to be spared, according to survivor and eyewitness accounts. Some men were even stripped down by the militants to check whether they were circumcised or not, to ascertain their religion, before being shot at close range. After killing men in such a horrendous fashion, the militants let some of the women and children related to the victims live and meticulously ordered them to tell what had happened to their government. The attack claimed the lives of 26 people, out of which 25 were tourists and 1 was a local Muslim man who laid down his life trying to help other tourists.
The Indian government retaliated to this terrorist attack by launching missile strikes on terrorist bases located in Pakistan and parts of the Kashmir region that they define as Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir. Believing their response to be non-escalatory, the Indian government clarified that the attack was carried out with clinical precision solely on terrorist infrastructure and not on any Pakistani military or civilian infrastructure. Pakistan claimed otherwise, blaming India for having carried out attacks on Pakistani civilians in a clearly threatening escalatory manner. This would set the tone for the conflict going forward. A campaign of misinformation and contradiction by both sides. Notably, internationally sanctioned terrorist Masood Azhar publicly acknowledged the death of his relatives and close confidants who lived in proximity to him. In addition to that, an Indian bureaucrat revealed a picture which he claimed showed another internationally sanctioned terrorist, Hafeez Abdul Rauf, in a funeral procession also attended by members of the Pakistani army. Pakistan, on the other hand, released videos of a structure hit by the Indian attack that they claimed was a mosque and blamed India for causing civilian casualties.
India displayed its stance as non-escalatory but prepared for retaliation to Pakistani aggression. Pakistan continued to stand firm on the belief that India’s initial attack was escalatory and vowed retaliation at its own discretion. After 48 hours of attacks by both sides on the other’s bordering cities, a ceasefire, allegedly mediated by the US, was announced on Saturday evening local time. This came after Pakistan increased the intensity of its attacks early Saturday morning, firing missiles at various Indian airbases and even the Indian capital, New Delhi. While both sides have their own versions of what that attack accomplished, it was clear that this attack could prove to be the tipping point. Both sides acknowledged a stoppage of fire, not a permanent ceasefire, and shared plans for another round of talks on 12th May. While this brought relief to many on both sides, especially the citizens on the frontlines in the bordering cities, three hours later both sides claimed the other had violated the agreement, reporting artillery shelling. The following night was relatively calm, and as of now, the stoppage seems to be in place.
European News
by Cristiana Murè
To ceasefire or not to ceasefire: Ukraine and Russia’s diplomatic dilemma
Last Saturday, May 10, at a summit in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from the UK, France, Germany, and Poland urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine beginning Monday or face increased sanctions. Nearly two in the morning local time, the Russian president read a statement to reporters in a ceremonial Kremlin room in response to the ultimatum, his suggestion was that the two sides meet for negotiations in Istanbul coming Thursday. Putin declared: “We are ready for serious talks with Ukraine, and we want to solve the root causes of the conflict”.
As a response, European leaders are still pushing for an unconditional ceasefire, while President Putin seeks instead to increase the pressure on Ukraine until Moscow’s fundamental demands are met. Thus, while it remains unclear how much the two sides’ core beliefs have changed behind the rhetoric, the rush of back-and-forth proposals and ultimatums suggests that diplomacy around the conflict is moving, with the last word being that of President Zelenskyy declaring to be willing to meet with Putin this week. Trump’s stance and the determination of European leaders in standing their ground could determine a lot of what happens next.
Albanian Elections: from diaspora vote to social media campaigns
Yesterday, May 11, 2025, Albanians voted for the parliamentary election that are now leading to Prime Minister Edi Rama fourth term. On one side Rama’s Socialist Party campaigned on promises of EU membership in five years from now, on the other, his administration faced criticism over corruption scandals, including the recent arrest of Tirana’s mayor, Erion Veliaj. The results from exit polls indicate that the center-left PS received roughly 52% of the votes, which should earn the party 79 MPs in the nation’s 140-seat unicameral parliament. Following we find the 38% of the votes, 54 seats, obtained by the Alliance for Greater Albania center-right bloc. While the final official results are expected within 48 hours, two elements of this elections are worth noticing:
- For the first time, Albanians living outside the country could cast postal ballots thanks to a new regulation, a change long sought by most parties.
- Social media has become a primary vehicle for campaigning also in Albania. Rama hosted daily Facebook livestreams to engage with voters and Berisha has followed suit, though less frequently.
Every week, your TiL Monday Briefing 🗞: you better read it with a cup of coffee! ☕️
Head of the Monday Briefing column: Pietro Ferrari. Current writing staff: Vatsal Aggarwal, Cristiana Murè. Cartoons by Polina Mednikova. The Monday Briefing column was established in its current form in 2021 by Bojan Zeric.
I have spent most of my life in India before recently moving to Milan, where I am pursuing an MSc in Finance at Bocconi. I am interested in politics, art and culture, cinema, and travelling. Through my writing, I aspire to document important voices and present opinions. In my free time, I try to keep up with my movies-to-watch list, sample as many restaurants as I can, and find cats to pet.
I am currently completing a MSc in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology at Bocconi University. Through writing, I try to analyze and comprehend the world around me, while also reflecting my interest for behavioral economics, philosophy, and physics. A deep curiosity motivates me to always explore different fields and consider various and contrasting perspectives.
