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NATO is needed more than ever today, especially given Russia’s occupation of parts of eastern Ukraine and the massive instability along Europe’s southern neighborhood. A European army would instead be welcomed by Russian president Vladimir Putin because the United States wouldn’t have a say in the affairs of such a force.

The last thing Europe needs right now is an army

By: EBR | Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Donald Trump is right about one thing. The European members of the NATO alliance have long taken it for granted that the United States would always be their security umbrella

Angelos M. Syrigos, associate professor of International Law & Foreign Policy at Panteion University in Athens, Greece, assesses everything that has occurred in the recent months concerning the Cyprus issue, he evaluates and explains the negotiations’ developments, the plan and the proposals that are on the table, what is at stake, what is the role of Greece, what the Turkey’s intentions are, as well as its incentives and possible next steps.

A. Syrigos: The worst possible timing for closing the Cyprus issue

By: EBR | Monday, December 12, 2016

“Turkey is under severe pressure at its Eastern borders. It is pushing for a broadest swapping of territory and power in its neighborhood. It is placing many of its claims on the table, led by an arrogant leadership”

Turkey’s attitude vis-à-vis the EU will not be driven by foreign policy considerations. Rather, domestic political requirements will likely impose new strategic choices to push the country toward a societal setup that is hardly compatible with EU and Western standards. Such choices are in sharp contrast with the diversity of Turkish society. If this trend is confirmed, 2017 could witness a transformation of historical proportions in Turkey.

Turkey’s impending estrangement from the West

By: EBR | Monday, December 12, 2016

Turkey’s leaders are heading toward a clear-cut divorce from the European Union, due to current domestic political trends in the country. This is a highly risky course

The Russian government is offering foreign firms that sign a ‘Special Investment Contract’ which includes a pledge to invest in the country, the same status as domestic producers, making them eligible to apply for state contracts and special tax benefits.

Wall Street Journal reveals boosting investments in Russia

By: N. Peter Kramer | Monday, December 12, 2016

‘German companies are quietly boosting investments in Russia even as Western leaders are warning Moscow about possible new sanctions…’, the Wall Street Journal reported last week

This means there are no formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan -so Trump’s decision to take Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s call could risk a major upset. Trump reacted right away with a remarkable Tweet: ‘Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call’.

President-elect Donald Trump is making noise and news

By: EBR | Friday, December 9, 2016

Donald Trump spoke on the phone with MsTsai Ing-wen, president of the Republic of China (Taiwan), who congratulated him

This will be the first time EU judges give their view on the disruptive sharing economy. The ruling will contribute to harmonise national laws, given the many restrictions imposed on Uber by local and national authorities across the EU. It could also have an impact on how authorities deal with other sharing economy players in other fields, such as Airbnb.

Uber in EU Court - Airbnb restricting its market

By: N. Peter Kramer | Monday, December 5, 2016

Sharing economy companies are under legal pressure

Questions remain about the long-term impact of the deal and the ability to enforce the quotas, the agreement was hailed by investors.

OPEC reached a landmark deal

By: N. Peter Kramer | Friday, December 2, 2016

After two years, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) made on Wednesday a historic decision to avoid cutting output and allow prices to fall, the group said that it agreed to cut production by 1.2 million barrels a day from the current 33.6 million barrels

On this basis, from May 2017, France will enter a new phase of a more liberal economic policy and it is not impossible the next Prime Minister to be Emmanuel Macron, whose economic program is really radical in all respects. In such a case and taking into account that the approaching German election of 2017 will end up with a new “marriage” between Christian and Social democrats, the strong economic axe of Europe will move in directions radically different than those that the Greek government is planning to.

Behind Fillon’s victory in France

By: Athanase Papandropoulos | Tuesday, November 29, 2016

More than 3 million of French people chose the liberal Francois Fillon for the central-right leadership, who is considered already as almost the certain winner of the approaching presidential election of May 2017

Migrants and refugees have special stories. They are not just numbers. And migration brings continents closer together, requiring them to work together at different stages of the migration journey.

A first step towards a better approach to migrants and refugees

By: EBR | Monday, November 28, 2016

At last: the international community finally acknowledged the need for coordinated action and an international agreement on how to handle the unprecedented wave of migration that has hit Europe and elsewhere

The connection that remains to be made is explicitly linking skill-based volunteering to EU democracy. To make that connection, we recently established The Good Lobby, a platform enabling anyone, be they a student, academic, lawyer or other professional, to provide assistance to NGOs advocating for important social issues. The Good Lobby intends to unleash the potential in each of us to contribute to a more equal representation of interests in the policy process.

Citizens Empowerment: Good lobbying

By: EBR | Friday, November 25, 2016

European citizens feel disconnected from EU institutions, and NGOs and civil society’s influence on European decision-making process cannot compete with the well-organised corporate lobbies. A new movement aiming at filling this gap is emerging, tells one of its founders

In many ways, the symptoms of DAD resemble impulse-control disorders or even obsessive-compulsive disorders. Though prevalent in society, and emerging as a problematic phenomenon, DAD still needs a considerable amount of research. Studies of this disorder fail to agree whether DAD is a disorder in its own right or a symptom of other underlying conditions such as an obsessive-compulsive or impulse-control disorder. Whatever it’s called, DAD presents a compulsive behaviour pattern that can completely take over the addict’s life.

When does the obsession with digital technology become a health problem?

By: EBR | Friday, November 25, 2016

Digital technology has greatly enhanced our lives both inside and outside the workplace. But it is not all positive. Recently, when I was running a workshop, one of the participants (let’s call him Phil) had to excuse himself regularly from the room

Trumps policies seem designed to let the US seize victory in the global game of investment banking, at the expense, of particularly European rivals. Richard Buxton, CEO of UK equities at Old Mutual Global Investors, said recently in the London Times, ‘Trump’s presidency will be hugely positive for US banks.

Trump, Wall Street and European banks

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Campaign promises often disintegrate when confronted with the realities of office. Trump has pledged to shred bank regulations which he blames for America’s anaemic recovery from the 2008 financial conflagration

The new Democratic minority leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York, has spoken with Donald Trump, also a New Yorker, several times and it is expected that Democrats plan to announce populist economic and ethics initiatives they think Trump might like. The leftist Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said ‘I will work with Donald Trump’; Senator Bernie Sanders: ‘I and other progressives are prepared to work with him’.

Democrats try to align with Trump

By: N. Peter Kramer | Monday, November 21, 2016

Whilst Europe is still in disarray and most journalists can’t stop writing about US President-elect Donald Trump, his wife, children and victory, politicians in Washington DC are looking forwards, trying to find their way how to handle the new situation

Dive deeply in the developments reading experts’ opinions and get a real taste of the actuality based on thoughtful arguments. Among other topics, you will meet ideas about how “Taiwan seeks to join fight against global warming” by Ying – Yuan Lee, Minister for Environmental Protection in Taiwan, “The Junker Plan and funding opportunities for public works” by Nikos Kostopoulos and don’t miss out two special opinion articles: “The last thing Europe needs right now is an army” by Judy Dempsey and last but not least “Four leadership principles for the fourth industrial revolution” by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

New EBR issue released

By: EBR | Monday, November 21, 2016

Another fascinating issue is out full of interesting topics

Trump’s win -- stretching across the battleground states of Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania – seemed likely to set of financial jitters and immediate unease among international allies, many of which were startled when Trump in his campaign cast doubt on the necessity of America’s military commitments abroad and its allegiance to international partnerships.

President Trump sells America as a brand?

By: EBR | Thursday, November 10, 2016

Against all odds Donald Trump has been elected as President of the United States. Voter scorn for status quo propels upset of Clinton. The American people choose Donald

The alleged shortcomings of the scheme are highlighted by the case of Alexander Adamescu who was arrested on the basis of a warrant issued by Romanian authorities who have accused him of complicity with his businessman father in allegedly bribing judges.

Romanian case highlights ”shortcomings” of European Arrest Warrant

By: EBR | Tuesday, November 8, 2016

The controversial arrest of a leading German playwright has sparked fresh controversy about alleged abuse of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) by some EU member states

The government still asserts that it alone has the right to invoke Article 50 under the royal prerogative which give it sole authority over foreign policy and over the making of treaties. And it was Parliament that decided to hold the referendum.

British High Court disturbs smooth start of Brexit process

By: N. Peter Kramer | Monday, November 7, 2016

In the morning of November 3, the British High Court ruled that only Parliament has the authority to trigger Article 50 of the European Union treaty, the legal route for Britain to leave the EU

In time, with mutual knowledge and increased friendship and trust, Romanians and Moldovans will come to cherish both their common features and distinct traits and be able to manage their relationship maturely. This does not exclude passion, but one should be aware of the dangers of redirected passion. In the absence of strategic planning in between the two States, there is a risk that misunderstandings harm the relationship.

Romanian-Moldovan Reunification, between passion and realism

By: EBR | Thursday, November 3, 2016

Romanian-Moldova Unification is an idea periodically brought to the fore by those passionate for this project

The post-Delors years have gotten worse and worse, with Commission Presidents poorly chosen or rather well chosen to do badly or do nothing at all. The list is long: Santer, Prodi, Barosso I and II, and now Juncker. The Juncker Commission, now in place for 18 months, has got everything wrong. Whether on Grexit or Brexit, a proactive approach on these issues was required, to see them as an opportunity and not a threat. Making Greece leave the Euro while cancelling the country’s debt and assisting its recovery would have been the right EU solution for sustaining the single currency. Instead, the Greek crisis goes on, still unsolved.

The European Union: 20 years in the wrong direction

By: EBR | Thursday, November 3, 2016

Brexit on 23 June, glyphosate on 24 June… On issues big and small, the EU needs to re-build itself from top to bottom

Chernozubov, the president of the National Foundation for Mass Sports Development and a Russian national champion in gymnastics, is a strong believer in the power of social sports and the role of the new media and the Internet in popularizing sports. He envisions making the competitive processes in sports, both at the amateur and professional levels, more enriched by the new technology.

Former top gymnast champions fight against cyber warfare

By: EBR | Monday, October 31, 2016

A former gymnastics champion has developed a new system designed to help the IT community stay one step ahead of cyber criminals

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EU Actually

In foreign affairs, the EU is on the sidelines

By: N. Peter Kramer

The European Union is increasingly on the sidelines. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU seemed to regain its role. It reacted quickly and unanimously with heavy sanctions against Russia.

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Where Romania can build excellence: the sources of future competitiveness

Romania has been, for most of its recent history, a story of potential deferred. The standard account of Romanian competitiveness, to the extent one exists in international business literature, is a cost story: cheap labor, low corporate taxes, a large domestic market for Central and Eastern European standards.