Moldova: democracy faces risks
15 Mar 2019
Lack of transparency and accountability has allowed corruption to flourish in Moldova’s politics. February’s parliamentary elections saw many long-standing politicians swept out of office, but results were inconclusive. None of the major parties secured a majority.…
Ukraine: election on 31 March
15 Mar 2019
The Crimean Tatar people have decided to support Petro Poroshenko in Ukraine's presidential election. They said, ‘The most significant criterion in assessing candidates for the presidency is their ability to mobilise Ukrainian society to rebuff Russian…
East-West (mis)-understandings
07 Mar 2019
Romania’s presidency of the EU Council comes at an awkward time. Brexit looms in a matter of weeks. Populist parties threaten to gain seats in European parliamentary elections in May. Sharp differences separate eastern and western…
France: orphans of French jihadist
07 Mar 2019
The grandmother of two orphans of French jihadists held in a Syrian camp is suing the French state for failing to bring them back to France. The children, aged five and two, are in the care…
First EU-Arab summit
28 Feb 2019
European and Arab leaders recently held their first summit in a bid to bolster cooperation and protect their traditional diplomatic, economic and security interests while China and Russia move to fill the vacuum left by the…
Spain: Gibraltar and visa-free travel
28 Feb 2019
In a bitter row over the sovereignty of Gibraltar, Spain has threatened to block visa-free access to the EU for Britons. Madrid refuses to back down on a controversial description of Gibraltar. Spain has made numerous…