Political Geography: Europe / Topic: International Affairs

1. Fall 2021 edition of Contemporary Eurasia

Author:: Vahram Ter–Matevosyan
Publication Date:: 09-2021
Content Type:: Journal Article
Journal:: Contemporary Eurasia
Institution:: Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia
Abstract:: CONTENTS SONG YANHUA, SHEN XINGCHEN, WANG YINGXUE INVESTIGATION OF CHINESE STRATEGIES DURING THE PANDEMICS THROUGH THE LENSES OF MOZI AND GALTUNG ............... 5 DAVIT AGHABEKYAN TORN BETWEEN LOYALTY AND IDENTITY: THE CRIMEAN ARMENIANS IN THE POST-SOVIET ERA ........................... 24 KARINE MKHITARIAN PUBLICLY DECLARED POSITIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE KARABAKH PROCESS: PROBLEMS OF CONSISTENCY AND CONTINUITY ....................................................................................................... 43 LOUISA KHACHATRYAN MEDIA FRAMING AND OFFICIAL PROPAGANDA IN ARMENIA DURING THE 45-DAY ARTSAKH WAR ........................................................... 65 AUTHORS LIST .................................................................................................... 84 ANNEX .................................................................................................................. 85
Topic:: Foreign Policy, International Affairs, Military Affairs, Conflict, and Propaganda
Political Geography:: China, Europe, Eurasia, Asia, and Armenia

2. Dialogue with Russia: Russia Needs to Reset Relations with the West

Author:: Kalev Stoicescu, Liana Fix, Agnieszka Legucka, Tatiana Kastouéva-Jean, Artūrs Bikovs, and Keir Giles
Publication Date:: 06-2021
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: International Centre for Defence and Security - ICDS
Abstract:: Moscow’s resurgent foreign policy and the undemocratic rule of President Vladimir Putin ended the relatively friendly relations that had been possible between Russia and the West in the 1990s. In the seven years since Russia annexed Crimea and started a war of attrition against Ukraine, the security situation in the transatlantic region has continuously deteriorated. The Kremlin has demonstrated hostility towards the West, crises and security issues have continued to multiply instead of being resolved, and the risk of outright conflict has come close to Cold War peaks. There is an obvious and urgent need to lower tensions, but Moscow prefers to demonstrate its readiness to escalate. This report analyses Western-Russian relations and proposes a way forward for conducting dialogue with Russia. It offers an analysis of Russia’s relations with NATO and the EU, an overview of the bilateral relations of various Western countries with Russia, a glimpse of China’s role, and an assessment of the main interests and contentious issues in Western-Russian relations.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, NATO, International Affairs, and European Union
Political Geography:: Russia, United Kingdom, Europe, France, Poland, Germany, Latvia, and United States of America

3. The Modern Interfaces of Intermarium and the Fight against Destiny

Author:: Adrian Popa and Cristian Barna
Publication Date:: 01-2020
Content Type:: Journal Article
Journal:: Warsaw East European Review (WEER)
Institution:: Centre for East European Studies, University of Warsaw
Abstract:: Russia’s recent buildup of A2/AD (anti-access/area denial) forces in Crimea and Kaliningrad, coupled with its increasingly confronting rhetoric in the Black and Baltic Seas, pose a serious challenge for the NATO’s Eastern flank countries. While the mare sui generis status of the Black Sea might be altered under the expected inauguration of Canal Istanbul in 2023 as it would probably require the revision of the Montreux Convention, the mare liberum status of the Baltic Sea might also be questioned as Russia contests NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in this region. Facing this challenging geostrategic context, Pilsudski’s ideas of Intermarium seem to have revived within the Central and Eastern European countries under modern interfaces such as the Bucharest Nine and the Three Seas Initiative. This paper proposes a comparative analysis between the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea in terms of their newly-emerged geostrategic context, discusses the feasibility of the recent endeavours to promote cooperation within the Central and Eastern European countries and not ultimately, highlights the utility of a regional military alliance in support of NATO.
Topic:: NATO, Diplomacy, International Security, International Affairs, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, Asia, Crimea, Baltic Sea, and Baltic States

4. Initiating Tibet and English East India Company’s Ties in the 18th Century: The Warren Hastings Years

Author:: Monika Chansoria
Publication Date:: 01-2020
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Japan Institute Of International Affairs (JIIA)
Abstract:: In the last quarter of the 18th century, Warren Hastings, the first de facto Governor General of India from 1774 to 1785 initiated and set up the English East India Company’s relations with Tibet. The first contact in this reference was initiated by the Tibetans, when, upon hearing the news of the defeat of Bhutan’s King Desi Shidariva by the British forces in the battle for Cooch Behar (1772-1774), the Panchen Lama, Palden Yeshe, wrote a historic letter of mediation addressed to the Governor General. Hastings seized the opportunity, and, in his response proposed a general treaty of amity and peace between Bengal and Tibet.
Topic:: Diplomacy, International Affairs, History, and Trade
Political Geography:: Europe, Asia, England, and Tibet

5. High expectations. Interregional agendas on global security challenges: East Asia, Europe and Latin America

Author:: Manuel R. Torres Soriano
Publication Date:: 12-2019
Content Type:: Journal Article
Journal:: Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional (RBPI)
Institution:: Instituto Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais (IBRI)
Abstract:: Interregionalism has been increasingly used to advance cooperation on regional and global security challenges. This study examines three interregional dialogues comprising East Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Each interregional security agenda reflects specific concerns and different evolving paths. Insights from ‘multilateral security governance’ approaches can reinforce the analysis of how security agendas emerge and change, and how their related norms and practices evolve.
Topic:: Security, International Affairs, Governance, and European Union
Political Geography:: Europe, East Asia, and Latin America

6. Strategic autonomy for European choices: The key to Europe's shaping power

Author:: Giovanni Grevi
Publication Date:: 07-2019
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: European Policy Centre (EPC)
Abstract:: Multi-level competition is on the rise in the international system and the standoff between the US and China risks becoming a defining feature of international affairs. However, the future is not predestined: the European Union (EU) will play a major role in the development of the international order, whether through its absence or its engagement. This Discussion Paper follows recent European Policy Centre publications and debates dedicated to revamping Europe’s approach to an increasingly challenging international context, which have delivered recommendations to: equip Europe with the tools to govern interdependence and mitigate confrontation; take a strong stance in defence of Europe while not endorsing a zero-sum interpretation of global affairs; turn the EU into a global shaping power by pursuing a ‘rules-first’ strategy; and frame Europe’s strategic autonomy in comprehensive terms, including the economic, technological and security and defence dimensions.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, International Affairs, European Union, and Strategic Autonomy
Political Geography:: China, Europe, and United States of America

7. Problematising the Ultimate Other of Modernity: the Crystallisation of Coloniality in International Politics

Author:: Ramon Blanco and Ana Carolina Teixeira Delgado
Publication Date:: 12-2019
Content Type:: Journal Article
Journal:: Contexto Internacional
Institution:: Institute of International Relations, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Abstract:: This article examines a key element of the power relations underpinning international politics, namely coloniality. It delineates the coloniality of international politics, and elucidates the fundamental aspects of its operationalisation on the one hand, and its crystallisation into international politics on the other. The article is structured into three sections. First, it explores the meaning of coloniality, and outlines its fundamental characteristics. Next, it delineates a crucial operative element of coloniality, the idea of race, and the double movement through which coloniality is rendered operational – the colonisation of time and space. Finally, the article analyses two structuring problematisations that were fundamental to the crystallisation of coloniality in international politics – the work of Francisco de Vitoria, and the Valladolid Debate. It argues that the way in which these problematisations framed the relationship between the European Self and the ultimate Other of Western modernity – the indigenous peoples in the Americas – crystallised the pervasive role of coloniality in international politics.
Topic:: Post Colonialism, Race, International Affairs, Colonialism, and Indigenous
Political Geography:: Europe, Latin America, and Global Focus

8. China’s new policy on the European Union: A toughening line on political issues

Author:: Jyrki Kallio
Publication Date:: 01-2019
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: China’s recent policy paper on the European Union shows that the country continues to recognize the EU as an important partner in many fields. A new, distressing element is that China has toughened its demands towards the EU to respect its core interests and to refrain from meddling in its internal affairs.
Topic:: Globalization, International Affairs, European Union, and Conflict
Political Geography:: China, Europe, and Asia

9. The Russian Orthodox Church: Faith, Power and Conquest

Author:: James Sherr and Kaarel Kullamaa
Publication Date:: 12-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: International Centre for Defence and Security - ICDS
Abstract:: Until recently, the Russian Orthodox Church was a subject that interested few outside expert circles. That dramatically changed in late 2018 when the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople granted autocephaly (independence) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The reverberations of this decision — religious, political and geopolitcal — underscore the importance that the Church once again plays in Russian policy. In this report, we consider the role that the Russian Orthodox Church has played as an adjunct to an imperial policy stretching back over many centuries. Today, the Russian Federation has a secular constitution. But as much as in tsarist times, the Church regards itself as one of the pillars of Russia’s political order. As much as in the time of Catherine the Great, it is also a protagonist in its wars of identity and the rewriting of the history of former imperial subjects whose experience of the relationship between church and state is different from Russia’s. This diversity is well brought out in the report’s two case studies, Ukraine and Estonia. In both countries, local Orthodox churches embodied distinctive cultural traditions and values until they felt the full force of Russian control, tsarist and Soviet. Since 2014, Russia’s hybrid war in Ukraine has revived many historical controversies. It also has raised entirely new security concerns about the borderline between faith and politics. These concerns are summarised at the conclusion of the report, which closes with a section on policy recommendations.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Politics, Religion, International Affairs, Governance, and Christianity
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, Ukraine, and Estonia

10. Keynote Lecture: The Future of Transatlantic Relations: Looking beyond President Trump

Author:: Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer
Publication Date:: 10-2019
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)
Abstract:: Keynote lecture by Dr. Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, Senior Fellow, Director of the Think Tank German Marshall Plan Fund of the United States’ Paris Office, Associate Professor at Sciences Po Paris.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, International Affairs, Transatlantic Relations, and Donald Trump
Political Geography:: Europe, North America, and United States of America

11. Panel Discussion: Europe’s Exit from its Neighbourhood?

Author:: Nathalie Tocci, Tobias Schumacher, and Cengiz Günay
Publication Date:: 10-2019
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)
Abstract:: Audio Recording of the Discussion at the oiip on October 21st, 2019 with NATHALIE TOCCI (Director IAI – Italian Institute for International Affairs and former advisor to the Higher representative Federica Mogharini); TOBIAS SCHUMACHER (Chairholderof the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair -College d’Europe, Natolin Campus); and Moderated by CENGIZ GÜNAY (Vice-Director oiip).
Topic:: International Affairs and Regional Integration
Political Geography:: Europe

12. oiip Podcast with Nathalie Tocci, Director IAI – Istituto Affari Internazionali

Author:: Nathalie Tocci
Publication Date:: 11-2019
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)
Abstract:: oiip Podcast with Nathalie Tocci (Director IAI – Istituto Affari Internazionali – Rome and Special Advisor to HRVP Federica Mogharini) is talking in this Podcast about the European neighbourhood, how the European Neighbourhood Policy could be replaced and what would be an alternative approach,
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Regional Cooperation, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

13. The threats to the European Union’s economic sovereignty

Author:: Jean Pisani-Ferry
Publication Date:: 07-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Bruegel
Abstract:: Memo to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The authors describe the current context and the increasing interlinkages between economics and power politics and the role to play in reinforcing and defending Europe’s economic sovereignty
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

14. A strategic agenda for the new EU leadership

Author:: Maria Demertzis
Publication Date:: 06-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Bruegel
Abstract:: Memo to the presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament. 'A strategic agenda for the new EU leadership' by Maria Demertzis, André Sapir and Guntram Wolff is the first of our 2019 Bruegel memos to the new presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament. Focusing on the most important economic questions at EU level, these Bruegel memos are intended to be a strategic to-do list, outlining the state of affairs that will greet the new Commission
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

15. Europe – the global centre for excellent research

Author:: Michael Balternsperger
Publication Date:: 05-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Bruegel
Abstract:: This report, requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, analyses the EU’s potential to be a global centre of excellence for research as a driver of its future growth in a complex global S&T landscape, and how EU public resources can contribute to this
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

16. Refocus the European Union: Planet, Lifetime, Technology

Author:: Heather Grabbe
Publication Date:: 07-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Abstract:: This report is a rallying cry for Europeans to pull together and mobilize the EU’s assets to manage the three biggest changes of our times. Each section briefly diagnoses the consequences of climate change, aging populations, and digital revolutions and then explores the role the EU could play in supporting the inevitable transitions. The purpose is not to provide a detailed blueprint for each transition, but rather to launch a new kind of debate about the EU—a debate that does not revolve around how to tweak the current institutions but instead how to address a reordered set of priorities
Topic:: International Affairs and Europe Union
Political Geography:: Europe

17. A Silicon Curtain is Descending: Technological Perils of the Next 30 Years

Author:: Lindsay Gorman
Publication Date:: 10-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS)
Abstract:: pal story of 1989 in Europe is a story about technology – of radio and information crossing the East-West divide to bring down the Berlin Wall. Indeed, the post-communist narrative became that more connectivity and more connection meant more freedom and more democracy. It was on the wave of this narrative that the Internet became the world’s ultimate connector.1 It has brought globalization and international commerce in an unprecedented and unimaginable way, given activists a platform and a megaphone, and made information about democratic governance available to anyone with a router. Or almost anyone.
Topic:: International Political Economy, Science and Technology, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

18. From Triumph to Travail: The EU's 1989 Legacy

Author:: Jan Techau
Publication Date:: 10-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS)
Abstract:: As party systems across Europe adjust to changed popular demand at rapid speed, the European Union struggles to find its bearings in this whirlwind of political transformation. Euroscepticism has won a few big victories across Europe, and loose talk about the EU falling apart or being beyond repair is rife.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

19. Authoritarian Advance: How Authoritarian Regimes Upended Assumptions about Democratic Expansion

Author:: Laura Rosenberger
Publication Date:: 10-2019
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS)
Abstract:: Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin wall, democracies again face a struggle against authoritarianism. This is not the ideological battle of the Cold War, but it is a confrontation between systems of government.
Topic:: Democratization, International Affairs, and Authoritarianism
Political Geography:: Europe

20. The Role of Trauma in Romania’s Ontological Security

Author:: Loretta Salajan
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Journal Article
Journal:: Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:: Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:: This paper analyses Romania’s foreign policy during the first post-communist years, by employing a theoretical viewpoint based on ontological security and trauma. It un- covers the elite efforts to secure the post-totalitarian state’s identity and international course. Romania’s search for ontological security featured the articulation of narratives of victim- hood, which were linked with its proclaimed western European identity. The Romanian identity narrative has long struggled between “the West” and “the East”, trying to cope with traumatic historical events. These discursive themes and ontological insecurities were crys- tallized in the controversy surrounding the Romanian-Soviet “Friendship Treaty” (1991). Key Romanian officials displayed different typical responses to cultural trauma and debated the state’s path to ontological security, which was reflected in the foreign policy positions.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, International Affairs, Culture, and Identity
Political Geography:: Europe, Eastern Europe, and Romania

21. Take a different look at the neighbours

Author:: Luuk van Middelaar and Monika Sie Dhian Ho
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations
Abstract:: The Netherlands shouldn’t dramatize Britain’s departure from the European Union. Sure, it’s a downer for the economy and a political blow, but not a catastrophe. Brexit may even help us to break the established patterns of our foreign policy. And that is urgently needed: Brexit and Trump require us to reset our geopolitical compass towards our neighbours and partners on the continent. In this Alert authors Luuk van Middelaar and Monika Sie Dhian Ho give four tips for a new Europe policy.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

22. European strategic autonomy: Going it alone?

Author:: Margriet Drent
Publication Date:: 08-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations
Abstract:: With the boost that has been given to the EU’s defence policy, some of the St. Malo reﬂexes have reoccurred in Washington. Mostly, there are some misgivings in the United States about the exact meaning of ‘European strategic autonomy’, as it featured in the 2016 EU Global Strategy. But also in Europe, it is not clear what strategic autonomy means. In light of the increasing uncertainty among the EU and European NATO-members about the solidity of the American security guarantees, strategic autonomy gains a new quality. If Europe were forced ‘to go it alone’, what would that take, both in terms of conventional and nuclear capabilities?
Topic:: International Affairs and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Europe

23. Russia’s evolving gas relationship with the European Union: Trade surges despite political crises

Author:: Marco Siddi
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: Gas trade between the European Union and Russia increased considerably in both 2016 and 2017, despite the ongoing political crisis. Simultaneously, two long-standing disputes in the EU-Russia gas relationship – regarding Gazprom’s monopolistic practices and the EU’s third energy package – were settled. Russian companies have invested in new infrastructural projects for the export of gas to Europe, including the launch of the Yamal LNG terminal in December 2017 and the construction of the TurkStream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. However, significant challenges remain for the relationship, most notably the intra-EU controversy on Nord Stream 2 and uncertainty about future gas transit in Ukraine.
Topic:: Energy Policy, International Political Economy, International Affairs, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Russia and Europe

24. Trump, America and Eastern Europe

Author:: Pawal Kowal
Publication Date:: 06-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Centre for East European Studies, University of Warsaw
Abstract:: What challenges does East Central Europe face today? Now fully sovereign, the countries of the region seek new partnerships globally, address new and old problems locally, and engage their neighbours to tackle issues of common interest. This, the eighth edition of the Warsaw East European Review (WEER) is the consequence of the 2017 Warsaw East European Conference, entitled “East Central Europe vis-a-vis Global Challenges”. Some ninety scholars met and presented their views over four days of meetings in Warsaw in July 2017. The editors invited those with particularly timely remarks to submit their essays for publication, and have included a discussion of the WEER editorial board
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

25. The Future of the European Central Bank

Author:: John Ryan
Publication Date:: 06-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: LSE IDEAS
Abstract:: This report explores the need to make the ECB more transparent and democratically accountable to prevent the next Eurozone crisis. The ECB can justly claim to have held together a poorly-designed system in difficult circumstances, but its overlapping roles create potential conflicts of interest. What does this mean for the countries, companies, and banks that have grown to depend so much on the ECB?
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

26. Stalled Europeanization in Post-Sovereignty EU? Greek Politics in Hard Times

Author:: Kostas A Lavdas
Publication Date:: 10-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:: This paper focuses on stalled Europeanization as a field of practices, institutions and discourse connected with a process of ambivalent reform. The absence of a consensual national strategy of adaptation to a particularly challenging environment, i.e., participation in the eurozone, produced dramatic consequences when confronted with the financial crisis after 2009. It is argued that the country’s sluggish Europeanization reached a critical turning point in 2009 when the urgency of the crisis brought to the fore a number of issues and vulnerabilities. Asymmetric policy adjustment – limited in some areas, extensive in others – has been the combined result of perceived necessity, insufficiently designed and implemented reform packages, party-political repositioning, and plain politicking. Europeanization in Greece became a stalled process in 2015; restarting the stalled process since 2016 leads to ongoing but sluggish Europeanizing interactions, involving shifts in the roles of domestic politics, institutional traditions and interest groups while reshaping the patterns of political contestation.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Greece

27. A New Strategy for European Health Policy

Author:: Anna-Lena Kirch and Daniel Braun
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Commentary and Analysis
Institution:: German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
Abstract:: Germany considers itself a leading European power that utilizes its influence to promote EU cohesion in the face of Brexit and numerous other crises. However, a different picture emerges in European health policy, an area that is not only being discussed as an essential part of the EU’s social dimension but also in the context of its security and development positioning: Far from shaping the discussion, Germany is at times even perceived as the brakeman to an effective European health policy.
Topic:: Health and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

28. Challenges to the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union: Black Sea Region (Crimea) and Syria

Author:: Plamen Pantev
Publication Date:: 09-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Institute for Security and International Studies (ISIS)
Abstract:: A shorter version of this Research Study was presented at the International Conference: “Bulgaria. Ten Years After Its Integration in the EU and the Upcoming Presidency of the EU Council 2018”, convened on 21-22 November 2017 in Berlin, Germany, and organised by the Southeast Europe Association, Germany, The German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. The activity of Bulgaria and the EU during the Presidency of Sofia in the first half of 2018 proved the consistency of the assessments in the presented paper a year earlier. New developments and facts confirmed the growing complexity of the global strategic situation, the rising need of the Union to keep its unity in the intensifying competition of the global centers of power, the necessity of clear definition of the strategic autonomy of the EU. The slogan of the Bulgarian Presidency – “United We Stand”, vividly illustrated the correct Bulgaria’s perception of the evolving international political environment
Topic:: International Cooperation and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

29. The EU's Black Sea Policy and Enlargement

Author:: Kakha Gogolashvili
Publication Date:: 11-2018
Content Type:: Research Paper
Institution:: Georgian Foundation for Strategic International Studies -GFSIS
Abstract:: Raising interest in the Black Sea
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

30. Between Rome and Sibiu: A Trajectory for the New European Narrative

Author:: Jan Hoogmartens
Publication Date:: 05-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: Many observers may easily reach the conclusion that the European Union (EU) has been in crisis for the last decade. Against this background, and especially since the outcome of the Brexit referendum, the EU has begun much soul searching to carve out a new path to its future. This Policy Brief addresses the current Future of Europe debate with the Bratislava Roadmap, the Rome Declaration, the Leaders’ Agenda, and other valuable contributions. It raises the question what kind of narrative the European project will need to survive into the future. What kind of Europeans do we wish to be and what sort of Europe do we want to create? Despite growing mistrust of citizens in their own institutions and rising populism, this Policy Brief pleads for enduring support for the values on which the European project is built. These values should remain beacons for the way in which we legitimise, organise and communicate the work of the EU. Even if we cannot always agree on a common destination, Europeans should be able to agree at least on a shared trajectory based on common values. This is a narrative that should inspire Europe again.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

31. Is there an escape from ‘Ever Closer Union’?

Author:: Jean De Ruyt
Publication Date:: 02-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: The EU Treaty objective of establishing ‘an ever closer Union among the peoples of Europe’ means that European integration is a step by step process
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

32. How to make the most of the EU’s financial potential ?

Author:: Fabian Willermain and Anca Cioriciu
Publication Date:: 03-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: In the perspective of the post-2020 Multiannual financial Framework (MFF), this policy brief suggests three reforms that would improve the aim of the MFF as both an expression of EUs political priorities and budgetary planning tool. It looks into the potential overhaul of the MFF timeline, its structure in the context of new instruments such as the EFSI, and the strategic combination of different EU financial tools intended to stimulate and interconnect economies across the EU-27.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

33. A Dublin IV recast: A new and improved system?

Author:: Tamara Tubakovic
Publication Date:: 03-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: According to member states and EU officials, the European Union is now slowly entering a period of ‘post crisis.’ In this fragile period of stability, the European Commission has begun its task of strengthening the EU’s legislative framework on asylum. The focal point of the Commission’s task has been the reform of the Dublin system which, during the ‘asylum crisis,’ had almost collapsed. This policy brief has three aims. Firstly, it examines how the unprecedented movement of over one million persons seeking international protection to the EU in 2015 led to the fragmentation of the Dublin system. Secondly, it examines the main flaws of the Dublin system, namely the disconnect between the unchanged status quo on the Dublin rules and the ever-changing political and economic environment of the EU. Finally, it examines the Commission’s proposal for the recast of the Dublin system, assessing whether the new elements are adequate in resolving the key problems of the system. It is argued that although the reform does address, to a limited extent, the problems of secondary movement and the overburdening of some member state asylum systems, the reform does not sufficiently resolve the key flaws of Dublin in light of potential future migratory challenges
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

34. Earmarked Revenues: How the European Union Can Learn from US Budgeting Experience

Author:: Jacob Funk Kirkegaard
Publication Date:: 02-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Peterson Institute for International Economics
Abstract:: Few challenges facing the European Union—immigration pressures, the need to decrease security dependence on an increasingly erratic United States, and the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (Brexit)—are compelling EU leaders to consider overhauling the revenue side of the European Union’s existing budget. To deal with these challenges in the future, the European Union will need resources—at a time when Europeans are increasingly skeptical about the effectiveness of budget-making in Brussels. Longstanding US budgetary procedures of trust fund accounting and earmarking government revenue towards specific priorities can provide a template for European policymakers. Shifting the EU budget towards more earmarked resources would reduce distrust among taxpayers by limiting Brussels’ spending discretion while focusing expenditures on specific challenges facing the European project.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

35. The Varna Quadrilateral: A New Format for Regional Cooperation

Author:: Jakub Pieńkowski and Tomasz Żornaczuk
Publication Date:: 06-2018
Content Type:: Commentary and Analysis
Institution:: The Polish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: Initiated at the end of 2017, the Varna Quadrilateral is a forum for cooperation between Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Romania. It is intended to improve coordination of cross-border infrastructure and energy investments between the largest countries in southeastern Europe. Meetings to date also show that collaboration can have clear political elements. However, a half year after the inauguration of the new initiative, its future is in doubt due to the great differences between its members.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

36. The European powers and the Sahel-Maghreb Crisis

Author:: Rasmus Alenius Boserup and Luis Martinez
Publication Date:: 03-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:: In this new DIIS report senior researcher at DIIS, Rasmus Alenius Boserup and Research Director at Sciences Po, Luis Martinez, analyse how European policy-makers have recently come to perceive the Sahel as a threat to Europe’s own security and stability. Marking the end of the Sahel-Maghreb Research Platform – a research project funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and hosted by DIIS in collaboration with Voluntas Advisory – the report draws on input and analysis provided by an international team of experts and scholars associated to the project.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

37. EU Engagement with Africa on Migration: A Change of Approach Required

Author:: Clare Castillejo
Publication Date:: 05-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
Abstract:: Migration was an important issue at the November African Union (AU)-European Union (EU) summit. While the tone of discussion was somewhat improved on that of recent years, divisions between the two continents remain great. Europe and Africa still have fundamentally different positions in relation to migration, with the EU and many European member states prioritising prevention and return, while African governments focus more on remittances and legal migration opportunities. However, Europe’s current approach does not acknowledge these differing interests and instead seeks to impose its own agenda in ways that threaten to undermine important African ambitions. In recent years, the EU has launched initiatives aimed at curbing migration from Africa that have caused significant controversy, notably the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) and the Migration Partnership Framework (MPF). These initiatives suffer from a number of weaknesses. The EUTF is based on the flawed premise that development assistance can prevent migration. It diverts aid to migration goals, and its projects often do not comply with development principles such as transparency, ownership and alignment. Meanwhile, the MPF seeks to use positive and negative incentives across a range of external action areas to encourage partners to cooperate with the EU’s migration goals – primarily on prevention and return. So far, results have been limited and it has soured relations with some partner countries.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

38. A European Peace Facility Could Make a Pragmatic Contribution to Peacebuilding around the World

Author:: Mark Furness and Julian Bergmann
Publication Date:: 06-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
Abstract:: The question of how the EU should finance peacebuilding in developing countries has challenged policy-makers and pundits for many years. At one level this is a technical and legal issue of budget lines and financing rules. It nevertheless touches on the much deeper political and even moral issues of whether the EU should use development aid to finance security provision, how best the EU can respond to the legitimate needs of partners in conflict-affected countries and what kind of civil and/or military engagements the EU can support as part of its external relations. The question has come to resemble the proverbial can being kicked along the road by successive European Commissioners, Council working groups and parliamentary committees. It has come to a head again because intra-EU negotiations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 are starting in earnest. This time, a sensible proposal is on the table which can potentially provide a pragmatic and workable solution, at least for a while.
Topic:: International Security and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

39. Brexit, Strategy, and the EU: Britain takes leave

Author:: Sven Biscop
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: The 100th Egmont Paper deals with an issue that, unfortunately, provides little cause for celebration: the impact of Brexit on European diplomacy and defence. Unless, as Sven Biscop argues, a new “special relationship” can be established between Britain and the EU, both London and Brussels will
Topic:: International Political Economy, International Affairs, and Brexit
Political Geography:: Europe

40. Clingendael State of the Union 2018: towards better European integration

Author:: Margriet Drent
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations
Abstract:: Every year is special and challenging when it comes to European integration. The highlights of 2017 were a number of high-level strategy papers and speeches such as the European Commission White Paper on the Future of Europe, the State of the Union Address by Commission President Juncker, French President Macron’s Initiative for Europe, and the Future of Europe report by President of the European Parliament Tajani. These papers and speeches all pave the way for the discussions on improving and deepening the European Union in the months towards the European elections in spring 2019. The upcoming EP elections will be different from earlier elections as the current discussions aim to offer political choices to ensure the elections are content-based.
Topic:: International Affairs and Europe Union
Political Geography:: Europe

41. EU's PESCO: A new foreign policy instrument or the same old story?

Author:: Amal Cemal Ertürk
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:: Since the end of World War II, foreign policy and security issues have haunted the European dreams of complete integration in terms of alignment in a highly challenging field, which is also constantly interrupted by sovereignty concerns of member states. Within today’s changing dynamics, the EU’s current instruments seem to fall short of preventing terrorism or providing a meaningful answer to the problems in the Middle East. The EU’s capacity to act in this field needs to be strengthened. The newest approach presented by the European External Action Service (EEAS) is called PESCO (the Permanent Structured Cooperation) and aims to change this current structure of “inactivity”. This short paper will briefly analyze this new instrument.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

42. European regional organizations and climate-related security risks: EU, OSCE and NATO

Author:: Niklas Bremberg
Publication Date:: 01-2018
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Abstract:: Research suggests that states and societies around the world are increasingly confronted by climate-related security risks. These risks are unavoidably transnational in character, and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) are instrumental in developing policy solutions and enhancing international cooperation. However, previous research highlights that knowledge about the conditions under which IGOs address climate security risks, and when they do so effectively, is incomplete. There is a need for further in-depth analysis of relevant IGOs in the field of climate security.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

43. Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria

Author:: Alexander Van der Bellen
Publication Date:: 09-2017
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Columbia University World Leaders Forum
Abstract:: His Excellency Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President of the Republic of Austria, addresses the Columbia University World Leaders Forum in Low Library.
Topic:: Climate Change, Human Rights, International Cooperation, International Affairs, and European Union
Political Geography:: New York, Europe, Austria, and European Union

44. Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia

Author:: Andre Plenković
Publication Date:: 09-2017
Content Type:: Video
Institution:: Columbia University World Leaders Forum
Abstract:: His Excellency Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, addresses the Columbia University World Leaders Forum at the Casa Italiana.
Topic:: International Cooperation, International Affairs, European Union, and Brexit
Political Geography:: Europe, Croatia, United States of America, and New York

45. The Berlin Pulse 2017 (full issue)

Publication Date:: 11-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Körber-Stiftung
Abstract:: Dear Reader, Welcome to The Berlin Pulse! In the past years, calls for greater German international engagement were heard at many occasions. As Germany sets out for a new coalition experiment, the question is whether the new government will assume this responsibility, and how it will address international challenges. To succeed, a Chancellor Angela Merkel will have to reconcile the views of her coalition partners with expectations of Germany’s international partners. How much leeway does a new government have between international expectations and domestic constraints? The idea behind The Berlin Pulse is to guide policy-makers and experts on this fine line. To this end, prominent international authors such as Jens Stoltenberg and Mohammad Javad Zarif formulate their expectations for Germany on 2018’s most pressing issues. A representative survey commissioned by Körber Foundation in October 2017 contrasts their perspectives with German public opinion. We will publish The Berlin Pulse annually on the occasion of the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum, which we host together with the Federal Foreign Office. The contrast of domestic and international perspectives indicates what kind of foreign policy actor Germany can become. For example, while many foreign policy makers demand that Germany punches its weight on the international stage, Germans do not demonstrate the same enthusiasm: 52 percent prefer international restraint over increased engagement, a value similar to past years. As Timothy Garton Ash writes in his contribution on Germany’s role in the world, “there has been no historical caesura since 3 October 1990 large enough to justify talking about a ‘new’ Germany.” And while experts still discuss whether we are in a “post-Atlantic era”, the German population already seems to have reached a conclusion: 56 percent consider the relationship between the US and Germany to be somewhat or very bad, and a striking 88 percent would give a defense partnership with European states priority over the partnership with the US. In an interview for The Berlin Pulse, Condoleezza Rice stresses the importance of increased defense spending for the transatlantic relationship, yet 51 percent of Germans think spending should stay at current levels. Opinion polls are often snapshots. Yet, we have been conducting polls since 2014 and believe that continuity allows distinguishing between outliers and underlying characteristics of German public opinion on foreign policy. We particularly thank the Pew Research Center for fielding six joint questions on the transatlantic relationship in the US. The motto of our founder to “talk to each other rather than about each other” has guided Körber Foundation’s activities from the beginning. The Berlin Pulse shall gather representative voices from within and outside Germany to illustrate and acknowledge the potential and limits of Germany’s role in the world. We believe this is a prerequisite for developing a viable and successful foreign policy. Behind every successful publication, there is a dedicated editor. Thanks to the acumen and persistence of Luise Voget, Program Manager at our International Affairs Department, the idea of a ‘guidebook to German foreign policy’ has been molded into 60 pages of data, analysis and opinion: The Berlin Pulse. I wish you a good read. Thomas Paulsen
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, International Cooperation, International Affairs, and Military Intervention
Political Geography:: Europe and Germany

46. NATO, Cooperative Security, and the Middle East – Status and Prospects

Author:: Hakan Akbulut
Publication Date:: 04-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)
Abstract:: This report consists of three parts: The first part offers a brief introduction into the topic of NATO partnerships in general and ICI more specifically. The second part compiles three papers presented at the workshop on the preferences, perspectives, and policies of Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) relating to cooperation with NATO. The third part summarizes the presentations of all workshop participants and accompanying discussions without making any explicit attributions as the event was held under Chatham House Rule. All speakers participated in the workshop in a personal capacity and expressed exclusively their personal views and assessment. Moreover, as this summary incorporates all different views expressed, a participant will unlikely endorse all arguments to be found herein.
Topic:: Security, NATO, International Cooperation, International Affairs, and Partnerships
Political Geography:: Europe, Middle East, Bahrain, Oman, and UAE

47. “Not Laughing Now”: Nigel Farage, European Identity, and Euroscepticism in the EU

Author:: Baronia Nitisha
Publication Date:: 03-2017
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Institute of European Studies (IES), UC Berkeley
Abstract:: Due to economic, political, and cultural disparities between member states, the European Union (EU) has been unable to form a pan-European political and cultural identity. This has resulted in a long-term vote capturing opportunity for far-right political parties, which have brought Euroscepticism to the EU’s doorstep through election to the European Parliament (EP). Furthermore, because of their ability to emphasize these deeply rooted economic, political, and cultural disparities, far-right eurosceptic Members of European Parliament (MEPs) exacerbate Euroscepticism in a self-sustaining cycle that both internally and externally threatens EU legitimacy and, if left unaddressed, the very future of European integration.
Topic:: International Affairs and Brexit
Political Geography:: Europe

48. Principles over Security? The Impact of the Upcoming Danish Exit from Europol

Author:: Christian Kvorning Lassen
Publication Date:: 02-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Europeum Institute for European Policy
Abstract:: Denmark to be excluded from Europol due to electing not to abolish its JHA opt-outs. The Operational Agreement it has since negotiated with the EU falls short in several key areas, preventing optimal mutual cooperation between Denmark and the EU on important issues such as counter-terrorism and international organized crime. The implications ofthe operational agreement in regards to Europol are potentially far-reaching for Denmark in terms of both its EU policy and security, but also for the EU, which has to balance institutional dilemmas with security concerns.
Topic:: International Relations, International Security, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

49. An uphill struggle? Towards coordinated EU engagement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Author:: Stephan Klose, Astrid Pepermans, and Leia Wang
Publication Date:: 11-2017
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: China’s 19th Party Congress unexpectedly amended the party’s constitution with a pledge to “pursue the Belt and Road Initiative”. This further elevates the status of president Xi’s heavily promoted foreign policy, which aims at creating trade and investment opportunities through the development of Eurasia’s continental and maritime infrastructure. As the implications of this policy are increasingly felt across Europe, following years of growing Chinese investments, so are the challenges it presents to Europe’s unity, prosperity and security. In light of these challenges a constructive engagement with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) constitutes an immense task for the European Union, whose position has been weakened by growing dissent among member states over the Union’s policy towards China.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: China and Europe

50. New Pact for Europe - National Report - ITALY

Author:: European Policy Centre
Publication Date:: 07-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: European Policy Centre (EPC)
Abstract:: This is the fifth in a series of National Reports to be published as part of the new phase of the New Pact for Europe project.* According to the NPE Italian Reflection Group, the EU is stuck, with member countries prioritising national interests over the European ones, while problems in the economic, security and migration policy areas are far from overcome. Drawing on the discussions held amongst the members of the group, the report presents a set of conclusions on how to address the key challenges the Union and member states are facing at the moment, and calls on them to take action to boost the legitimacy of the European integration project:
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

51. Why did Mogherini Attend Rouhani’s Inauguration?

Author:: FARAS
Publication Date:: 08-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Future for Advanced Research and Studies (FARAS)
Abstract:: European states seek to increase the chances of maintaining the implementation of the nuclear agreement, also known as the Joint Comprehen- sive Plan of Action (JCPOA), concluded on July 14, 2017 between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers, which includes the European Union, France as well as Germany. The bid is especially driven by the European view that a collapse of the deal would in ict grave consequences on their interests. However, the European bid is facing no easy hurdles. While the United States is keen to impose new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program, Iran is similarly adamant about continuing this program as well as exploiting the nuclear deal to expand its in infuence in the region through backing terrorist organizations and establishing relations with non-state actors.
Topic:: International Relations, International Security, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Middle East

52. European anti-migration agenda could challenge stability in Niger

Author:: Hans Lucht
Publication Date:: 06-2017
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:: Without a stable Libya to strike migration deals with, EU is looking further south, to Niger, as a way of cutting off the trans-Saharan migration routes. However, the question is whether the EU is exchanging short-term gains for long-term stability?
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Niger

53. Rebooting the Franco-German engine: Two post-election scenarios

Author:: Fabrizio Tassinari and Sebastian Tetzlaff
Publication Date:: 06-2017
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:: The election of pro-European Emmanuel Macron as president of France has reignited hopes that the so-called Franco-German engine, providing political impetus to European integration in the past decades, might be revived. While Macron’s election proved a rebuke to the populist challenge, it remains to be seen whether and how it will manage to rebalance the partnership with Berlin, which is overwhelmingly premised on Germany’s growing strength and clout at the European level. While pronouncing herself supportive of the new course in Paris, Chancellor Angela Merkel, like the rest of Europe, remains in a wait-and-see position regarding the ability of President Macron to fulfil his ambitious pro-EU agenda.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

54. Approaching the German Federal election: The traditional parties break the trend and stay in front

Author:: Fabrizzio Tassinari and Sebastian Tetzlaff
Publication Date:: 05-2017
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:: From being a historical bridge-builder among different sensibilities in Europe, Germany has gradually assumed a more assertive posture on key issues from the refugee crisis to Brexit negotiations. As a result, the federal election in September will be consequential not just for Germany, but also for the rest of Europe.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

55. The Euro’s Difficult Future

Author:: Luigi Bonatti
Publication Date:: 09-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: In The Euro’s Difficult Future – Competitiveness Imbalances and the Eurozone’s North-South Divide author Luigi Bonatti, a professor of economics at the University of Trento in Italy, stresses that the existing North-South competitiveness divide creates growing tensions between member countries and fuels hostility towards European Union institutions. The paper illustrates why this competitiveness divide is structural, cannot be tackled by macroeconomic policies, and could threaten the euro’s survival.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

56. The European Union Could Be Simple, Inclusive, or Effective. Pick Two.

Author:: Dimiter Toshkov
Publication Date:: 07-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: To many, the European Union (EU) is a complex entity overburdened by rules. In The European Union Could Be Simple, Inclusive, or Effective. Pick Two., author Dimiter Toshkov, an associate professor at the Institute of Public Administration at Leiden University, presents the structural dilemma facing the EU: accommodating the diverse interests of twenty-eight member states while delivering effective policies for over 510 million citizens in a simple way.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

57. The shrinking Euro-Mediterranean policy space

Author:: Gonzalo Escribano
Publication Date:: 09-2017
Content Type:: Commentary and Analysis
Institution:: Elcano Royal Institute
Abstract:: This analysis addresses changes in the Euro-Mediterranean strategic context and the erosion of the economic incentives built into Euro-Mediterranean policy to deal with such transformation. It also puts the case for a reformulation of Euro-Mediterranean policies, but argues that, rather than pursuing an incremental continuity, the EU should engineer a more radical overhaul of its mechanisms of governance, its instruments and its discourse.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

58. MENA Population’s Perceptions of Key Challenges, International Context and the Role of the European Union

Author:: Andrea Teti, Pamela Abbott, Paolo Maggiolini, and Valeria Talbot
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Arab Transformations Project, University of Aberdeen
Abstract:: Survey data from the ArabTrans 2014 survey contains a unique battery of questions pertaining to the perception of the European Union. This report builds on those questions to analyse perceptions of the EU, its development cooperation programmes, its promotion of democracy, the appropriateness of its response to the Arab Uprisings, and the perception of the EU as an international actor. Overall, the data suggests low levels of awareness and relatively negative opinions of the EU’s actions both in general and in the specific context of its response to the Arab Uprisings. However, respondents’ preferences also suggest avenues for policy development for the Union such that it might simultaneously achieve its interests and meet the demands of MENA populations. Throughout, the paper also takes note of specific patterns and conditions found in individual countries which present particular challenges for the EU.
Topic:: International Relations, International Security, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Middle East

59. Perceptions of the EU in MENA Public Opinion. Arab Transformations Policy Brief 2

Author:: Andrea Teti and Pamela Abbott
Publication Date:: 04-2017
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Arab Transformations Project, University of Aberdeen
Abstract:: The EU views itself as a normative actor and stresses the importance of working in partnership with its Southern Neighbourhood in reaching its intertwined goals of security, stability, inclusive development and shared prosperity, and of strengthening democratisation, human rights and the rule of law across the Mediterranean. The Arab Transformations Project public opinion survey carried out in 2014 in six countries – Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia – sheds some light on this on how citizens viewed the EU and its involvement with their own countries, as well as the extent to which they thought EU policies addressed their concerns.
Topic:: International Affairs and International Development
Political Geography:: Europe and Middle East

60. Reviewing the European Neighbourhood Policy

Author:: Selena Florensa
Publication Date:: 09-2017
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: IEMed/EuroMeSCo
Abstract:: This paper is dedicated to answer the Joint Consultation Paper on the ENP review and it refers to the methodological support of an early exercise of the 6th Euromed Survey carried out among EuroMeSCo network experts. With the aim of giving a consistent structure to the many issues addressed by the Joint Consultation Paper, this study was divided into three main chapters. The first chapter tackles the redefinition of the ENP policy framework, which is vital in order to build an instrument coherent with reality, especially in what concerns the geographical scope of the policy, the actors and interlocutors it has to involve and the balance between interests and values. The second chapter is methodological and targets several flaws of the current policy arrangement and tools, while it proposes substantial and detailed changes for a more effective policy through the definition of priority policy areas and the combination of different tools. In the last chapter, key strategic issues on the outset and implementation of the ENP are addressed: a better coordination between Members States and the European Union and between the EEAS and the European Commission is of paramount importance in order to ensure the functioning of the policy.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

61. The EU and Australia: Shared Opportunities and Common Challenges

Author:: Melissa Conley Tyler and Antonia Mochan
Publication Date:: 05-2017
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Australian Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: When Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop and I launched the EU-Australia Leadership Forum – last September in Brussels – she made a passionate case for our friendship, and for a strong and united Europe. She remembered thousands of Australians who died fighting in our continent during the world wars, and the 70 years of peace that a united Europe has made possible for its member states. She celebrated economic prosperity inside Europe, and the European Union’s contribution to a global order based on rules, on cooperation, on sustainable development.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Australia

62. The European Union must effectively develop energy relations with global producers and partners

Author:: Lukáš Tichý
Publication Date:: 10-2017
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Institute of International Relations Prague
Abstract:: There are almost no oil or gas resources in the EU. To strengthen its energy security, the EU has taken a number of measures in its energy policy. Russia is currently the main energy supplier of oil and gas to the EU. In addition, the EU has been developing “energy relations” with existing and potential energy producers from Asia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), sub-Saharan Africa, North America, and Latin America. The European Union should complete the creation of a fully liberalized and interconnected internal market to which energy sources, especially gas, can be delivered effectively from around the world. The EU also has to pursue more efficient relations with its current and, especially, future producers and suppliers of energy.
Topic:: International Affairs and Europe Union
Political Geography:: Europe

63. European Strategic Autonomy: Distant but Irresistible

Author:: Michal Šimečka
Publication Date:: 02-2017
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Institute of International Relations Prague
Abstract:: Under pressure from overlapping crises, writes Michal Šimečka in his newest policy paper, the European Union is embracing a more assertive role in security. The election of Donald Trump has added a further sense of urgency and purpose to EU defence cooperation. The pursuit of European strategic autonomy is not just a matter of upgrading capabilities, building institutions, or re-calibrating EU–NATO cooperation. It is also a struggle to re-invent the EU’s identity. The Czech Republic emerged as a supporter of the new dynamic, but Prague should do more to back its rhetorical support with tangible commitments and policy leadership.
Topic:: International Political Economy and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

64. Refugees in Turkey struggle as border walls grow higher

Author:: Ida Vammen and Hans Lucht
Publication Date:: 12-2017
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:: Since the EU and Turkey sealed a migration deal in 2016, millions of refugees have been living on the fringes in Turkey. Without long-term solutions, they will continue to risk their lives by embarking on new, dangerous routes to Europe.
Topic:: International Affairs and Refugee Crisis
Political Geography:: Europe and Turkey

65. Making sense of Europe’s Southern Neighbourhood: Main Geopolitical and Security Parameters

Author:: Luis Simón and Vivien Pertusot
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Commentary and Analysis
Institution:: Elcano Royal Institute
Abstract:: Europe’s southern neighbourhood is a diverse but interlinked geopolitical ensemble, whose specificities need to be carefully assessed before Europeans devise dedicated security strategies, divide responsibilities and make policy decisions. This exercise in geopolitical scoping seeks to make sense of the main security challenges present in Europe’s broader European neighbourhood, a space encompassing areas as diverse as the Gulf of Guinea, the Sahel, North Africa, the Levant and the Persian Gulf. It identifies (some of) the main sub-regions that make up the ‘South’, offers an overview of the threat environment in each of them and identifies relevant differences as well as common themes. In doing so we aim to provide a conceptual referent for further policy research on the security of Europe’s ‘South’, and to help inform future strategic and policy discussions within the EU, NATO and their Member States.
Topic:: International Security, International Affairs, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Europe and Global Focus

66. Is Brexit an opportunity to reform the European Parliament?

Author:: Robert Kalcik and Guntram Wolff
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Bruegel
Abstract:: Brexit offers a political opportunity for the European Parliament to reform the allocation of seats to member states. This Policy Contribution explores different options for reform and their implications for equality of representation and distribution of seats to countries, within the constraints set by the EU treaties.
Topic:: International Organization, International Affairs, Political Theory, European Union, Democracy, and Brexit
Political Geography:: Europe

67. The US’ special relationships in Europe

Author:: Mikkel Runge Olesen and Matthew Hinds
Publication Date:: 01-2017
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:: The election of Donald Trump as US president was met with considerable unease in Europe. This has not least been the case among those who, like the UK and Denmark, consider themselves among America’s closest allies. In the policy brief, Matthew Hinds and Mikkel Runge Olesen take stock of the US special relationships in Europe – large and small. In the policy brief they discuss both the classical “Special Relationship” between the US and the UK, as well as the US-Danish relationship, as an example of a small power that has chosen to give the relationship to the superpower premium priority. Hinds and Runge Olesen find that Trump may destabilize relations, but also that he may open up for new opportunities as well – especially for the UK.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Britain, America, and Europe

68. Beyond the Central Eurasian Pivot?

Author:: Michael Tierney
Publication Date:: 08-2016
Content Type:: Journal Article
Journal:: Journal of Military and Strategic Studies
Institution:: Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies
Abstract:: Central Eurasia has long been an area that occupies utmost geostrategic importance inthe international system. Scholars throughout the 20th century identified Central Eurasia as the singlemost pivotal area for powerful states to gain influence and control. Their theories were based upon the fact that the region contained vast natural resources, a large population, high economic potential, and was geographically situated in a location strategically important for all world powers. As aresult, Central Eurasia’s importance in international affairs influenced geostrategic thinking during the inter-war years into WWII, the Cold War, and the post-Cold War era. Yet the shift in power that has occurred globally in recent years has caused scholars to signal the emergence of a new multipolar world. Some scholars have additionally hypothesized that there will be new geostrategic pivot states and regions located outside of Central Eurasia as a result. This study uses both historical and contemporary literature from the field of geopolitics to construct a list of potential pivots in the current international system. It then compares potential new pivot areas to the traditional Central Eurasian region using the variables listed above. The study finds that there are in fact comparable geostrategic pivots located outside of the Central Eurasian region in the contemporary international system. The implications of these findings are then discussed in the context of geostrategy and international security.
Topic:: Cold War, International Affairs, Natural Resources, Geopolitics, and World War II
Political Geography:: Europe, Eurasia, Asia, and Central Eurasia

69. Trouble on the tracks: Averting the Turkey-EU ‘train wreck’

Author:: Asli Aydıntaşbaş
Publication Date:: 11-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Abstract:: With the European Parliament decision to “freeze” accession talks, Turkey’s decades-long engagement with Europe is in crisis. In 2016 Turkey-EU relations took a step forward, with a historic deal on refugee resettlement, but also a step back, with a sweeping crackdown in the wake of the failed 15 July coup and global criticism of Turkey’s human rights situation. Instead of populism and resentment, both Europe and Turkey need to develop “strategic patience” to anchor Turkey to Europe. Turkey’s history has been an ebb and flow between Westernisation and nativist reaction. It is important for the EU to think long-term about Turkey. One way to bypass the current impasse might be to offer Ankara an upgraded customs union, with political benchmarks for market access. Despite tensions, Turkey and the European Council should think about their shared interests and high degree of integration to avert a “train-wreck”.
Topic:: International Security and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Turkey

70. EU differentiation and the push for peace in Israel-Palestine

Author:: Hugh Lovatt
Publication Date:: 10-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Abstract:: The adoption and streamlining of differentiation measures represents a unique and effective European contribution towards Israeli-Palestinian peace at a time in which the Middle East Peace Process in its current configuration has failed. Differentiation disincentives Israel’s illegal acquisition of territory and re-affirms the territorial basis of a two-state solution. It also feeds an Israeli debate over national priorities by framing the negative consequences that Israel will face in its bilateral relations if it continues its annexation of Palestinian territory. Despite Israeli efforts to erode consensus within the EU, differentiation continues to receive broad support among member states. EU officials must allow the correct, full, and effective implementation of existing legislation and policy positions relating to Israeli settlements European entities engaging in financial activity with Israeli settlements – even indirectly – could face serious legal, financial and reputational risks. The EU and its member states should offer more advice on the consequences of doing business with settlement-related entities.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Israel

71. Not a Leap but a Step in the Right Direction: Mogherini’s Structural and Personnel Reform of the EU’s Diplomatic Service

Author:: Tereza Novotná
Publication Date:: 03-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Europeum Institute for European Policy
Abstract:: Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief, has recently been praised for mediating the Iran nuclear deal. However, policy action (or inaction) should not be the only metric by which to judge Mogherini’s successes and failures. Any High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice- President of the European Commission (HRVP) is also responsible for the effective organization and management of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and its officials. The importance of this issue lies in the fact that it is the EEAS personnel who prepares HRVP’s foreign policy proposals and represents the EU in third countries.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

72. Should We Upgrade the V4-Turkey Dialogue?

Author:: Lucia Najšlová
Publication Date:: 06-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Europeum Institute for European Policy
Abstract:: At a time when the Visegrad Group (V4) is becoming a more ambitious regional bloc, several policymakers and analysts have floated the idea of deepening a dialogue with Turkey, a country of tremendous importance for the EU, and one that is enjoying unprecedented interest of policymakers, business circles and publics at large.2 Perhaps this should not come as a surprise – although the V4’s approach to the refugee crisis left some Western EU leaders questioning whether accepting the Eastern Europeans in the 2004 enlargement was a mistake – the V4 has a track-record of constructive engagement in the EU neighborhoods, and consistent support for further enlargement, including Turkey’s accession.
Topic:: International Cooperation and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Turkey

73. The Juncker Plan 2.0 : the Belgian view

Author:: Fabian Willermain and Quentin Genard
Publication Date:: 10-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: A few weeks after the presentation by the European Commission of ‘Juncker Plan 2.0’, it is high time to look back at what has so far been achieved by the earlier version of the Juncker Plan – and how well it has worked for Belgium.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

74. Plan B after Brexit – What Britain can expect negotiating a Swiss-type arrangement with the EU

Author:: Jacqueline Breidlid and Cenni Najy
Publication Date:: 06-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: For those wishing to see the UK exit from the EU, Switzerland has become a poster child, an example of how a country outside the EU can retain access to the EU’s internal market, thereby flourishing economically, and yet retaining its sovereignty and independence. But can a similar arrangement to that of Switzerland really provide a suitable alternative – a “Plan B” – for the UK’s relationship with the EU? With the referendum providing potential exit for the UK from the EU rapidly approaching, a Swiss-type plan B deserves some serious consideration. This paper examines the central claims made by those who see Switzerland as a model for the UK’s future relationship with the EU and argues that the Swiss model is no Holy Grail for the UK.
Topic:: International Affairs and Brexit
Political Geography:: Europe

75. Forgotten lessons for the Eurozone

Author:: John Ryan
Publication Date:: 05-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: A Monetary Union is one where there is a single fiat currency with a single monetary authority (a central bank). It also has a single interest and exchange rate, and a single legal entity responsible for issuing that currency across a geographic area. This combination of features required for a true monetary union suggests that many previous monetary unions, including the Latin Monetary Union (LMU) and the Scandinavian Monetary Union (SMU) were not proper monetary unions as such, while the Austro-Hungarian Monetary Union (AHMU) was and the Eurozone is.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

76. The rise of single motherhood in the EU: analysis and propositions

Author:: Sophie Heine
Publication Date:: 05-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: This paper will address a rising issue within the EU – the increase of single parent families. Firstly, we will draw a general picture of the disadvantages faced by single parents and outline the possible causes of this phenomenon. Secondly, we will attempt to sketch possible alternative solutions that could inspire policymakers at the national and European levels. Both in our analysis and recommendations, we will put a particular emphasis on the dynamic role played by norms and representations.
Topic:: International Affairs and Global Political Economy
Political Geography:: Europe

77. What To Do With the UK? EU perspectives on Brexit

Author:: Charles Wyplosz
Publication Date:: 10-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:: The negotiating table is almost set for Britain’s exit from the European Union. In recent months, the Brexit debate has been primarily focused on the UK’s future position within Europe. Little has been discussed about how this decision will affect the remaining 27 member states. With a preliminary date of March 2017 chosen to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, now is the time to begin formally discussing the challenges that both the UK and EU will face during negotiations.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

78. Slovakia: (Re)Discovering of the international crisis management

Author:: Samuel Goda
Publication Date:: 04-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:: The security environment in “wider Europe” has changed significantly in recent years. Depending on one’s preferences, a wide range of milestones may be named – the airstrikes in Yugoslavia, the 9/11 attacks, the Madrid attacks, the war in Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq, etc. In this study, however, the main issue we are addressing is the Ukrainian crisis (or war), Ukraine being our direct neighbor and a country of special interest – and this being the issue, according to a wide range of experts, that has had the most impact on the region’s security in decades.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

79. Relations Between Russia and Europe: No Simple Solutions in Sight

Author:: S. Karaganov
Publication Date:: 12-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: East View Information Services
Abstract:: The Crisis between Russia and the West is associated with Crimea and Russia’s actions in Donbass and Ukraine; in fact, it has deeper roots while its long-term repercussions might prove to be much graver than expect- ed. a large-scale armed clash cannot be excluded even if this possibility is gradually reducing; we should be ready to political confrontation and contracted economic ties. Today, Europe is facing an even greater threat: a civilizational divorce with Russia.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Russia and Europe

80. An “Atomized Caliphate” in Europe

Author:: Armen Oganesyan
Publication Date:: 12-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: East View Information Services
Abstract:: A part of the western world, Europe, however, has been very selective about alien cultures and civilizations; not a “melting pot” american style, it is paying dearly for this function imposed on it. The disagreements on the migration issues in the european corridors of power threaten the cohesion of the european Unity. Frau Merkel who demon- strated a no mean determination to meet a new wave of migrants with maximal openness and tolerance had already accepted the failure of mul- ticulturalism. This means that Berlin has no answer to the question about how to cope with the migrants who have arrived in thousands and mil- lions to europe to stay.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

81. The EU’s Policy Response to the Uprisings

Author:: Andrea Teti
Publication Date:: 04-2016
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Arab Transformations Project, University of Aberdeen
Abstract:: The EU claimed it would learn the lessons of the Arab Uprisings with a ‘qualitative step forward’ in its approach to development, democracy, and security. However, an examination of the conceptual structure of revised EU Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) suggests EU policy changed little, and that in later incarnations it displayed a retrenchment towards conventional notions of democracy, development, and security, prioritising the latter over the former two. The Union seems to have failed to re-examine its approach to democracy, development, and security, falling back on approaches to all three which have been tried – and have failed – in the past.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Middle East

82. V Informe sobre El estado de la Unión Europea 2016: La encrucijada política de Europa

Author:: Fundación Alternativas
Publication Date:: 06-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:: Informe en español. Versión pasapáginas aquí.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

83. The state of the European Union 2016: Europe at the political crossroads

Author:: Fundación Alternativas
Publication Date:: 06-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:: The 4th Report on the State of the European Union –”Europe at the political crossroads”– is published as a contribution to a campaign to relaunch the EU, motivated by the belief that the serious problems with which the Union is currently grappling can only be resolved if we address the political challenges it faces. The publication of this report coincides with perhaps the most difficult moment for the Union since its creation. With the EU still struggling to overcome the drastic impact of the economic crisis, it is threatened by the storm clouds of another recession or, at the very least, weak growth.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

84. Informe sobre sostenibilidad en España 2016: hoja de ruta hacia un modelo sostenible

Author:: Ana Belén Sánchez
Publication Date:: 05-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:: Hace unos años propuse que entre los Informes que la Fundación Alternativas dedica a los grandes temas de nuestro país y de Europa –la Democracia, la Desigualdad, la Unión Europea, la Cultura– no podía faltar uno consagrado a la Sostenibilidad.
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

85. Czech-German Relations: A Dialogue in Place of Strategy, in Hope of Strategy and in Need of Strategy

Author:: Benjamin Tallis
Publication Date:: 12-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Institute of International Relations Prague
Abstract:: The Czech-German Strategic Dialogue has been hailed as a significant upgrading of relations between the two countries. However, while it holds great potential, the dialogue mainly covers practical or tactical cooperation and is currently lacking in real strategic content. This deficit reflects a wider lack of strategic convergence between the partners and requires political, rather than bureaucratic action to address it. Doing so will require a larger shift in foreign policy thinking and action, particularly on the Czech side," writes Benjamin Tallis in his newest policy paper
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

86. Migration: A Crisis Europe Can’t Keep Out

Author:: Benjamin Tallis
Publication Date:: 12-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Institute of International Relations Prague
Abstract:: Difficulties in persuading EU Member States (EUMS) to act in solidarity with each other – or with refugees – have led to a focus on the ‘external dimensions’ of the migration crisis. This has created a misleading impression of the crisis as external to, rather created by, the EU and EUMS. Equally misleadingly, this framing suggests that the crisis can be dealt with outside, rather within the EU – generally by trying to stop the flow of migrants to Europe. This policy paper challenges this framing and argues that the migration crisis is one of Europe’s own making – and one which must be addressed, primarily, at home," writes Benjamin Tallis in his new policy paper on migration.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

87. Czech Strategic Partnerships: A Practice in Need of a Vision

Author:: Michal Šimečka and Benjamin Tallis
Publication Date:: 09-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Institute of International Relations Prague
Abstract:: The concept of a strategic partnership is gaining prominence in Czech diplomatic practice, but its meaning and implications remain inadequately understood. The policy paper seeks to redress the situation by unpacking the concept and building a framework for understanding strategic partnerships in the Czech context. It argues that while it is not necessary to construct a rigorous definition, more coherence and clarity is needed for strategic partnerships to serve as a meaningful instrument of Czech foreign policy.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

88. Success or Failure? Assessment of the Readmission Agreement Between the EU and Turkey from the Legal and Political Perspectives

Author:: Berfin Nur Osso
Publication Date:: 10-2016
Content Type:: Commentary and Analysis
Institution:: Institute of International Relations Prague
Abstract:: The discussion paper by Berfin Nur Osso, former intern at the Institute of International Relations Prague and a senior undergraduate student at the Koç University in Istanbul majoring in Law and minoring in International Relations, focuses on the assessment of the readmission agreement between the EU and Turkey.
Topic:: International Affairs and Europe Union
Political Geography:: Europe and Turkey

89. Back from the Brink Toward Restraint and Dialogue between Russia and the West

Author:: William Perry and Deep Cuts Commission
Publication Date:: 06-2016
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: The Brookings Institution
Abstract:: This report contains a number of bold proposals on how to better manage relations between the West and Russia in order to avert worst-case scenarios. Specifying that cooperative solutions are pos- sible without giving up on the fundamental interests of each side, it warrants a close look by officials in both Moscow and Washington.
Topic:: International Relations, International Cooperation, International Security, International Affairs, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Russia, America, Europe, and Global Focus

90. The Role of the European Parliament: Between External and Internal Challenges

Author:: Tuomas Iso-Markku
Publication Date:: 11-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: As a result of the Spitzenkandidaten process, the relationship between the European Parliament and the European Commission – and particularly their leaders – has strengthened. This inter- institutional connection also has a party-political dimension, being intrinsically linked to the emergence of a ‘grand coalition’ between the two biggest groups of the EP. However, in an EU beset by crises, the political agenda is firmly under the control of the member states and the European Council, which makes it difficult for the EP to take advantage of its closer relationship with the Commission, as the latter acts very cautiously.
Topic:: International Organization, International Affairs, Democracy, and Europe Union
Political Geography:: Europe

91. FROM EU STRATEGY TO DEFENCE SERIES EU Strategy and European Defence What Level of Ambition?

Author:: Luis Simon
Publication Date:: 11-2016
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations
Abstract:: The global proliferation of precision-strike systems and the concomitant emergence of anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) capabilities challenges the foundations of Western global military-technological supremacy. What does this mean for current EU debates on military ambition? This policy brief argues that the assumption of the freedom of (military) access and movement, which has guided European strategic thinking since the end of the Cold War, is no longer valid. Europeans should get to grips with the new military-strategic paradigm and translate this into an updated ambition level and related capabilities.
Topic:: International Affairs, Military Strategy, Military Affairs, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:: Europe and European Union

92. Crisis – Order – Europe: Germany Steps Up

Author:: Gary Soroka
Publication Date:: 07-2015
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI)
Abstract:: Germany recently issued the results of a year-long review of foreign policy titled “Crisis – Order - Europe”. The principal conclusions are: crises - unpredictable and dangerous - are the new norm; the multilateral system is unable to meet the demands placed upon it; and Germany’s relationship with Europe has to be factored into every major policy discussion. The German Foreign Ministry will be restructured to improve policy development and delivery in these three areas. The wider context for the review is that the traditional foreign policy heavyweights within Europe - France and Britain - are not able or willing to play the role they used to, while the USA is overstretched in a number of global hot spots and so Germany must assume greater responsibility. The German population, however, fears that deeper engagement on “hard” security issues could drag the country into foreign conflicts, and so a major effort will be made to build public support for a German international role commensurate with its growing economic and political power.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, International Affairs, Conflict, and Multilateralism
Political Geography:: Europe and Germany

93. Letting Lotus Bloom

Author:: Ann Hertogen
Publication Date:: 10-2015
Content Type:: Journal Article
Abstract:: In an increasingly interdependent world, state sovereignty is inherently limited in order to protect the equal sovereignty of other states. However, identifying the precise constraints on states is a different and far more difficult question. The traditional answer is found in the Lotus principle, which consecrates a freedom to act unless explicitly prohibited by international law. The principle has rightly come under attack because of its incompatibility with the needs of a modern international community. This is usually followed by calls to disregard the precedential value of the Permanent Court of International Justice’s Lotus judgment on which it is based. This article defends the Lotus judgment but argues that the principle is the wrong reading of the majority opinion and that it fails to create the right conditions for interstate co-existence and cooperation, the twin goals of international law identified by the majority. The article then examines the meaning of ‘co-existence’ for contemporary international law and weighs the principle of ‘locality’ as an additional criterion that ought to be considered when resolving conflicting claims of jurisdiction.
Topic:: International Law, Sovereignty, International Affairs, and Courts
Political Geography:: Europe, Turkey, and France

94. The EU approach to Gender: Limitations and alternatives

Author:: Sophie Heine
Publication Date:: 12-2015
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: EGMONT - The Royal Institute for International Relations
Abstract:: For several decades, the European Union has been at the forefront of significant progress in the struggle towards equality between women and men, among others in the fight against sex-based discriminations. The contemporary EU approach to gender has however become much more interested in representations and social norms. This paper analyses this stance and highlights its deficiencies – more specifically, it looks at the flaws entailed in an excessive focus on “gender
Topic:: Gender Issues and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

95. Mapping out vulnerable sectors in the Eastern Partnership countries – structural change, Visegrad experience and relevance for EU policy

Author:: Vitaliy Kravchuk, Malgorzata McKenzie, and Mykola Ryzhenkov
Publication Date:: 08-2015
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:: This is the first report of the project on vulnerable sectors in the Eastern Partnership (EP) countries. Its aim is to provide a macroeconomic setting for future structural reports. It also provides a toolkit for the sectoral reports in the sense that it offers a set of macroeconomic points of reference.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

96. The Challenges of the Mediterranean Urban Agenda

Author:: Med Confederation
Publication Date:: 09-2015
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: IEMed/EuroMeSCo
Abstract:: This document, "The Challenges of the Mediterranean Urban Agenda: the importance of an innovative urban planning, social inclusiveness and private-public parterships development", is the result of the high-level working group on the challenges of the urban agenda in the Mediterranean, which was held on the 15th and 16th December 2014 at Foment del Treball Nacional (Barcelona). On this occasion, more than 30 international experts discussed proposals that could contribute to the improvement of the urban development policies and social inclusion in the cities of the Mediterranean region. During the working group, it was mentioned that more than 80% of global wealth is generated in the cities. It was agreed that in order to finance infrastructure and services it is important that the private sector commits to cooperate with the public administration. The importance of optimising the public transport network from an energy efficiency point of view because cities consume two thirds of the world energy was also noted. Finally, it was highlighted that the creation of urban spaces for interaction and support for young entrepreneurs and platforms that allow knowledge sharing are critical to promote social integration and jobs.>
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

97. Financial Reforms in the Mediterranean: Ideas and Policies to Inspire Change

Author:: Selena Florensa
Publication Date:: 09-2015
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: IEMed/EuroMeSCo
Abstract:: This document is the result of the high level working group of the MED Confederation on financial reform held on the 16th and 17th of June 2014 in Promos – Milan Chamber of Commerce. On that occasion, more than 30 international experts debated how to reform the banking sector in the Mediterranean neighbourhood as a key need to better contribute to the socioeconomic and business development of these economies. They also analysed how to improve the performance and impact of private equity in these countries to consolidate their development and their international cooperation. Finally, mobile banking was the third financial segment studied as a way of improving financial inclusion in these societies.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

98. Informe sobre el estado de la Unión Europea: nueva legislatura: 11 desafíos de Europa

Author:: Fundación Alternativas
Publication Date:: 11-2015
Content Type:: Special Report
Institution:: Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:: Este es el cuarto informe sobre el estado de la Unión Europea que la Fundación Alternativas y la Fundación Friedrich Ebert elaboramos conjuntamente y que hemos titulado en esta ocasión Nueva legislatura: 11 desafíos de Europa. El motivo de haber elegido este título radica en el hecho de que recientemente se han celebrado las elecciones al Parlamento Europeo, se ha elegido una nueva Comisión, y nuevos presidentes de esta última institución y del Consejo Europeo. Estamos pues ante una nueva legislatura y con ella iniciamos una nueva fase en el devenir de la Unión en un momento decisivo del proceso de construcción de nuestra querida Europa
Topic:: International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe

99. Horror, hubris and humanity: the international engagement with Africa, 1914-2014

Author:: Richard Reid
Publication Date:: 02-2014
Content Type:: Journal Article
Institution:: Chatham House
Abstract:: This article was commissioned as a contribution to the 90th anniversary issue of International Affairs , and it seems appropriate to note at the outset the prominent place that Africa has occupied in the pages of the journal since the 1920s. Indeed, a list of authors who have written for it reads as a roll-call of modern African history, in terms of both protagonists and analysts, and I doubt whether any specialist Africanist journal can boast a comparable line-up. A handful of examples may suffice. From the era of European colonial rule, Frederick, Lord Lugard, wrote in 1927 on the putative challenges confronting colonial administrators of 'equatorial' Africa, and Lord Hailey, in 1947, on the issues involved in 'native administration' more broadly; notably, the African perspective on these questions was provided in a piece in 1951 by the eminent Tswana political figure of the early and middle twentieth century, Tshekedi Khama. Former colonial governor Sir Andrew Cohen assessed the place of the new African nations within the UN in a 1960 article. A later generation of African nationalist leaders, the founders and shapers of the continent in its first flush of independence, is also represented: of particular note are pieces on the prospects for the continent by the Tunisian leader Habib Bourguiba and by the Senegalese poet and politician Leopold Senghor, in 1961 and 1962 respectively. And then there are the analysts and commentators, some of whom have become the stuff of legend for the author's own generation: Lucy Mair, Ali Mazrui and Colin Legum, to name but three.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Africa and Europe

100. Growing Antisemitism And Anti-Jewish Hatred In The Netherlands

Author:: Barry Rubin
Publication Date:: 02-2014
Content Type:: Journal Article
Journal:: Middle East Review of International Affairs
Institution:: Global Research in International Affairs Center, Interdisciplinary Center
Abstract:: This article discusses increasing anti-Jewish hatred in the Netherlands, in particular due to the growing Muslim immigrant population there. Though the Dutch government has been traditionally friendly to Israel and there has been proportionately less antisemitism there compared to in other European countries, shocking slanders appear about Israel in the mainstream Dutch media and there has also been an academic boycott of Israel. In addition, Dutch politicians have been afraid to address this rising antisemitism and anti-Jewish hatred for fear of losing the Muslim vote. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Jews to remain in the country, making the future of the Dutch Jewish community uncertain.
Topic:: International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe, Israel, and Netherlands

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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS