Germany’s choice will define Europe’s path
The decisions made by the new Bundestag will determine whether Europe moves toward stronger unity and security, or risks deeper divisions and vulnerability.Germany’s recent Bundestag elections on February 23 weren’t just crucial for Germans—they shaped the future for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia, influenced EU hopefuls Georgia and Moldova, and impacted transatlantic relations.Germany…
Trump poses unprecedented challenges for Kosovo
It’s not just Ukraine. Kosovo should expect to face many new, daunting challenges during the next four years. A strong and visionary leader will be needed to tackle the shifting political landscape in the European theatre and the alarming implications of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.Not since declaring its independence in 2008 will Kosovo…
Illicit trade is bringing new security risks to the Balkans
Counterfeit and contraband tobacco products represent a bigger health hazard than regulated tobacco, while porous borders are a security risk for NATO’s eastern and south eastern flanks.A unnamed smuggler operating at the Romanian Ukrainian border spoke to a local media outlet some years ago confessing something everyone already knew, namely that poverty speaks for itself.“As…
How Russia’s war on Ukraine united a divided diaspora
Historically divided by generational differences, religious beliefs, and the circumstances of emigration, Ukraine’s diaspora in the US have set aside many of their differences to support their homeland.Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has acted as a unifying force for the diverse and often fragmented Ukrainian diaspora in the United States.The unprecedented destruction…
Will parliamentary election bring a new dawn to Kosovo?
Most Kosovars hope that a parliamentary election on February 9 and the formation of a new coalition government will usher in a promising new era that will substantially improve the day-to-day lives of ordinary people. Will the new government be in tune to meet much of the public’s expectations?In any fair and free national election…
That was the year that was: Emerging Europe in 2024
From Ukraine’s ongoing resilience in the face of Russia’s brutal aggression to rigged elections in Georgia, political stalemate in Bulgaria, and the shooting of Slovakia’s PM, this is Emerging Europe’s review of 2024.Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August, taking both its western allies and Russia by surprise. By the end…
Bulgaria, Romania finally make it to Schengen
Border controls between the two countries, as well as Romania-Hungary and Bulgaria-Greece will end on January 1, 2025.On December 12, at a meeting of EU interior ministers, news that had been circulating for a week or two became official: Bulgaria and Romania have finally become full members of the Schengen passport-free travel area.“It is a…
The network takeover
Throughout CEE, we can see that the monopolistic nature of digital hubs such as eMag, Allegro, Vinted and OLX are creating information bottlenecks that are concentrating value in the hands of a small number of firms.What is really interesting about the digital economy is not the opportunities that it might create for efficiencies or cost…
Has the United Nations outlived its usefulness?
The UN, which was established to foster global peace and stability, has now become a paralysed institution that inadvertently contributes to raging conflicts because it is constrained by an archaic structure that no longer meets the dramatically changed world order.The United Nations, established in 1945 at the end of World War II, has sadly virtually…
Falling demand slows Europe’s dash for LNG
With energy prices stabilising and European gas consumption decreasing, LNG terminals risk becoming costly, stranded assets.In the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Europe witnessed a rapid surge in liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal construction, not least in Central and Eastern Europe. As countries scrambled to wean themselves quickly off Russian…