Foreign policy & defence
Turkey's turmoil, the EU's reaction
10 April 2008
Political turmoil is nothing new in Turkey. After six years of unusual stability, tensions have mounted since early 2007. The army threatened to topple the AKP government in case it made Abdullah Gul president.
The EU, Israel and Hamas
04 April 2008
The US has embarked on a new attempt to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict, backed by wide international support. But the situation on the ground between Israel and the Palestinians is so bad that peace looks out of reach for now.
For a new Iran policy
01 April 2008
For almost six years now the West has tried – and failed – to stop the Iranian nuclear programme. Instead, nuclear enrichment has become a matter of Iranian national pride and sovereignty.
Issue 59 - 2008
28 March 2008
- Liberal reforms are no threat to social Europe, Philip Whyte
- For a new Iran policy, Christoph Bertram
- Applicants sought for new Council president, Hugo Brady
The Czechs in the EU: In the middle of the class
10 March 2008
On a recent visit to Prague, people kept asking me how the Czech Republic was doing as EU member-state, and whether it was a successful member.
Kosovo - the economic dilemma
29 February 2008
Now that Kosovo’s independence party is over, the hard work begins. Despite the efforts of the UN and the EU, the institutions of government remain fragile, corruption is rife, and organised crime is a problem.
The Egypt-Gaza boarder breach: A wake up call?
08 February 2008
Events on the ground in Israel and Gaza have taken a new turn for the worse. But the latest crisis could lead to a more constructive approach in solving the Middle East stand-off.
Poland’s bold new foreign policy
01 February 2008
For the rest of Europe, the worst thing about Poland’s Law and Justice government, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, was its foreign policy. His approach towards Russia, Germany and (sometimes) the EU – supported by his twin brother, President Lech Kaczynski – was confrontational.
A new phase in EU-Iran diplomacy
25 January 2008
The US caused a small earthquake in the foreign policy circles when it announced, in November 2007, that it believes that Iran is no longer producing nuclear weapons.
Issue 58 - 2008
25 January 2008
- My five ideas for Europe's future, Nick Butler
- Bad omens loom over Irish referendum, Hugo Brady
- Poland’s bold new foreign policy, Charles Grant
The roadmap to better EU-NATO relations
20 December 2007
President Sarkozy has recently said that France may re-integrate into NATO's military command. This abrupt change in French policy opens doors to a much-needed improvement in EU-NATO relations.
Preparing for the multipolar world: European foreign and security policy in 2020
18 December 2007
The world is becoming increasingly multipolar. Will that mean democratic poles lining up against autocracies, in two competing camps? Or will all the leading powers support multilateral institutions?
Turkey's role in European energy security
12 December 2007
Turkey – located between big energy producers and the EU market – is crucial for Europe’s energy security. However, plans for the Nabucco pipeline as an alternative to Russian gas supplies are in trouble.
The EU must stand firm on Bosnia
03 December 2007
The EU’s inability to halt the Bosnian civil war of 1992-95 marked the nadir of its attempts to build an effective foreign policy. Eventually the Americans helped the Europeans stitch Bosnia back together, at the Dayton peace conference.
Europe’s defence and its new security strategy
03 December 2007
The European Union is starting work on a new security strategy. France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, wants it approved in the second half of 2008, during his country’s EU presidency.
Issue 57 - 2008
30 November 2007
- Politics, Sarkozy and the euro, Philip Whyte
- Europe’s defence and its new security strategy, Tomas Valasek
- The EU must stand firm on Bosnia, Charles Grant, Tomas Valasek
Bringing Syria into the Middle East peace process
23 November 2007
The nearer the Annapolis conference comes, the less it looks likely to deliver peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The weakness of the key actors and the current conditions on the ground in the Palestinian territories offer little reason for optimism.
The US elections and Europe: The coming crisis of high expectations
01 November 2007
The election of a new US president in 2008 offers an opportunity to repair US-European relations. But, as Kori Schake argues in this essay, both sides must guard against high expectations.
A grand bargain with Russia?
19 October 2007
Relations between the Russia and the West have not been so prickly since the break-up of the Soviet Union. Viewed from the US and the EU, Russia is being obstructive across a whole swathe of issues, such as its blockade of trade with Georgia, its refusal to accept independence for Kosovo, and its opposition to further UN sanctions on Iran.
What now, Ukraine?
05 October 2007
Ukrainians voters have spoken, sort of. On September 30th, they elected a new parliament. They made some heartening choices, backing forces of reform and sidelining smaller, less relevant parties.