Global Europe
Moldova and Europe face a catastrophe if Russian-backed parties win power in Sunday’s election
The present government has steered the country towards the EU because it firmly believes that a European future means a brighter future. But the progress achieved could be derailed if Sunday’s vote goes against the reformers, writes Pavel Filip.
Greening the EU’s foreign and security policy
Climate change and ecosystem degradation are significant security threats; the European Union should take urgent action to address these as a part of its foreign and security policy, write Johanna Nyman and Marianne Kettunen.
Ukraine’s elections highlight deep divides over natural gas
The direction of Ukraine’s energy policies is of great interest to observers in Brussels and the European capitals, as a stable and prosperous Ukraine would increase overall European energy security, writes Robert Rapier.
An opportunity for transatlantic unity on Iran
This week marks the 40th anniversary of the revolution that overthrew the Shah in Iran and created the Islamic Republic. It is a good time to review the position of the European Union and its member states towards this totalitarian theocracy, argues Alejo Vidal-Quadras.
The EU must grant visa free travel to Kosovo
The EU finally needs to make good on its oft-repeated promise to grant visa free travel to Kosovo, says Behgjet Pachouli.
Why Kosovo needs to postpone the ‘final’ round of dialogue with Serbia
Kosovo's leaders have got themselves in a serious political crisis. They need to re-set the clock and the agenda of talks with Serbia, write Leke Batalli and Perparim Kryeziu.
Why do foreign investors leave Bulgaria as if it were the Titanic?
Despite being one of the most beautiful countries in the European Union, despite having talented and educated people, despite a favourable tax environment, Bulgaria is likely to stay as the poorest in the EU, and to continue losing its population, writes Blaga Thavard.Promoted content
Why Europe and Huawei need to stick together
Europe and Huawei have a lot in common, and it is in our shared interest to join hands as we step into the digital age, writes Abraham Liu.
Ditching unanimity is key to make enlargement work
The EU must change its procedure and allow qualified majority voting in all intermediary stages of the EU accession process, writes Srdjan Cvijic.
The EU must stick its neck out for the giraffe
The future of the giraffe is in jeopardy, but a proposal by African range states to regulate the international trade in giraffe specimens via a CITES Appendix II listing would make a vital contribution to securing this species’ survival. Joanna Swabe and Manon Dené argue that the European Union must stick out its neck to protect the giraffe.
With Salome Zurabishvili, Georgia leads the way, again
The new president of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, is a worthy member of the small group of women in the club of world heads of state and government, writes Clare Moody.
The EU’s moment: Cast adrift by the US, threatened by Russia and China
Against a backdrop of US decline and an influential China and Russia, Europe must overcome its internal challenges and shoulder its responsibilities as a leader on the world stage, writes Robert Malley.
To help save the Yemen Peace Deal, the international community needs to act now
The EU should lead the international community in ensuring that the Yemen Peace Deal is not allowed to collapse, argues Mohamed Issa Abushahab. H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Issa Abushahab is the UAE’s Ambassador to the EU. The adoption of the Stockholm agreement,...
Brexit or not, Britain must stay on the EU’s security team
Make no mistake: Brexit will damage our security. It will weaken the UK more, but it will weaken the EU too, writes Matthieu Borsboom.
Russian Orthodoxy, a security issue in Ukraine
The politico-spiritual move away from Russian Orthodoxy, presented by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as a major national security issue, has deeply angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has political ambitions in the region, writes Willy Fautré.
Tsipras kills three birds with one stone with North Macedonia deal
With the North Macedonia name change deal recently reached between Athens and Skopje, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has achieved more than improving his international image, by putting pressure on his domestic opponents, writes Nikolaos Koutsimpogiorgos.
Ice is melting for Nagorno-Karabakh
Several indications signal a thaw in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and hopes for peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, writes Ilgar Gurbanov.
How a gas pipeline to Europe is transforming the Turkish-Israeli relationship
The discovery of massive natural gas fields off Israel’s northern coast more than a decade ago and subsequent attempts to export this gas to Europe have highlighted the true fault lines in the Turkish-Israeli alliance, writes Joseph Dana.
US troop departure from Syria can improve Turkish-Kurdish relations
Has America used the Kurds in Syria only now to dump them? Observers who believe in moral debt, rather than the cold logic of realpolitik, understandably are concerned about the implications for the Kurds of an immediate US withdrawal from Syria, writes Ömer Taşpınar.
After America’s retreat, an Arab NATO could serve the region
With the United States' withdrawal from the Middle East, a proposed Arab security alliance could be a good start on the path to self-reliance, argues Jonathan Gornall.
Brussels must stand up to Big Brother Beijing
The EU must address China’s growing ‘techno-authoritarian’ ambitions now, writes Bart Broer.
With climate change, life in the Gulf could become impossible
In the second half of the century, most of the territory bordering the Gulf, Red Sea and Arabian Sea could experience “wet bulb temperatures” making outdoor activities practically impossible, writes Jonathan Gornall, warning this could create social upheaval on the grandest of scales.
Russia’s Chechnya model for Syria will only deepen the conflict
Today, Chechnya is a police state, likely the most brutal anywhere in Europe, that rules through extreme repression. The same future is reserved to Syria, writes Neil Hauer.