Autarchy and nationalism are not the right solutions
The western model, based on the care of democracy and the capitalist economic system, was the foundation on which the countries of central and eastern Europe were rebuilt after the fall of communism in 1989. The democratic and economic gap between the former communist countries and those which had already consolidated democracy (such as the…
Albania’s many EU challenges
Detailing the challenges Albania faces in its EU accession process may seem like an insurmountable task for a short opinion piece, but in considering some often overlooked concepts we can gain a better understanding of the situation. The tendency to focus solely on EU accession criteria and conditions has created a myopic view of Albania’s…
Throughout emerging Europe, civil society is more important than ever
The concept of civil society is a product imported into Latvia in the 1990s. It was rooted into the idea that democracy could be stabilised by promoting people’s self-organisational skills. First of all, this way the atomising influence of communism would be reduced and a healthy “moral infrastructure” restored quickly; secondly, it would become possible…
The EU’s re-engagement with the Western Balkans: Losing momentum again?
This was supposed to have been a decisive year for the Western Balkans region on its journey towards EU accession. The strategy paper launched by the European Commission in February recognised the need for the EU to do more for the region: ”The EU must remain credible, firm and fair, while upgrading its policies to…
Regional integration at the Three Seas summit
On September 17, leaders from Central and Eastern Europe gathered in Bucharest to take part at the third Three Seas Initiative (TSI) summit. Jointly led by Poland and Croatia, the TSI promotes cooperation between the Baltic, the Adriatic and Black Seas, and includes 12 European Union member states: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia,…
Orthodox split bolsters Russia’s political regime
Recent events suggest that Russia’s political regime, forced to tackle certain traumatic reforms, has begun to lose focus.As discussed in a previous report, the social contract, which had been the cornerstone of stability for nearly 20 years, has been broken. President Vladimir Putin’s approval ratings have gone down by a third. The September 9 local elections…
Former High Representative expresses concern after election of Milorad Dodik to Bosnian presidency
The former High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Miroslav Lajčák has expressed concern at the election on October 7 of Bosnian Serb nationalist Milorad Dodik to the three-member rotating presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mr Lajčák, currently the president of the United Nations General Assembly, stated that he is worried by the outcome of the…
Macedonia: A new front in Russia-West tensions
On September 30, 94 per cent of voters in Macedonia’s referendum cast their ballots in favor of adopting a new name for the country and working toward European Union and NATO membership. The convincing result, however, was soured by a boycott. With just under 37 per cent turnout, the results were legally invalid – a…
Voter confidence in electoral process highest in Estonia
A new Eurobarometer survey ahead of next May’s European elections has revealed that a majority of EU citizens are worried that disinformation campaigns, data breaches and cyberattacks will interfere with electoral processes. Interestingly, both some of the highest and – thanks to Estonia – lowest percentages of those concerned about electoral manipulation are found in…
Five takeaways from Nikola Gruevski’s asylum in Hungary
Nikola Gruevski’s request for asylum on November 13 came as a suprise, if not a shock, to many in the Hungarian public. The former Macedonian PM, who was sentenced to prison on corruption charges in his home country, fled to Hungary with direct assistance from the Hungarian authorities after claiming that he had received threats…