Where Does Poland Stand on the EU’s Eastern Partnership?
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland are seen, at least in the security dimension, as a region with an overall unified voice. The four belong to the EU and NATO, and are recognized as high performing former communist countries. They also have typically approached the EU’s Eastern Partnership in a similar manner, with Poland as its...
Lessons from Canada on Gender Equality
The problem with gender equality these days is that we either focus on external actions or internal structures, but we rarely look at it together. For policies to be implemented and for international actors to maintain credibility, their internal actions must match their claims. While speaking publicly at an event hosted by GMF, the Government of...
President’s anti-corruption court law condemned as enabling appointment of ‘favoured’ judges
Ukraine’s main anti-corruption NGOs have given a damning assessment of President Petro Poroshenko’s draft Law on a High Anti-Corruption Court and called for its withdrawal and reworking to take the Council of Europe Venice Commission’s recommendations into account. …read more Source: Kharkiv Human Rights Protection...
Why Emerging Europe is the New Darling of Outsourcing
In a world where the impact of global market forces on businesses can be ruthless and unforgiving, strategic partnerships are becoming increasingly driven by hard economic necessity. The notion of seeking and finding a compatible partner then, where a meaningful relationship can truly flourish and be both rewarding and fulfilling for both sides...
US Empire Is Running The Same Script With Iran That It Ran With Libya, Syria
Two weeks ago a memo was leaked from inside the Trump administration showing how Secretary of State and DC neophyte Rex Tillerson was coached on how the US empire uses human rights as a pretense on which to attack and undermine noncompliant governments. Politico reports: The May 17 memo reads like a crash course for a businessman-turned-diplomat,...
The Socialism of Central Europe’s Populists
The success of the FPO party in the Austrian parliamentary elections, coupled with billionaire upstart Andrej Babiš in the Czech Republic becoming prime minister in the waning days of 2017, means that it appears that Central Europe will be facing another year of political upheaval in 2018. Governments in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and...
Watch List Findings: Dec. 30, 2017
What follows are the preliminary findings for issues identified in the daily Watch Lists this week. We are only sending findings that we regard as significant or potentially significant to keep this list manageable. We have findings for all the Watch List items. Should you be interested in findings not listed here, please contact us and we will...
How Does Hungary Choose its Friends?
Russia / Europe A parliamentary election will be held in Hungary in spring 2018. The results will recast its parliament and government for the next four years. Nine parties are represented in the National Assembly of Hungary at the moment, seven of which are members of the two major coalitions. Approximately 67% of parliamentary seats are held by...
Freed Donetsk religious scholar: Many in Donbas want a return to Ukraine but are afraid
Renowned religious specialist and freed hostage, Ihor Kozlovskyy believes that many locals who once actively supported the self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ [DPR] would now like a return to Ukrainian control, but fear that they could end up imprisoned unless an amnesty is passed. Kozlovskyy was giving his first interview...
Who Are the Leading State Sponsors of Terrorism?
As 2017 draws to a close, it is difficult to be optimistic about what will be coming in the new year. The American President, whose margin of victory was certainly based on his pledge to avoid unnecessary wars, has doubled down on Afghanistan, refuses to leave Syria even though ISIS has been defeated, and is playing serious brinksmanship with a...
