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.

Arab Uprising by Bahraini_Activist, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Arab Uprisings: Causes, course and consequences

In-Depth Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on June 18, 2020 | Reading time 17 min

2010/2011 mark the years of the so-called Arab Uprisings, which describe the series of civic, political upheavals and demonstrations that erupted in several countries of the MENA region. The protest that shook the Arab world had widespread consequences for the region – in some countries leading to civil wars that evolved into proxy wars between global powers, leaving people displaced, wounded or dead – leading to Europe’s biggest “refugee crisis” in decades. The uprisings started with the hope to achieve stable democracies and shake off authoritarian, corrupt leaders – a goal which has only in Tunisia, if at all, been reached. It remains questionable how long the conflicts will continue and whether peace can be achieved and stable democracies built anytime soon.

Victor Orbán by EPP

Hungary – On the Brink of Democracy

Brief Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on June 16, 2020 | Reading time 8 min

Since Fidesz’s electoral victory in 2010, the Hungarian political and social landscape has been subject to numerous undemocratic reforms, transforming the state into a “hybrid regime”. Restricted media freedom, the backlash against NGOs and civil society, courts that lack impartiality and meddling with electoral districts (gerrymandering) are, amongst many others, signs of the illiberal state that Orbán tries to create. Meanwhile, the EU remains inactive, as it lacks the necessary means and/or political willpower to enforce basic democratic standards in its own member state.

Flags EU and Turkey

The EU-Turkey Statement: Background, recent developments and its impact on EU-Turkey relations

Brief Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on June 14, 2020 | Reading time 4 min

In 2015, the EU negotiated a controversial deal with one of its neighbours and “partner”, Turkey, to curb migration from the Middle East to Europe. Regrettably, the deal has ever since caused more concerns than relief due to the unreliable nature of the EU’s partner country. As a result, it remains questionable whether the deal will hold at all and what the repercussion on the EU’s reputation as a global actor will be in the long term.