The EU and Belarus after the election
A weakened Lukashenka means it’s time the EU started talking to Russia
Wider Europe
The last dictator’s last hurrah
President Lukashenka doesn't expect to lose the election being held in Belarus, but the great survivor knows that his basic strategy is under severe strain – both at home and abroad
Spain braces itself for a crisis made in Germany
In the past, Germany has been both a model and a partner for Spain. But there have been deep-seated changes in how Berlin views southern Europe, and seen from Spain, it is as if Germany has decided southern Europe is a burden that prevents it from going global and needs to be dumped.
Neo-Titoism spreads as Brussels? influence wanes
The EU’s annual summit with Ukraine takes place with Brussels desperately searching for success stories in the Eastern Neighbourhood. The countries there are increasingly acting as balancers rather than joiners, treading a fine line between the EU and Moscow
Immigrant Russia – a crisis of demography or ethnicity?
One of the gravest challenges to Russia is thought to be the country’s demographic crisis. But once migrants are taken into account the numbers don’t look quite as bad. However this could have the result of turning a demographic crisis into an ethnic one.
The spectre of a multipolar Europe
The meeting of Angela Merkel, Dmitri Medvedev and Nicolas Sarkozy at the French seaside resort of Deauville on Monday 18th has the right agenda – European security – but the wrong actors. A trialogue involving the EU, Russia and Turkey would be the best way to rethink security in Europe.
The BRIC bloc
The Political West (the US, Europe and Japan) are in the doldrums while the BRICs keep growing. A third of world economic growth in the last decade has taken place in BRIC countries. So far, so good for the BRICs. But what next?
Kyrgyzstan: Russia?s Rwanda
Just as France maintained links with its former colonies in Central Africa, Moscow has maintained ties with the former Soviet Republics in Central Asia. In light of the recent violence in its backyard nation of Kyrgyzstan, what lessons can Russia learn from France?s experience in Central Africa?
The Rostov summit
Russian and EU leaders will gather in Rostov-on-Don for their bi-annual summit on 31 May ? 1 June. The geographical symbolism is not good: Rostov is only a few kilometres from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The political mood leading up to the summit seems a little better.
Beyond wait-and-see: the way forward for EU Balkan policy
Pre-occupied with its financial troubles,…