We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.

0.00 €

“Facadization” of Tirana and “cannabization” of Albania

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

The tenth parliamentary elections in Albania since the fall of the communist regime headed by Enver Hoxha in 1991 are due to take place on 25 April 2021. At the parliamentary elections 140 members of the Parliament will be elected in 12 multimember constituencies through the open-list system and using proportional representation, with a 1% national threshold and allocation of mandates on the basis of the d'Hondt method.

More...

0.00 €

2021 Elections in Bulgaria: Boyko Borisov's “Russian roulette”

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Regular parliamentary elections in the Republic of Bulgaria are due to take place on 4 April 2021. At the elections, 240 representatives/deputies in the Bulgarian National Assembly will be elected according to the proportional system with closed lists. The total number of electoral units is 31. Depending on the size of the electoral unit between four and 16 representatives/deputies get elected from it. The election threshold is 4%.

More...

0.00 €

Vienna process 2021: In times of crisis in Europe the Rule of Law needed more than ever

Author(s): Ivana Lima / Language(s): English

On the historic date of March 08th 2021 (International Women’s Day), a large number of international affairs specialists gathered for the second consecutive summit in Vienna, Austria.[2] Along with the two acting State Presidents, the event wasendorsed by the keynote of the EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood and Enlargement, Excellency Olivér Várhelyi.

More...

0.00 €

2021 Elections in Bulgaria: Bulgarian “assault” on North Macedonia

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

In Bulgaria regular parliamentary elections are due to take place on 4 April 2021. At the elections 240 representatives/deputies in the Bulgarian National Assembly will be elected according to the proportional system with closed lists. In each of a total of 31 election units, between four and 16 representatives/ deputies depending on the size of the election unit will be elected. The election threshold is 4%. Previous elections in Bulgaria saw numerous cases of tampering with electoral rolls, election fraud, massive purchase of votes, unregistered voter ballots, extortion of votes from employees in (public) companies and public administration, modifications of voting protocols, declaring the ballots invalid, etc. However, the most renowned form of election fraud “patented” in Bulgaria is the so-called “Bulgarian train.”

More...

0.00 €

2021 Montenegro: Exporter of Crime to the Region

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

The parliamentary elections in Montenegro, which were held on 30 August 2020, marked the defeat of the 31-year long regime headed by Milo Đukanović and his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). The new government was established on 4 December 2020 and it comprised three coalitions: “For the Future of Montenegro”/Koalicija za budućnost Crne Gore/ 32.55% (133,267), “Peace is Our Nation”/Mir je naša nacija/ 12.53% (51,297) and “Black and White”/Crno na bijelo/ 5.53 (22,649).

More...

0.00 €

New constructivism needed towards Europe's East

Author(s): Eugene Matos de Lara,Audrey Beaulieu / Language(s): English

On the historic date of 0March 08th – International Women’s Day, a large number of international affairs specialists gathered for the second consecutive summit in Vienna, Austria. This leg of the Vienna Process event titled: “Europe – Future – Neighbourhood at 75: Disruptions Recalibration Continuity”. The conference, jointly organized by four different entities (the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies IFIMES, Media Platform Modern Diplomacy, International Scientific Journal European Perspectives, and Action Platform Culture for Peace) with the support of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, was aimed at discussing the future of Europe and its neighbourhood in the wake of its old and new challenges.

More...

0.00 €

2021 North Macedonia: Increased Security Challenges and Threats

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

After long and difficult negotiations in June/July 2015 the political leaders in North Macedonia brokered the Przino agreementand agreed to overcome the deep multiyear political crisis, which was caused by the illegal tapping of more than 20,000 citizens and the plunder by the regime in the amount of more than 5 billion Euros of public money, and then organizedearly parliamentary elections in December 2016 after the fulfillment of specific preconditions. The electoral rolls were “cleansed”as they included a “surplus” of no less than 330,000 voters and appropriate media regulations were established. Specifically, instead of the complete media hegemony of VMRO-DPMNE and the Nikola Gruevski - Sašo Mijalkov duo, all political subjects participating in the elections were given equal access and treatment in the media.

More...

0.00 €

The East European fire arc - an actual danger Romania should take into account

Author(s): Teodor Palade,Corneliu Pivariu / Language(s): English

We are an uncaring people. And, as a people, we are uncaring for we have repeatedly elected the wrong leaders. Moreover, it is widely known that Romania did not come up in the last decades with a single high standard politician. Not a single one! Beguiled by the petty indigenous bickering raised by the stakeholders to frightening dimensions and blinded by meaningless appearances, we do not care we are surrounded by complicated conflicted situations, dormant or active, each of them with real potential of generating at any moment devastating armed clashes.

More...

0.00 €

Turkey 2021: Is Turkey returning to the old electoral system?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated at the press conference on 1 February 2021 that preparations have started to draft the new constitution. “It is time for Turkey to discuss a new constitution again,” he said noting that “the source of the problem in Turkey since 1960 is the constitution made by putschists.” All political parties agree that the 1961 and 1982 constitutions were written after bloody military coups in 1960 and 1980 and do not accommodate for the current problems Turkey is facing. However, the opposition also demands early parliamentary elections.

More...

0.00 €

Improving human rights through empowering citizens and rebuilding trust across Europe

Author(s): Chloé Bernadaux / Language(s): English

“2020 has been a disastrous year for human rights in Europe,” commented Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, at a speech in front of the Council of Europe at the end of last year. In an unprecedented fashion, the COVID-19 pandemic (C-19) has brought to fore a tremendous increase in human rights violations in 2020 throughout the world. According to Reporters Without Borders’ tracker 19 mapping human rights cases of abuse worldwide, Europe is no exception to the rule. While it contains one of the most advanced human rights protection systems globally, the old continent has seen itself prey to governmental and media attempts to erode democracy and human rights.

More...

0.00 €

2021 Early Elections on Kosovo: Chance for New Beginning?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

For Kosovo, 2021 is a year of elections. The fifth parliamentary (early) elections will be held on 14 February 2021. After establishment of the parliamentary majority the next President of Kosovo will be elected, after what regular local elections will follow. In such a situation there is no ambiance for serious work, particularly with respect to combating the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as strengthening civic and other freedoms. The entire social-political life revolves around the elections and election campaigns.

More...

0.00 €

2021 Early Elections in Kosovo: End of an era

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

The fifth parliamentary (early) elections in Kosovo, since its declaration of independence on 17 February 2008, will take place on 14 February 2021. The Kosovo Assembly has 120 representatives, with 20 mandates reserved for members of minority communities. Specifically, the Serb community gets 10 mandates, while the Bosniak community gets three, Turkish two, RAE (Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian) four and Goran community one mandate.

More...

0.00 €

Lessons learned after the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement

Author(s): Mirko Pejanović / Language(s): English

Over the past two and a half decades multiple problems have been identified in the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement. The process of development of the BiH society has generated some visible achievements that could lead to a stable development of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, at the same time, some halts in development of the BiH society and state are also notable. These halts have led to the deepening of the crisis in economic development, particularly since 2015. Namely, since 2015, several dozen thousands of young people have left Bosnia and Herzegovina and went to European counties in pursuit of economic prosperity.

More...

0.00 €

2020 Bulgaria: Bulgaria exports its problems to North Macedonia

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

In early 2020 Bulgaria entered a deep political crisis. The protests organized in the capital of Sofia and several other cities have been going on since July this year. They began after the prosecutor raided the building of the president of the state and Hristo Ivanov's spectacular action on the coast of the Black Sea in which together with two supporters he motored up to a luxurious residence of Ahmed Dogan (DPS), one of the most influential persons in Bulgaria. The goal was to draw attention to the illegal fencing of public facilities and unlawful engagement of security guards from civil service at the residence. The action triggered mass protests in Bulgaria against corruption, oligarchs and the government. After the arrest of two of his aids (presidential commissioner for fight against corruption and security advisor), Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (independent) accused the state prosecutor of being linked with the mafia. The conflict between the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov (GERB – Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) and the Bulgarian President Rumen Radev intensified.

More...

0.00 €

How to Spend it: An Austro-Franco-German Proposal for a European Covid-19 Recovery Programme

Author(s): Tereza Neuwirthová / Language(s): English

The conference named “75 years of Europe’s Collective Security and Human Rights System”, which took place on the 1st of July at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, brought together experts related to the reality of the Old Continent and its Union over the course of the past 75 years of its post-WWII anti-fascist existence. It was jointly organized by four different entities (the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies IFIMES, Media Platform Modern Diplomacy, International Scientific Journal European Perspectives, and Action Platform Culture for Peace) with the support of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, numerous academia supporting and media partners).

More...

0.00 €

China and Nuclear Arms Control Possible Implications of China’s Involvement in Nuclear Arms Talks

Author(s): Alexander G. Savelyev / Language(s): English

In December 2019, the United States officially invited China to enter into a strategic security dialogue. The White House said it hoped Beijing’s consent to this proposal might become the first step towards an international agreement encompassing all nuclear weapons of the United States, Russia, and China. As expected, this proposal was rejected. China said its nuclear arsenal was much smaller than those of the United States and Russia, and it would be able to participate in such talks only when their nuclear potentials were brought to parity with its own.

More...

0.00 €

2020 US-Serbia-Kosovo agreement: New era of Serbia-US political and economic relations

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

In Washington, on 4 September 2020, Serbia and Kosovo signed separate agreements with the United States on “economic normalization”. The agreements have no bearing on the existing dialogue that is underway between official Belgrade and Priština and mediated by the European Union. The Washington agreement is a new political reality not just for Kosovo and Serbia but also for the entire West Balkans region, and even the EU itself. It is a product of long and hard work, which included strong engagement of the US special envoy for the dialogue between official Belgrade and Priština, Ambassador Richard Grenell. The agreement envisages, inter alia, establishment of direct air and rail connections between Belgrade and Priština, construction of the Niš–Priština highway and a number of other economic and energy projects. The signatories to the agreement undertook to suspend for a year the campaign for recognition, that is withdrawal of recognition of Kosovo.

More...

0.00 €

Political will is needed to foster multilateralism in Europe – Dr. Franz Fischler says

Author(s): Guidoneth Lanfranchi / Language(s): English

On July 1st 2020, a large number of international affairs specialists gathered in Vienna, Austria, for the conference “From Victory Day to Corona Disarray: 75 Years of Europe’s Collective Security and Human Rights System”. The conference, jointly organized by four different entities (the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies IFIMES, Media Platform Modern Diplomacy, International Scientific Journal European Perspectives, and Action Platform Culture for Peace) with the support of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, was aimed at discussing the future of Europe in the wake of its old and new challenges.

More...

0.00 €

Belt and Road in the Central and Eastern EU and non-EU Europe: Obstacles, Sentiments, Challenges

Author(s): Maria Smotrytska / Language(s): English

Today at a broader diplomatic and strategic level, the BRI has become a symbol of China's growing importance in international affairs, changing regional dynamics in geographical areas close to or even within Europe. At the most basic level, the strategic implications of expanding China's policy in the EU stem not so much from a set of projects with a single link, but from its comprehensive nature. China-related initiatives, such as the AIIB and the BRI, – it is ample clear – have already changed the global financial development landscape. Similarly, in the sphere of security relations, there is a need to protect assets and citizens abroad leading to the “securitization” of Chinese BRI participation abroad, which is likely to significantly change China's role in the regions of European interests. Within Europe, and in conjunction with sub–regional “mini-initiatives” in China, such as CEE 16 + 1, the BRI also contributes to changes in the policymaking landscape in Europe and China.

More...

0.00 €

Morocco’s relentless diplomacy in the Libyan crisis

Author(s): Faiza Koubi / Language(s): English

The outbreak of the Libyan crisis in 2011 prompted earlier attempts of Morocco to help lull this storm, as Morocco, a country of the Maghreb that shares common interests with Tripoli. Indeed, Morocco advanced steps towards settling the conflict was sided by its positive neutral stance in contrast with its neighbours which were in the situation of wait and see. Presumably, Morocco seems the right track as unlike the numerous meeting to solve the dispute, it may boast it edge-cutting achievements with Skhirat agreement and later on.

More...