Foreign policy & defence

Error message

Notice: Trying to get property 'vocabulary_machine_name' of non-object in _cer_topics_taxonomy_term_page_view() (line 104 of /var/www/vhosts/cer_live/site/sites/all/modules/custom/cer_topics/cer_topics.module).
The EU and Iran: How to make conditional engagement work

The EU and Iran: How to make conditional engagement work

Steven Everts
19 December 2008
The IAEA's decision to censure Iran for its nuclear activities but also to give Tehran time to co-operate with inspectors creates a breathing space. The EU should use it to put forward a broader set of policies, fleshing out the political and economic incentives it is offering Tehran, while making...
Why Ukraine matters to Europe

Why Ukraine matters to Europe

Tomas Valasek
05 December 2008
Until the war in Georgia in August 2008, the EU had taken stability beyond its eastern border for granted. Now it will need to become more active in this volatile region, in which Ukraine is the largest and most important country.
The EU takes on defence procurement

The EU takes on defence procurement

Clara Marina O'Donnell
28 November 2008
The EU is in the middle of a little noticed – but potentially important – debate about defence markets. For the first time, the European Commission could be authorised to help reduce barriers amongst the EU’s segmented national defence markets.
What Europe wants from President Obama

What Europe wants from President Obama

Tomas Valasek
27 November 2008
Barack Obama was the preferred candidate of most Europeans. He will have Europe's goodwill and with it, a window of opportunity to restore transatlantic co-operation on key security issues. Whether he succeeds will depend in part on the president-elect's willingness to try out new approaches to key foreign policy challenges.
Russia, China and the Georgia dimension

Russia, China and the Georgia dimension

Bobo Lo
01 October 2008
Russia’s relations with the West today are more problematic than at any time since the fall of the Berlin Wall. With talk of a new Cold War and of parallels with the great power rivalries that preceded the First World War, Moscow’s ‘strategic partnership’ with Beijing has been out of...
The Arab-Israeli conflict: France's dashed hopes

The Arab-Israeli conflict: France's dashed hopes

Clara Marina O'Donnell
03 September 2008
During a trip to Israel in August, the only optimists I met were French diplomats. The reason for their upbeat mood? Ambitious plans by President Sarkozy for the EU to advance the Middle East peace process – including a controversial proposal that the EU should take the lead in creating an international peacekeeping force which could replace the Israeli army in the West Bank as part of a peace deal. But in the current inauspicious environment, can France, which currently holds the EU presidency, really help to move things forward and allow the EU to play a bigger role in the peace process? ...
What does the war in Georgia mean for EU foreign policy?

What does the war in Georgia mean for EU foreign policy?

Tomas Valasek
15 August 2008
The war in Georgia divided the European Union instead of uniting it. Some member-states condemned Russia and gave (non-military) aid to the Georgian government; others accused Tbilisi of provoking the war.
Farewell, Polish plumber

Farewell, Polish plumber

Philip Whyte
07 August 2008
When the EU expanded its membership in 2004, the UK was one of only three EU countries – Ireland and Sweden were the others – fully to open its borders to migrants from the ten new member states.
The EU will want more from Serbia than arrests

The EU will want more from Serbia than arrests

Tomas Valasek
25 July 2008
On July 21st 2008, Serbian security agents hauled Radovan Karadzic off a bus in Belgrade and took him into custody. The long-wanted wartime leader of the Bosnian Serbs now awaits extradition to the International War Crimes Tribunal (ICTY) in The Hague, where he stands accused of crimes against humanity for his role in the 1992-95 Bosnia war.
Ukraine needs new politicians

Ukraine needs new politicians

22 July 2008
Ukraine is heading for an economic crash. At least that was the message I picked up in the Crimean resort of Yalta earlier this month, at the 'Yalta European Strategy' conference.
The latest Euro-Med jamboree

The latest Euro-Med jamboree

Clara Marina O'Donnell
16 July 2008
On July 13th 2008, President Sarkozy, surrounded by 42 EU and Mediterranean leaders, launched his pet project, the Union for the Mediterranean. The Paris summit was a success.
Can the EU thaw frozen conflicts

Can the EU thaw frozen conflicts

Tomas Valasek
30 June 2008
The Czech government floated proposals in May that would see the EU take a more active role in solving frozen conflicts in eastern Europe. The Czechs hold the EU’s rotating presidency next year, so their wish may become reality.
Willing and able? EU defence in 2020

Willing and able? EU defence in 2020

Daniel Keohane, Tomas Valasek
02 June 2008
Demand for military forces is growing. And the Europeans increasingly turn to the EU when in need of troops for peacekeeping or for delivering humanitarian aid. But will the EU be able to keep up with the demand?
What Arab countries think of democracy

What Arab countries think of democracy

Clara Marina O'Donnell
21 May 2008
Earlier this month, the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI) presented its first report on the state of democratic reform in the Arab world. ARI is a consortium of a dozen leading Arab research institutes which try to promote peaceful democratic reform across the Middle East (CER and a few other non-Arab think-tanks are associated with the initiative).
France, NATO and European defence

France, NATO and European defence

Tomas Valasek
12 May 2008
France and the UK are close to an agreement that would dramatically improve relations EU and NATO. The two institutions currently make poor partners. Besides Franco-disagreements, Turkish squabbles with the EU also impede EU-NATO co-operation.
France finds a friend in Ukraine

France finds a friend in Ukraine

Tomas Valasek
02 May 2008
The government of Nicolas Sarkozy has launched a charm offensive towards Ukraine. French diplomats in Brussels have begun saying that Ukraine should have a ‘privileged’ status with the EU.
Turkey's turmoil, the EU's reaction

Turkey's turmoil, the EU's reaction

Katinka Barysch
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

The EU, Israel and Hamas

Clara Marina O'Donnell
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

For a new Iran policy

Christoph Bertram
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.
Bulletin issue 59

Issue 59 - 2008

Hugo Brady, Philip Whyte, Christoph Bertram
28 March 2008