Eastern Europe

EU ambitions unabated

The recent visit to Brussels of Georgia’s President Salome Zourabishvili has highlighted the country’s determination to pursue a very ambitious EU agenda, despite the challenge of the Covid pandemic and the difficult international climate. EURACTIV looks into the details.

Georgian president visits Brussels in push for 2024 EU membership application

The President of Georgia Salome Zourabishvili is paying a visit to all three on European institutions Thursday and Friday (21-22 January) to cement Georgia’s bid for an EU membership in 2024. The visit of the Caucasian country’s head of state...

Georgia gets important designation in International Criminal Court

A Georgian national was elected for the first time as judge at the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) - an important designation for a country awaiting investigation of alleged war crimes committed during a short war with Russia in 2008.

How young people in Belarus have become the drivers of the protests

For more than 100 days, Belarusian pro-democracy protesters have been rallying in the streets against President Alexander Lukashenko, following rigged national elections and violence against peaceful demonstrators. While some older people, particularly women, have also taken to the streets, young people have been at the forefront of the protests.

Importance of US elections for Western Balkans

Most Serbian citizens are not informed about the main topics of the US elections, let alone about the way of electing the president of the United States. They view these elections, just like the previous ones, mainly through the prism of resolving the Kosovo issue, writes Srđan Majstorović.

Georgian opposition unite to oust billionaire’s ruling party

Georgians vote on Saturday (31 October) in tightly contested parliamentary elections pitting an unlikely union of opposition parties against the increasingly unpopular ruling party led by the country's richest man.

Biden vows to back Belarus opposition in removing Lukashenko

US presidential hopeful Joe Biden voiced support Tuesday (27 October) for the Belarus opposition in its general strike against President Alexander Lukashenko, saying the strongman was illegitimate.

A Georgian perspective: Peace in the South Caucasus is the only common goal

It is perfectly natural for Georgia, as a neighbouring country, to express her readiness to support a Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and host a dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, writes Victor Kipiani.

Partnership missing: SOTEU ignores the calls of Eastern allies for positive political signals

The EU’s Eastern Partnership is often touted by European officials as one of the bloc’s most foreign policies but was barely mentioned in Commission president’s first annual address, despite calls for more political signalling. Despite a strong focus on foreign...

Erdogan in search of EU ‘allies’ to block sanctions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has held a series of contacts with EU leaders in recent days, aiming to find allies who would block potential sanctions against Turkey at the 24-25 September EU summit over its illegal drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

MEPs praise Georgian political dialogue and COVID response, call for continued reforms

The European parliament on Wednesday (16 September) with overwhelming majority praised Georgia’s progress but called on the EU and NATO hopeful to press on with justice reforms and depoliticisation of the judiciary. Following the adoption of the report, the Georgian...

Russian intervention in Belarus is already a fact

The international community is reluctant to act and prefers to stick to empty condemnations of Vladimir Putin’s toxic acts. But Putin is ready to intervene in Belarus and the West cannot shy away, as it did in Ukraine. Only a 'big stick' policy can turn the tide, argues Hans van Baalen.

EU, Germany, Britain pressure Belarus on snatched opposition figure

The EU on Monday (7 September) led calls for Belarus to immediately release over 600 people arrested for protesting against a controversial election that extended strongman Alexander Lukashenko's 26 years in power.

Belarus arrests hundreds as opposition figure ‘kidnapped’

Belarus said on Monday (7 September) that police had detained more than 600 people at weekend protests and the opposition said a senior figure had been snatched off the streets, as authorities intensified efforts to end weeks of demonstrations.

Lithuania says EU’s inaction over Belarus undermines foreign policy credibility

The EU's lack of action over Belarus is undermining the credibility of its foreign policy, Lithuanian foreign affairs minister Linas Linkevicius told the Financial Times newspaper in an interview published on Sunday (6 September).

Time is running out for Lukashenko

Alexander Lukashenko lost the August elections in Belarus, and new polls must be held immediately. Anything else should be treated no differently from a coup d'etat, writes Andrius Kubilius.

Belarus opposition leader: Lukashenko showed weakness by seeking support from Moscow

The only Belarusian opposition leader who has not gone into exile, Maria Kolesnikova, is positive about the future of the pro-democracy protests in the eastern European country. EURACTIV's media partner EFE reports.

EU foreign ministers agree to move forward on Belarus sanctions

EU foreign ministers reached a political agreement in Berlin on Friday (28 August) on punitive measures against high-ranking supporters of Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko to pressure him into holding new elections.

Putin vows military support for Belarus’ Lukashenko

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed military support for embattled Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday (27 August), while urging a peaceful resolution to unrest and demonstrations that erupted after a disputed election. EU ambassadors in the capital Minsk on Thursday...

‘Belarus has woken up’, opposition leader Tikhanovskaya tells EU lawmakers

The protests to unseat Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko are neither pro- nor anti-Russian but a democratic revolution "for the right of the people to decide their own destiny," the leader of the protests told an extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Tuesday (25 August).

US report on Georgia: Political will needed to cement the democratic elections

A prestigious non-partisan US institute gave a generally positive assessment of the recent electoral reforms in Georgia, a country in the EU's neighbourhoud nourishing hopes to join the Union and NATO.  

With the US absent, smaller powers lead the way in support for Belarus

With the US and other diplomatic heavyweights absent, Belarus's smaller European neighbours have been leading the diplomatic response to the post-election crisis, writes Anna Wieslander.

Crisis in Belarus not geopolitical, EU leaders say after 3-hour summit

EU leaders made it clear following a 3-hour long online summit on the situation in Belarus on Wednesday (19 August) that the crisis following the controversial elections was not a geopolitical one and that it should not antagonise Russia.