European Union

Eulex’s legacy: a response to judge Hargreaves

05/11/2014 -  Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

Yesterday we published the opinion of US judge James Hargreaves on EULEX failure. A reply

The EULEX Legacy in the Kosovo Courts

04/11/2014 -  James Hargreaves*

Changing laws in a country is often relatively easy; changing the culture in regard to the application of those laws is never easy. To date, EULEX has done nothing to attempt to address this fundamental problem and now it is too late according to the author, a US judge who spent the last year in the mission

The Kosovo progress report: no accountability, no future

22/10/2014 -  Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

The decision to hand over the judicial system to domestic authorities, cutting Eulex’s mandate before its objectives were achieved, will not help Kosovo in the long term. Analysis of the recent EC report

Media concentration and media ownership in Bulgaria

17/10/2014 -  Svetla Dimitrova Sofia

Media concentration and lack of ownership transparency are a major obstacle to media pluralism and freedom in Bulgaria. According to media law expert Nelly Ognyanova, neither of these obstacles can be removed without political will. Interview

Bosnia and Herzegovina, a rich country

09/10/2014 -  Andrea Oskari Rossini Sarajevo

After the enlargement stop set by President Juncker, some fear the risk of a Turkish scenario for the Western Balkans, i.e. negotiations that never end. Renzo Daviddi, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, thinks different. Interview

New commission: more neighbourhood, less enlargement?

03/10/2014 -  Luisa Chiodi

The European Parliament is running the hearings of the members of the new Juncker Commission. Johannes Hahn will be responsible for enlargement and neighbourhood policies. An analysis

The privatization of the Serbian media

13/08/2014 -  Dragan Janjić Belgrado

Serbia adopted new rules that require the State to leave media ownership. Media associations have welcomed the new legislation, introduced as a result of pressure from Brussels

The SITF report speaks less of Kosovo than of the international community

31/07/2014 -  Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

"What is most interesting about the report unveiled on Tuesday by the special investigative task force (SITF) is not what it says about the KLA, but what it implies about the post-conflict and state-building international interventions in Kosovo". A comment by Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

Eulex’s new clothes

04/07/2014 -  Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

Keeping a toothless Eulex in Kosovo for two more years is not only a waste of money. It is also providing legitimacy to the decisions of vulnerable judges

Kosovo at a critical juncture

26/06/2014 -  Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

Following the parliamentary elections of June 8, in Kosovo a new political landscape is emerging. Will it be more democratic? A comment

Serbia: the Internet under censorship attack

06/06/2014 -  Dragan Janjić Belgrade

The Serbian government is facing increasingly frequent accusations of web censorship. The interventions by the OSCE and the European Commission, the reactions of prime minister Vučić

European elections in Cyprus: between confirmations and frustrations

04/06/2014 -  Francesco Grisolia

The EU elections confirmed traditional electoral trends in Cyprus, with a record level of abstention and two seats each for the two main Greek-Cypriots parties. Controversies mounted about thousands of Turkish-Cypriots citizens not allowed to vote

Croatia, the SDP staggers after defeat in EU elections

03/06/2014 -  Drago Hedl Osijek

Crushing defeat for the Social Democrats of Prime minister Milanović. The HDZ, currently in opposition, ranks first party in the country

European elections in Greece: SYRIZA wins, the government resists

02/06/2014 -  Francesco Martino

Alexis Tsipras' radical left (SYRIZA)is the winner of the European elections in Greece. Yet, despite the defeat, conservative prime minister Samaras rejected the request for early elections and is preparing for a government reshuffle

European elections: the green party ranks third in Croatia

30/05/2014 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

The environmentalist party ORaH, born just six months ago, managed to rank third in the European elections in Croatia with 9.4%. The celebrations at the headquarters and the preparations for the upcoming 2015 political elections

Croatia: GMOs? No, thank you!

23/05/2014 -  Nicole Corritore

The European debate on the authorization for cultivating Pioneer 1507 corn has raised fears in the youngest country of the Union, where all regions have declared themselves "GMO free"

LGBT in the Balkans: “Two steps forward and one step back”

12/05/2014 -  Tomas Miglierina Brussels

Dutch MEP Marije Cornelissen (Greens/EFA) – a member of the Parliamentary Group for the rights of homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons—describes the current state of the fight against homophobia and for LGBT rights in the Balkans

European Elections in Cyprus: United by Disinterest

30/04/2014 -  Francesco Grisolia

All the citizens of Cyprus, whether in the north or the south, could theoretically vote in the European elections. But this will not happen. The Greek Cypriots are showing scarce interest, while the Turkish-Cypriots are restricted by voting regulations

Georgia’s European Integration Still On Track, But Stumbling Blocks Remain

22/04/2014 -  Onnik Krikorian Tbilisi

In Georgia the majority of the population is in favor of closer ties with the European Union. However this will depend on progress made in terms of human rights protection and it is in these issues that stumbling blocks might frustrate Georgian ambitions

Croatia, a law threatens journalists

18/04/2014 -  Drago Hedl Osijek

Croatia's new Criminal Code establishes the offence of "humiliation", a barrier to freedom of expression that has already claimed its first victim among journalists – Slavica Lukić, of newspaper Jutarnji list

European elections in Greece: the search for Ulysses

08/04/2014 -  Gilda Lyghounis

In Greece, European and local elections will be held together. Many voters are undecided and, according to polls, the new political formation To Potami (The River) is on the rise

Romania, the EU orphans

11/04/2014 -  Daniela Mogavero

The marginalization of vulnerable categories of citizens, namely minors, in Romania, must stop, says Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Nils Muižnieks

Scrutinizing Euroscepticism

04/04/2014 -  Nicola Pedrazzi

Is the EU democratic? The historical trends of voter turnout at European elections is a way of understanding their significance

The Croatian Right at the European Elections

09/04/2014 -  Giovanni Vale

The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) will be presenting itself for the European elections with a pro-European program and a Euro-skeptic alliance, hoping to win 5 of the 11 seats allotted for Zagreb

Winter asylum in the EU

02/04/2014 -  Risto Karajkov Skopje

Germany is reviewing its regulations in order to discourage false asylum seekers from the Balkans, mainly of Roma origin, knocking at its door. But not all Roma asylum requests are fake

The 2014 European elections: a handbook

31/03/2014 -  Nicola Pedrazzi

In May 2014, 507 million Europeans will be called to the polls. Yet, understanding the role and mechanisms of the European institutions is hardly easy: a handbook

Bulgaria, The European Elections Will Be Revelatory

10/03/2014 -  Francesco Martino Sofia

The upcoming European elections (May 25, 2014) in Bulgaria will take place in the wake of a period of significant social and political tension. For this reason, many observers believe that they will offer a meaningful referendum on the current, and controversial, center-left government

Croatia: the great European Parliament battle

13/02/2014 -  Drago Hedl Osijek

In Croatia, the battle for a seat in Strasbourg and Brussels has already begun. With surprises

Albania rejected, resoundingly

16/01/2014 -  Marjola Rukaj

The EU Council denied candidate status to Albania in December 2013. Some analysts think the rejection could be good for Albania

A swinging Russian mood in Yerevan

10/12/2013 -  Mikayel Zolyan Yerevan

“To the barricades!”: protests in the Armenian capital against the visit of the Russian President as Armenians are divided over joining the Customs Union with Moscow