First Presidential Debate

An Analysis of the First 2020 US-Presidential Debate

In-Depth Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on October 10, 2020 | Reading time 13 min

On Wednesday, 29th September 2020, the first of three presidential debates between President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden, took place in Cleveland. The debate was moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News. The debate covered six topics, amongst others, the economy, the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the integrity of the elections. The debate was characterized by multiple crosstalks, shouting and incoherent answers. While President Trump failed to provide comprehensible answers to questions posed by Wallace, Biden had problems bringing across his message due to continuous interruptions by Trump.

Vice-Presidential Debate

An Analysis of the 2020 US Vice-Presidential Debate

In-Depth Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on October 8, 2020 | Reading time 11 min

On Wednesday, 5th October 2020, the first and only vice-presidential debate between Senator Kamala Harris and republican Vice-President Mike Pence took place. During the debate, nine topics were covered, amongst others, the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy, the role of American leadership, the US relations to China and climate change.
Despite several crosstalks between Harris and Pence, the discussion proved to be somewhat more civilized than the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Bosnian Flag

Bosnia’s Flawed Response to EU Enlargement and “Mini-Schengen”

Opinion By Haris Šehović on October 3, 2020 | Reading time 4 min

In 2019, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic announced that he, along with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev, signed a declaration of intent to establish the free movement of people, goods and capital between these three countries in the Western Balkans – a Mini-Schengen, they called it. The response of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the initiative was flawed, to say the least.

Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh

Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Brief Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on September 29, 2020 | Reading time 8 min

In summer 2020, the decade-long tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh flared up once again, and the countries are on the verge of another full-scale war. Another conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh may endanger the security and stability of the whole region, as well as lead to tensions between the involved actors on both sides, mainly Russia, Turkey and Iran. The EU, event though Armenia and Azerbaijan are both EU partner countries under the Eastern Partnership, has been largely inactive in this issue in the past. It should therefore mobilize all its efforts to bring about a sustainable political solution, and avoid another frozen conflict in its backyard.

Earth

The European Union – A Geopolitical Actor?

Opinion By Gabriela Greilinger on September 12, 2020 | Reading time 3 min

In 2019, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she aspires to lead a “geopolitical Commission”, which should be reflected in the EU’s external action. Yet, given the several hurdles the EU faces in is Common Foreign and Security Policy, it remains unclear to what extent the EU will be able to live up to its geopolitical ambition in its external action and how it will step up its game as a geopolitical actor.

One-Year Anniversary of Anti-Qadhafi Uprising

‘It’s the economy, stupid!’ – EU neoliberal reforms and democracy promotion in Egypt

In-Depth Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on August 24, 2020 | Reading time 19 min

The European Union’s approach and support to the MENA has mainly focused on economic stability and neoliberal reforms. Several scholars argued that these neoliberal policies exacerbated the people’s despair over their own economic situation, partially causing the Arab Uprisings on 2010/11. Nonetheless, in the years after the Uprisings, the EU continued to emphasise the promotion of “deep democracy” in combination with economic reforms. By analysing the European Union’s Single Support Framework for Egypt for 2017-2020, this article shows that economic development and the implementation of neoliberal reforms still remain the focus of the EU’s approach to the region. Moreover, the EU assumes a spillover effect from economic development to democratisation by equating these two.

Trump

The Transatlantic Partnership – At a crossroads, once again

Opinion By Gabriela Greilinger on August 23, 2020 | Reading time 2 min

2020 marks the year of the US presidential elections. After four years of the Trump Administration, the EU-Transatlantic partnership finds itself once again at a crossroads. In the past years, several discrepancies between the two global actors emerged. It remains to be seen whether the EU-Transatlantic partnership can have a revival – or if it keeps spiralling down the rabbit hole.

EU Flag

The EU 2004 Enlargement – Democratization gone wrong?

In-Depth Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on August 17, 2020 | Reading time 14 min

For decades, the European Union’s democratisation of its neighbours and potential future accession countries has been the primary objective of its external relations and at the core of what constitutes it as “soft power”. Now, 16 years after the accession of the eastern European countries, it remains questionable whether the intended democratisation succeeded. Several countries, above all Hungary and Poland, show increasing authoritarian tendencies and a retreat from liberal democracy. This article analyses the EU’s democratisation process before the 2004 enlargement and seeks to shed light on whether and why democratisation seems to have failed in Eastern European countries.

European Union

Corruption in Europe and beyond – A threat to democracy, peace and stability?

Brief Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on August 11, 2020 | Reading time 7 min

Corruption, often represented as an issue that only developing countries would have to deal with, actually exists in the global north and south. It is, therefore, a worldwide concern and poses significant challenges to peace, stability and democracy as well as social equality and development around the globe. Thus, multilateral institutions and global leaders will have to step up their game to finally break cycles of corruption and bring about sustainable development.