European Neighbourhood

Latest Articles

The day when British justice humbled the British and Serbian governments

By Damir Arnaut, 31st August 2010

Ejup Ganic's lawyer, Damir Arnaut, talks to the Sarajevo independent weekly Dani about his client's arrest and trial in London, stressing among other things the UK role in the initial arrest, official disclaimers notwithstanding

Time to talk about Caucasian self-determination ?

By Marko Attila Hoare, 31st August 2010

We should call Moscow's bluff over Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Greece: The first officially anti-Semitic state in Europe

By Ana Stai and Irene Koutelou, 29th July 2010

The Greek judiciary's acquittal of a neo-Nazi writer for incitement to racial hatred reflects officially condoned anti-Semitism

The ICJ's ruling on Kosovo sets a precedent that is dangerous only for tyrants and ethnic cleansers

By Marko Attila Hoare, 29th July 2010

Anger at Kosovo's victory reflects neo-colonialist attitudes and the paranoia of undemocratic regimes

The EU and the Western Balkans today

By the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, 30th June 2010

Unclear EU policies and waning enthusiasm for expansion are eroding support in Serbia for the European option

Progress is possible in the Balkans - why can't the EU push for it ?

By Marko Attila Hoare, 30th June 2010

Easy steps on the part of the EU could avert potential regional catastrophes

Macedonia - A forgotten country ?

By Ivan Torov, 31st May 2010

The EU's failure to overcome Greek resistance to Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration bodes ill for Balkan stability

How to apologise

By Marko Attila Hoare, 31st May 2010

Recent expressions of regret by Croatia's president for past crimes raise important questions about the meaning of national contrition

Russia's growing assertiveness and UK-Russian relations

By Mikhail Kasyanov, 14th May 2010

Hungarian elections bring new politics to recreate the inter-war years

By Stephen Noti, 10th May 2010

The recent electoral victory of right-wing political parties in Hungary has the potential to dramatically impact upon the country's political system, economy, foreign affairs and society; possibly threatening a return to the politics of the inter-war years.

Macedonia under the pressure of its neighbours

By the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, 19th April 2010

Unresolved border disputes in the Western Balkans will prove a serious obstacle to the region's EU integration

Echoes of a Genocide: The Turkish prime minister's anti-Armenian outburst

By Marko Attila Hoare, 26th March 2010

The West needs to consider carefully its response to the Turkish government's degeneration

Post-Recession Prospects in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

By Thomas Mirow, President of the EBRD, 23rd March 2010

NATO and Bosnia-Herzegovina: A Test of Multilateral Diplomacy

By Edina Becirevic, 19th March 2010

NATO's rejection of Bosnia-Herzegovina's application for the Membership Action Plan has only encouraged disintegrative forces in the country

What lies behind the arrest of Ejup Ganic ?

By Branka Magas, 19th March 2010

The London arrest of a Bosnian wartime leader heralds a new phase in Serbia’s unrelenting aggression against Bosnia-Herzegovina, in which the British authorities have now made themselves unwitting pawns

The Ganic Case - Justice...or Politics?

By Nenad Pejic & Gordana Knezevic, 16th March 2010

The arrest of Ejup Ganic: Serbia's aggression against Bosnia continues

By Marko Attila Hoare, 3rd March 2010

Serbia's attempt to have Bosnia's former vice-president extradited shows it has not repented of its Milosevic-era crimes

Greece must reform politically as well as economically

By Marko Attila Hoare, 28th February 2010

Greece's economic mismanagement is the flip-side of a retrograde nationalism that undermines Europe's security

A Vote Of Confidence: Democracy Is Real Winner Of Ukrainian Election

By Brian Whitmore, 12th February 2010

Reports of the death of the Orange Revolution have been greatly exaggerated.

Whither Turkey?

By Ziya Meral, 9th February 2010

Moscow Visit By Turkish PM Underscores New Strategic Alliance

By Brian Whitmore, 29th January 2010

The EU's cold shoulder has driven Turkey into Russia's arms

Croatia must defend Bosnia. So should Serbia...

By Marko Attila Hoare, 29th January 2010

Croatian president Stjepan Mesic's pledge to defend Bosnian unity by force of arms if necessary is laudable

Patriarch Pavle - High priest of hypocrisy

By Hariz Halilovic, 30th December 2009

Tributes to the recently deceased patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church bestow undue absolution on one of the culprits of the former-Yugoslav tragedy

Intolerance that disgraces the European Union

By Marko Attila Hoare, 30th December 2009

EU members that violate the rights of national and religious minorities are jeopardising Europe's security

The disgraceful EU and US game in Bosnia-Herzegovina

By Senad Pecanin, 16th November 2009

Proposals for 'reform' of the Bosnian state being made by international mediators amount to a surrender in the face of the brinkmanship of the Republka Srpska leadership

The difficult road to Balkan stability

By Marko Attila Hoare, 9th November 2009

The problems facing the Balkans are not insurmountable, but are being exacerbated by weak Western policy

Ask not what the EU can do for you

By Robert Wilton, 8th November 2009

Kosovo represents a global intervention conundrum to which the EU is providing ambivalent answers

Peace-building in an unstable world

By Dr Elisabeth Rehn, 26th October 2009

The EU and the Georgian war: Saying 'everyone is to blame' isn't good enough

By Marko Attila Hoare, 25th October 2009

The EU's report into the Georgian war presents a case that damns Russia, but then shies away from drawing the appropriate conclusion

Genocide denial vs normalisation in the Balkans

By Sonja Biserko and Edina Becirevic, 25th October 2009

Serbia's unwillingness to accept responsibility for the wars of the 1990s is feeding Balkan instability

Bosnia: Weighing the options

By Marko Attila Hoare, 30th September 2009

The international community must act now if it does not wish to see Bosnia-Hercegovina disappear

From Kosovo to Kabul

By Robert Wilton, 21st September 2009

The international presence in Kosovo continues to offer lessons with wider implications

Two rival visions of Europe

By Marko Attila Hoare, 31st August 2009

Britain must champion a broader vision of European unity to counter the drive toward a federal super-state

European Commission divides South East Europe

By Christian Schwarz-Schilling, Wolfgang Petritsch and others, 31st August 2009

The EU's visa policy for the successor states of the former Yugoslavia risks creating two classes of citizens in South Eastern Europe

Why David Cameron is right to break ranks with Sarkozy and Merkel

By Marko Attila Hoare, 31st July 2009

The conservative Euro-federalist bloc has unsavoury members and dangerous goals

Tearing Bosnia apart one decision at a time

By Nenad Pejic, 23rd July 2009

The EU's inconsistent treatment of the Balkan states is exacerbating divisions in Bosnia-Hercegovina and the wider region

An Open Letter to the Obama Administration from Central and Eastern Europe

By Valdas Adamkus, Martin Butora, Emil Constantinescu, Pavol Demes, Lubos Dobrovsky, Matyas Eorsi, Istvan Gyarmati, Vaclav Havel, Rastislav Kacer, Sandra Kalniete, Karel Schwarzenberg, Michal Kovac, Ivan Krastev, Alexander Kwasniewski, Mart Laar, Kadri Liik, Janos Martonyi. Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Adam Rotfeld, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Alexandr Vondra, Lech Walesa, 23rd July 2009

Central and Eastern Europe must be kept as a stable, activist and Atlanticist part of our broader community

Bosnia must become more like Macedonia

By Jan Mus, 23rd June 2009

Bosnia and Herzegovina will not function properly as a state until its constitution is reformed to give pre-eminence to the sovereignty of the citizenry as a whole, rather than to ethnic divisions

Greenland moves toward independence - who's afraid of 'separatism' ?

By Marko Attila Hoare, 22nd June 2009

Readiness to embrace acts of secession distinguishes the democratic world from its enemies

It is a mistake to pretend that Kosovo is unique

By Marko Attila Hoare, 31st May 2009

A 'Kosovo precedent' could serve a useful geopolitical function

US Congressional resolution calls for the resuscitation of Bosnia-Hercegovina

By Howard Berman and other members of the US Congress, 28th May 2009

It is increasingly urgent that Bosnia-Hercegovina work toward the creation of an efficient and effective state

Remarks by the US Vice-President to the Parliament of Kosovo

By Joseph Biden, 28th May 2009

Kosovo's record over the past fifteen months has demonstrated to the world that Kosovo's democracy and independence are a force for regional stability.

Promoting Liberty and Stability in the 21st Century: A Norwegian Perspective

By Siv Jensen, 19th May 2009

Belarus: An Opportunity for Engagement

By Alex Try, 28th April 2009

With Belarus facing its own economic crisis and relations between Minsk and Moscow unclear, now is the time to engage with the Lukashenka regime and persuade it to liberalise.

The ugliness on the EU's eastern flank is dangerous to ignore

By Marko Attila Hoare, 21st April 2009

From Moldova to Chechnya, Moscow and its clients are a menace to democratic Europe

Moldova's Revolution Against Cynical And Cronyist Authoritarianism

By Vladimir Tismaneanu, 19th April 2009

EU representatives' fixation with Russia's strategic position has deterred them from taking a stand in defence of Moldovan democrats

Why Georgia dare not risk declaring neutrality

By Ghia Nodia, 5th April 2009

'Neutrality' between Russia and the West is not an option for Georgia

Council of wise men

By Davor Vidas, 31st March 2009

Slovenia's territorial claims against Croatia represent a dangerous attempt to overturn the UN Law of the Sea Convention

A no-brainer: NATO and the EU should not facilitate aggression and expansionism in South East Europe

By Marko Attila Hoare, 26th March 2009

By colluding in the aggressive nationalist campaigns of Greece and Slovenia against Macedonia and Croatia, NATO and the EU are undermining the stability of the Balkans

Turkey’s identity in crisis

By Kimberley Trewhitt, 25th March 2009

Constitutional change is necessary to nurture democracy in Turkey and make progress towards EU accession.

Let's trade Ratko Mladic for Republika Srpska

By Marko Attila Hoare, 28th February 2009

With Mladic still not arrested, Bosnia should be reintegrated and restrictions on Serbia's entry to the EU lifted

Serbia's European potential is crumbling

By Sonja Biserko, 8th February 2009

The inabilty of Serbia's political classes to orient it firmly toward Europe demonstrates the need for a new EU strategy in the Balkans

APPG Event: The Security Challenges of Wider Europe: The View from the OSCE

By Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, 2nd February 2009

Inaugural meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Transatlantic and International Security

Popular protest in South East Europe bolsters the democratic world

By Marko Attila Hoare, 28th January 2009

Agitation for democratic reform and social justice will ultimately help to make better allies out of the states of South East Europe

European military bases in Romania and Bulgaria and their possible implications for regional security

By Saffet Akkaya, 26th January 2009

The US policy of actively pursuing military cooperation with Romania and Bulgaria shows a sound understanding of the geostrategic importance of the Black Sea region

Victors' justice is the only kind

By Marko Attila Hoare, 28th December 2008

The contrasting records of the war-crimes tribunals at Nuremberg and at The Hague show that there can be no real justice without the real defeat of the war-criminals

The role of the EU in destabilising Southeastern Europe

By Ivan Torov, 28th December 2008

By supporting bullies in the Balkans, the EU is undermining the fragile stability of the region

Turkey: Security provider or Security risk?

By Alexandra Goody, 5th December 2008

Discussion of Turkey's European identity serves to evade the real question which lies at the heart of the debate surrounding Turkish accession: will Turkish membership provide Europe with a security opportunity or will it in actual fact prove to be a security nightmare?

Kosovo's independence cannot remain hostage to the will o' the wisp of Serbian goodwill

By Marko Attila Hoare, 30th November 2008

We must end the EU's acquiescence in Serbia's undermining of Kosovo's independence

Scrap EULEX, it has already failed

By Arianit Dobroshi, 29th November 2008

With its 'get the job done' attitude, the International Steering Group, made up of nations that recognise Kosovo, should constitute a new law and order mission to replace the stillborn EULEX

The Union for the Mediterranean: Expectations and Realities

By The Hon. Dr Tonio Borg, 20th November 2008, 26th November 2008

The launching of the Union for the Mediterranean and its repercussions.

Where is the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo going ?

By Marko Attila Hoare, 30th October 2008

Despite the apparent intractability of the Serbia-Kosovo conflict, geopolitical reality points toward eventual Serbian acceptance of Kosovo's independence

Putting Bosnia together again

By Quintin Hoare, 29th October 2008

The stability of the Balkans requires the reunification of Bosnia-Hercegovina

Western Optimism: Western Vigilance: The need for a cautious policy towards Belarus

By Alexandra Goody, 10th October 2008

In spite of positive rhetoric from Minsk, the Belarusian elections were condemned as undemocratic. How genuine is President Lukashenko's desire for rapprochement with the West and how should the West respond?

The multilateralist castle built on sand

By Marko Attila Hoare, 14th September 2008

Events this year in the Caucasus and Balkans emphasise that the UN cannot substitute for the Western alliance as the guarantor of international order

After the Georgian crisis, the breaking of Europe

By Ahto Lobjakas, 14th September 2008

The Russian-Georgian conflict has revealed the bankruptcy of the EU's system of foreign policy

Lousy timing could overshadow Turkey's logical Caucasus solution

By Liz Fuller, 14th September 2008

Turkey's plan for a Caucasus pact is unlikely to prove an effective substitute for bilateral agreements between the states of the Caucasus

Testing the EU's commitment to its neighbourhood: The case of Ukraine

By Alexandra Goody, 10th September 2008

Following the collapse of the pro-Western coalition in Ukraine amid suspicion of Prime Minister Tymoshenko's relationship with Russia, what lies ahead for Ukraine in its relationship with the West?