Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Vladimir Putin

soldiers-military-usa-weapons-87772.jpeg
Newsroom

Putin’s war has changed the pacifist reflexes of Europe’s left

17 May 2022

Of all the developments triggered by Putin’s war, the left’s departure from pacifism may be the most surprising one.

cars france landmark lights
Newsroom

Putin’s French candidate, Marine Le Pen

19 April 2022

As Putin’s soldiers fight in eastern Ukraine, he is also involved in a battle much further west.

Berlin, Mitte, Paula-Thiede-Ufer, Verdi-Bundesverwaltung 01.
Newsroom

Old German habits of bureaucratic and political incompetence die slowly

5 April 2022

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

beige analog compass
Newsroom

The West is back

22 March 2022

Putin’s war on Ukraine, and Zelensky’s heroism, force us all to take a stand.

saint basil cathedral on red square at new year night
Insights

No excuse for being Russian

18 March 2022

Targeting Putin and his supporters makes much sense.

demonstrations in solidarity with ukraine
Newsroom

No method in Putin’s madness

9 March 2022

Putin’s attack on Ukraine was a complete miscalculation.

four soldiers carrying rifles near helicopter under blue sky
Other publications

Decades of pacifism gone in a day

4 March 2022

Germany has elevated security to the top of its political agenda.

protester holding sign with stop putin on it
Insights

Our generation’s historic challenge

25 February 2022

We must rediscover the cultural and political foundations of our civilisation.

Russian military parade
Newsroom

Russia has won the war without firing a single shot

25 January 2022

Putin may have just built up the threat of an invasion as a bluff.

abstract barbed wire black white black and white
Newsroom

Dictator’s cynical game

10 August 2021

If the EU is not careful and cannot stop Lukashenko soon, the damage to the EU’s integrity and its credibility could be severe.

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About me

Oliver Hartwich

I run The New Zealand Initiative, a Wellington think tank that argues for free markets, limited government and institutions that work. I grew up in Germany's Ruhrgebiet and worked in London and Sydney before moving to New Zealand in 2012. This site collects two decades of my columns, reports, speeches and interviews, with the occasional satire.

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Latest video

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Latest audio

  • Newstalk ZB · 9 November 2026 · 8 min

    What the 2026 election shows about MMP

    0:00
  • Free to Disagree · 6 November 2026 · 56 min

    Why hasn’t New Zealand warmed to its prime minister?

    0:00
  • Initiative podcast · 5 November 2026 · 32 min

    Why an ageing New Zealand is an opportunity, not a burden

    0:00

All interviews and podcasts

My books

Cover of The Martian Audit

The Martian Audit (2026)

Two Martian auditors land in the Wairarapa and are promptly fined for parking without consent. A satirical novella, free to download as PDF or EPUB.

Cover of In the Meantime

In the Meantime (2026)

Investing in a more tribal, less rational world. Written for the Da Vinci Lecture at the Portfolio Construction Forum. Free to read online.

Cover of Leonardo's Legacy

Leonardo's Legacy (2025)

Why investment professionals must become civilisational stewards. Written for the first Da Vinci Lecture at the Portfolio Construction Forum. Free to read online.

Free to Disagree

Free to Disagree podcast logo, with Damien Grant and Oliver Hartwich
Weekly podcast with Damien Grant

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