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Europe as a whole is not a democracy but it shares many democratic strengths and weaknesses. Free speech, freedom of assembly, and institutional checks and balances are at the top of both lists. The collapse of solidarity in Europe is threatening to break the union into pieces.

Democracy without Solidarity

By: EBR | Friday, April 22, 2016

“There will never be a good a solid constitution unless the law reigns over the hearts of the citizens; as long as the power of legislation is insufficient to accomplish this, laws will always be evaded“ Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1772)

There is no doubt that both Greece and its European partners will face politically difficult decisions in the coming months to arrive at a program that is viable—one that adds up.

Greece: Toward a workable program

By: EBR | Friday, February 12, 2016

Having successfully pulled Greece from the brink last summer and subsequently stabilized the economy, the government of Alexis Tsipras is now discussing with its European partners and the IMF a comprehensive multi-year program that can secure a lasting recovery and make debt sustainable

The questions now are: are both sides willing to continue these negotiations? Will the newly elected DPP President Tsai Ing-wen recognise the ‘1992 Consensus’: one China with respective interpretations?

After Taiwan elections: a cold wind blows over the Strait again

By: N. Peter Kramer | Thursday, February 11, 2016

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Ms Tsai Ing-wen secured a landslide victory on January 16, unseating the more China-friendly Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT) with 56% of the vote

In exercising these roles the Greek state has developed a powerful impulse towards self-enlargement and centralized planning. At the same time, it has acquired a tendency to consolidate its power through legislation and procedures that enable it to pursue the roles it has amassed without resistance but with great cost to society.

Education and mass media as springboards to development

By: EBR | Friday, January 22, 2016

Throughout the six years of the economic crisis, the political elite, the state apparatus and Greek society itself have shown a striking inability to come up with ideas and develop programs that could lead the country out of the crisis

Mr. Margaritis Schinas has developed a powerful communicational platform of significant influence that, if he wants to use, could prove to be a precious political assistance to Kyriakos Mitsotakis - and not only.

The newly-elected opposition leader in Greece and Europe

By: Athanase Papandropoulos | Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Mr. Margaritis Schinas, Spokesperson of the European Commission, could play an informal key-role as far as it concerns the relationship between the recently appointed New Democracy (ND) President, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and EC chief Jean-Claude Juncker

A prerequisite for the first review of Greece′s €86 billion bailout is the reform of country′s ailing pension system.

Greece set for major credit rating upgrade

By: EBR | Monday, January 11, 2016

In the event of a "positive" first review of Greece's third bailout programme, its struggling economy will be upgraded by rating agencies, a capital market specialist stated

Smoke is being sent by various political actors towards local and foreign eyes, each trying to look reasonable and blame other parties for any future failure of governmental talks.

Moldova: Smoke gets in your eyes

By: EBR | Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Moldova is in political disarray: the current pro-European parties involved in coalition talks are more preoccupied with doing crisis management and scape goating operations than they are actually committed to making a new governmental coalition work.

Impact Investing focuses on addressing major social and/or environmental challenges while generating financial returns. Impact Investing can be applied as a lens across an entire portfolio.

Investing for Impact: Capital Fusion for Social and Environmental Good

By: EBR | Tuesday, November 24, 2015

The global economy has reached a tipping point where emerging markets are no longer simply a rising force but are now taking center stage.

According to IHS, a US-based analytics firm, the annual revenues for ISIS raised from oil and gas trafficking overcome 1 billion US dollars per year in which we should add another 600 million gained by other criminal activities.

How ISIS is funded

By: Athanase Papandropoulos | Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Illicit oil trade, ransoms from abductions, drugs, archaeological treasures and trafficking are among the main “source of revenues” for the cruelest criminal organization in the world.

The rise of identity politics is not just an issue in the Western world.

After Paris: Long Cycles in Politics and History

By: EBR | Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The world still awaits a resolution of the end of the Ottoman Empire, Caliphate or not.

But on the home-front, the atrocities of Paris will soon strain the deep EU divisions on the migration crisis to breaking point.

What do the Paris attacks mean for the migration crisis?

By: EBR | Tuesday, November 17, 2015

As the world struggles to comprehend the brutality of the Paris terror attacks, Open Europe's Nina Schick writes that in the EU, they will serve to deepen Europe's existing divisions on the migration crisi

Mr. Ma said on his way back home, that he was not convinced by Mr. Xi’s assertion that the Chinese missiles arrayed along the Taiwan Strait were not targeting the island of Taiwan.

Ma-Xi meeting in Singapore receives mixed public response in Taiwan

By: N. Peter Kramer | Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Polls in Taiwan have generally found support for meetings between the two sides but have also indicated wariness about Ma’s intentions.

Secretary-General Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland calls Moldova a "captured state"

Brussels completely misled by Moldova′s pro-European bid?

By: EBR | Monday, November 9, 2015

Exports increased, the economy grew and, in return for a series of reforms, including improving human rights, Moldovan citizens were granted visa-free travel into E.U. territory.

With respect to Ukraine, Putin’s position is hardly ideal, but it is still manageable. He now owns Crimea and controls two rebellious provinces in the southeast Donbas region. He knows Ukraine faces the possibility of economic collapse, even though it has made some progress.

Putin’s deceptive pause: What are Russia’s next steps in Ukraine?

By: EBR | Thursday, November 5, 2015

The key question is: What does Putin have in mind? What are his plans, assuming that he has plans, and is not winging the crisis day by day?

While Europe’s mainstream was anxious, these results encouraged Vladimir Putin’s international ambitions. His developing support for populist parties of Left and Right came into its own over his annexation of Crimea, which many supported.

Europe’s populists: A present and rising danger

By: EBR | Thursday, October 29, 2015

It is the degree of this – and fundamentally its effect on governments – which is causing most concern among mainstream parties.

And if few voters on the streets of Athens have heard his name, many understand that how they casted their ballot in the elections makes little difference to what happens next. Under the draconian conditions of Greece’s third cash-for-reforms rescue package, Athens effectively surrendered control over great swaths of economic and social policymaking to its eurozone lenders.

Eurozone′s enforcer ready to keep Greece′s new leader in line

By: EBR | Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Dutch economist Maarten Verwey has unprecedented powers as his taskforce oversees the implementation of Greece’s cash-for-reforms rescue package.

The agreement also required a significant degree of trust among its signatories, because it put the responsibility for checking foreigners′ identities and baggage on the country of first entry into the Schengen area.

Europe Rethinks the Schengen Agreement

By: EBR | Friday, October 23, 2015

The most important change of the past six years is probably Europe's economic crisis and its byproduct, the rise of nationalist political parties.

The launch of a single market for entrepreneurs would not be a small undertaking. There are, though, three powerful reasons that make it crucial.

What Europe really needs is a single market for entrepreneurs

By: EBR | Wednesday, October 21, 2015

‘Creative destruction’ is what ultimately drives economic growth, and Europe doesn’t have enough of it. We have a much larger share of ‘static’ companies that neither grow nor shrink compared to the U.S., and very few of our largest companies are young. In other words, Europe is a great place for doing business, but only if you are an old-established incumbent.

Of the most important issues facing voters, just 7.2 per cent in this resource-rich nation said the economy, but 41.3 per-cent chose Nagorno-Karabakh, which - along with seven surrounding territories - continues to be occupied by Armenia in defiance of international resolutions calling for an immediate withdrawal.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is main problem for Azerbaijan people

By: EBR | Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Azerbaijanis go to the ballot box in less than two weeks, with almost 80 per cent of voters believing their nation is "heading in the right direction" under the present leadership and that the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains the defining issue.

Depending on who you believe, the impact could be disastrous or positive. I believe it could also be neutral; if Britain can set up a working free-trade scheme with the EU, then the economic consequences might actually even be positive. Britain would survive.

UK: The EU referendum campaign is likely to be defined by shades of grey and fine margins

By: EBR | Tuesday, October 20, 2015

There is undoubtedly a large swath of voters up for grabs who are at this stage either unconvinced of the case either way or have yet to engage with the issues (this is a familiar story in polling going back some way).

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EU Actually

Ukraine may buy for 6 billion euros Chinese drones with EU money

By: N. Peter Kramer

In his weekly column, N. Peter Kramer writes about the Ukraine buying for 6 billion euros drones in China with EU money. Is it a threat for Taiwan?

Europe

Diplomacy intensifies over Cyprus

United Nations secretary-general envoy Maria Angela Holguin will be in Brussels on Wednesday for meetings seen as important to European Union preparations for a possible revival of Cyprus reunification talks ahead of an expected visit by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Cyprus next week.

Business

How Much Pressure Can European CEOs Take?

There was a time when the job of the CEO was difficult but relatively clear: grow the business, beat the competition, manage costs, satisfy shareholders, inspire employees and avoid major reputational mistakes. That world has disappeared.