diplomacy

GIS Dossier: Europe as a global player – looking east

Map of EU’s network of accession and association agreements

15.08.2018

Europe is politically diffuse and poorly armed for a great power at a geopolitical crossroads. Yet it has proved deceptively capable of leveraging the NATO alliance and its enormous economic “soft power” to expand eastward. Now its mettle is being tested as Russia – and, to a lesser extent, Turkey – push back.

GIS Feature

POLITICS

Brexit scenarios: Toward the endgame

British Prime Minister Theresa May answering awkward questions about Brexit in parliament

17.07.2018

Prime Minister Theresa May has bowed to economic reality and unveiled a Brexit model that would keep the United Kingdom close to the European Union. The move provoked an immediate cabinet crisis and the resignations of leading Brexiters. Fear of a Labour government will probably keep other Conservatives in line, but Ms. May’s survival also hinges on the EU accepting her new strategy. Otherwise, a hard Brexit is plausible.

Dr. Michael Leigh

POLITICS

The impact of the Greece-Macedonia accord

The prime ministers of Greece and Macedonia embrace after settling their name dispute

10.07.2018

The deal between Greece and what may soon be called the Republic of North Macedonia is about much more than a name. The bilateral agreement finally opens the door for North Macedonia’s integration into the EU and NATO, and could make Greece a serious regional player. However, political challenges could easily derail or delay the two-year implementation process.

Professor Dr. Blerim Reka

POLITICS

Egypt: Proud and jittery as El-Sisi begins second term

Egyptian woman holds portrait of President El-Sisi on second day of presidential election

14.05.2018

With the Middle East in turmoil, the Arab world’s most populous nation and its biggest army are nowhere to be found. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi believes the path to national greatness begins at home, with economic development – not foreign entanglements. But as trouble builds up in Egypt’s immediate neighborhood, Mr. El-Sisi may not be able to stay out.

Ambassador Zvi Mazel

DEFENSE

Turkey and the West – distant yet inseparable

President Erdogan in front of a portrait of modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

08.05.2018

Turkey’s growing estrangement from the West stems from its domestic and regional ambitions, as well as from a feeling of being unwanted in the European Union. There is also a deeper undercurrent, present since the founding of the Turkish Republic, that questions the Kemalist strategy of a radical alignment with Europe. Even so, a total break with its Western partners is not on the cards.

Dr. Udo Steinbach

POLITICS

A sad centennial: Unfinished peace in the Balkans

Western leaders and heads of Yugoslavia’s successor states sign Dayton peace agreement

01.05.2018

The approaching anniversary of the end of World War I is a reminder that the place where that conflict started, the Western Balkans, has still not achieved a lasting peace. Three big political, legal and financial processes must still be carried through – reconciliation of former enemies, settlement of war reparations, and division of the former Yugoslavia’s assets among its successor states. It is unlikely any of the three will be completed in the next decade.

Professor Dr. Blerim Reka

POLITICS

War or peace for Syria: A humanitarian and geopolitical predicament

Syrian flag is raised in Douma, site of alleged chemical attack

17.04.2018

The United States, France and the United Kingdom were forced to attack Syrian government forces for using chemical weapons against rebels. But that cannot disguise the unpleasant fact that the only road to peace in Syria leads to Damascus and President Bashar al-Assad.

Prince Michael of Liechtenstein

POLITICS

GIS Dossier: The North Korean opening

U.S. President Trump meets South Korean envoy Cheong Wa Dae

04.04.2018

President Donald Trump’s surprising decision to hold summit talks with Kim Jong-un has triggered a round of high-stakes diplomacy, including repeat meetings between North and South Korean officials and a lightning visit by Mr. Kim to Beijing. There is nothing accidental about Pyongyang’s charm offensive. It is the moment the North Korean leader has been preparing for years.

GIS Feature

POLITICS

Opinion: Venezuela nears the breaking point

Venezuelans cross the border into Colombia seeking trade goods and refuge

23.03.2018

What will happen to Venezuela after the government tries to steal an unconstitutional presidential election on May 20? Everything depends on the cohesion of the splintered opposition and the determination of the international community. If either fail, the Western hemisphere could be faced with its most severe humanitarian crisis in more than a decade.

Dr. Joseph S. Tulchin

ECONOMY

A free and open Indo-Pacific: Regional and global implications

Chinese expansion has Japan’s and India’s prime ministers seeking U.S. support

20.03.2018

One of the techniques devised for managing China’s ascent and its destabilizing impact is the concept of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” This idea, embraced by the governments of Japan, India and the United States, includes military, economic, political, legal and diplomatic dimensions. Some argue it is a smoke screen to mask U.S. disengagement, while others maintain it is a Japanese-inspired effort to enlist American help.

Dr. James Jay Carafano

POLITICS

GIS Dossier: Europe as a global player – looking east

Brexit scenarios: Toward the endgame

The impact of the Greece-Macedonia accord

Egypt: Proud and jittery as El-Sisi begins second term

Turkey and the West – distant yet inseparable

A sad centennial: Unfinished peace in the Balkans

War or peace for Syria: A humanitarian and geopolitical predicament

GIS Dossier: The North Korean opening

Opinion: Venezuela nears the breaking point

A free and open Indo-Pacific: Regional and global implications