Foreign policy & defence
Ukraine turns away from democracy and the EU
15 October 2010
Ukraine is turning inwards and becoming increasingly authoritarian. The new president, Viktor Yanukovich, has taken steps to muzzle independent media, harass critics and sideline the opposition.
Europe and the Middle East - perspectives on Major Policy Issues: What does the future hold for the EU’s efforts in the Middle East?
08 October 2010
Al Siyassa Al Dawliya/European Commission
The Middle East has been a region of major importance to the EU for decades; however, member-states have struggled to fulfil their objectives of supporting peace, prosperity and good governance amongst their southern neighbours.
The midterm elections, Europe and US foreign policy
01 October 2010
Though Barack Obama remains popular in Europe, he has his detractors there, particularly among foreign policy professionals.
Issue 74 - 2010
24 September 2010
- The political consequences of the euro crisis, Katinka Barysch
- The midterm elections, Europe and US foreign policy, Tomas Valasek
- The EU's new supervisory architecture - evolution or revolution?, Philip Whyte
Turkish politics and the fading magic of EU enlargement
07 September 2010
Open hostility towards Turkish accession in some EU countries has made it hard for Turkish politicians to continue preparing the country for membership.
How should Europe respond to sovereign investors in its defence sector?
01 September 2010
A small number of sovereign investors, sometimes originating from non-democratic states, are buying shares in European aerospace and defence companies.
Who is winning Eastern Europe's great game?
19 July 2010
The US is withdrawing from the former Soviet space; the European Union struggles to be taken seriously there. Does that leave Russia free to strengthen its influence in the countries around its borders? Not necessarily, for the situation in the region is complex.
Membership for Russia a step too far for NATO?
08 July 2010
There are growing signs that Russia’s relations with NATO are on the mend. Senior Russian thinkers, some close to the government, have been cautiously talking up the possibility of Russia joining the alliance, as have several western officials and think-tanks (including the CER.)
A transatlantic defence market, forever elusive?
01 July 2010
Despite close political and military ties across the Atlantic, defence markets are fragmented by burdensome export controls and government reluctance to buy equipment from abroad.
NATO, new allies and reassurance
12 May 2010
NATO spends too little time thinking about potential conflicts close to home and developing the means to react. Some of its members – mostly in Central and Eastern Europe – worry that the alliance would not be able to come to their defence in a crisis.
Human rights cannot be a luxury in Afghanistan
07 May 2010
The Afghans with whom I worked in Bamyan province, Afghanistan, often asked me why foreigners were so concerned about the destruction of historical monuments yet seemingly so indifferent to the human suffering that occurred.
Should the Nabucco pipeline project be shelved?
05 May 2010
Nabucco - a pipeline to bring Caspian and perhaps Middle Eastern gas to Europe - is the flagship project of the EU's fledgling energy diplomacy. Nabucco would add to the EU's energy security, strengthen its neighbourhood policies and improve relations with Turkey.
The EU must deliver on its commitment to Pakistan
01 April 2010
In April 2010 the EU will hold its second summit with Pakistan. The EU started holding these summits last year, as part of an effort to address security threats stemming from the country, especially the Islamist militants who use it as a safe haven to undermine the allied war effort...
Building a European external action service: A difficult birth?
05 March 2010
TGAE report
In foreign policy terms, the EU’s global partners often have to deal with the competing external relations bureaucracies of the European Commission, the EU’s Council Secretariat (itself acting separately for both the HR and the six-month EU Presidency) as well as the different diplomatic services of the member states.
Can and should the EU and Russia reset their relationship?
22 February 2010
Russia's oil-fuelled boom has ended and President Medvedev is calling for radical improvements to the economy. Some EU politicians are tempted to offer Russia a 'modernisation partnership' to re-launch the stalled EU-Russia relationship.
Britain explores sharing defence equipment with Europe
15 February 2010
With its public finances under growing strain, Britain may soon be forced to look at saving defence costs by pooling its military assets with those of its allies. The decision will not be taken until after the next general election (which will probably be held in May 2010). In the meantime, however, the issues at stake have been set out in a report published by the ministry of defence on February 3rd.
Germany opens Pandora's box
08 February 2010
In November 2009, the German government called for the removal of all US nuclear weapons from Germany. But Germany should not claim protection from NATO's nuclear umbrella without sharing the risks associated with hosting nuclear weapons.
Pipeline politics: Why Nabucco is stuck
29 January 2010
Last year, plans for the Nabucco pipeline – almost a decade in the making – appeared finally to make some headway. In March, the EU earmarked €200 million for preparatory work.
Can Turkey combine EU accession and regional leadership?
25 January 2010
The looming deadlock in Turkey's EU accession bid stands in contrast with its increasingly active role in the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Some observers worry that Ankara is turning away from the West and is instead pursuing a 'neo-Ottoman' or 'Islamist' foreign policy.
Ukraine and the EU: A vicious circle?
01 December 2009
There is no rule for how a government desiring to join the EU should make its case. But countries that managed to accede in recent years had done so by observing a few simple guidelines: cultivate friends among EU governments, be prepared to make painful sacrifices and, above all, show...