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The resolution, which is non-binding, was adopted by 365 but faced fierce opposition, especially from the largest political group in the European Parliament, the centre-right European People′s Party, with 202 no votes and 72 abstentions.

MEPs explain objecting to Parliamentary resolution condemning Azerbaijan

By: EBR | Friday, September 25, 2015

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament at it plenary in Strasbourg on 10 September calls on the European Commission" to review and suspend temporarily, if needed, all funding not related to human rights, civil society and grassroots level people-to-people cooperation granted to Azerbaijan through the European Neighbourhood Instrument" and recalls Parliament's decision to send a delegation to Azerbaijan.

The Caspian state is the only Eastern Partnership country, which has neither signed an Association Agreement with the EU nor joined the Russian-led Eurasian Union

Is the end of the Eastern Partnership near?

By: EBR | Monday, September 21, 2015

The Azerbaijani authorities have been quick to hit back, warning that the dispute threatens to seriously undermine relations with the EU and calling on the EU "not to push Azerbaijan into Russia's arms."

Democracy and the Revolution of Values

By: Athanase Papandropoulos | Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Values, the concepts people believe in, the standards they live by, and the views they hold and by which they measure others, are shifting.

Today, all across the world, we continue to hear increasingly about “a crisis of confidence” in governments. While the pace of history accelerates, democratic governments often deadlock.

The capacity to compromise: an ultimate requirement for any effective democracy

By: EBR | Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Quality of life was the prime concern.

To diversify its economy Azerbaijan is taking a number of alternatives, including becoming a transportation hub of the region.

"Diversification" has become the buzzword of choice for booming Azerbaijan

By: EBR | Friday, September 11, 2015

The country, which once hosted the historic Silk Road, has already received the first container train from China along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

Primarily in cooperation with the European Union, the Council of Europe, NATO and the United States, Azerbaijan is actively involved in anti-terrorism operations. Through its partaking in NATO’s Partnership Action Plan on Terrorism, Azerbaijan shares information and strategic analysis with NATO and collaborates with its Western allies in the area of counter-terrorism trainings and border security.

Azerbaijan holds the key to stopping ISIS

By: EBR | Thursday, August 27, 2015

Whereas radicalisation is increasing in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Iraq and Syria, there has been a weakening in the phenomenon of radicalisation in Azerbaijan.

The different voices in his party, however, reduced his reliability both in the EU and his own country.

Syriza’s breakup and the next day in Greek politics

By: EBR | Thursday, July 23, 2015

Tsipras’s adventurous strategy offered a chance and a wake-up call for European socialists on a government level. The only strong supporter of Tsipras during these months in the EP was Gianni Pittella, the head of S&D.

The Greek "production problem", which results in high unemployment, could not be symbolized better than the fact that throughout the 40 years, from 1970 to 2009, the productive sector of the country was increasing at a rate less than 1% per year, a percentage lower than even the birth rate.

The unsolved problem of Greek production

By: EBR | Thursday, July 16, 2015

It is a fact that in recent years, Greek economy has been through a period of political instability, uncertainty and constantly increasing unemployment which currently exceeds 27% of the active population, while youth unemployment is over 50%.

To that end, particularly since 2009 and in response to the financial debt crisis in Greece, we had a series of “institutional coups” - which resulted today to a non-typical but substantial exit from the European Union, where we conventionally remain. And the basic question arises: for how long?

A coup that failed...

By: Athanase Papandropoulos | Wednesday, July 15, 2015

At the eleventh hour, Alexis Tsipras prevented the worst for Greece and managed to annul the plans of some cynical political speculators.

So, while capital controls are technically possible, I have failed to see any clear answer as to why they would actually desirable, especially from the Greek perspective.

The how, what, when and why of Greek capital controls

By: EBR | Wednesday, June 17, 2015

We present what would happen if the government enters the road of gradual exit from the eurozone; an exit which technically would be very difficult to happen instantly, but it would be very probable in the long run of the next two or three years.

In the future, the focus of digitization will shift to industries such as manufacturing. This is no doubt a huge opportunity for Europe. I believe that, enabled by Industry 4.0, Europe′s strong manufacturing sector will continue to lead the world in the digital era.

Building a Broader Industry Ecosystem for Europe 4.0

By: EBR | Monday, June 15, 2015

Over the last ten years, the focus of digitisation has been on the service sector. Indeed, Internet has reshaped banking, retail, and many other sectors.

What are the chances borders and peripheral regions might have? To answer to this question the Region of North Aegean (Greece) organised an exclusive event in the framework of the “European Business Summit (EBS) 2015” - held in Brussels on May 7 - under the title: “Innovation as a stimulus for Regional Growth”.

Innovation as a stimulus for Regional Growth

By: EBR | Friday, June 12, 2015

It is a fact that Cohesion policy for 2014-2020 adopts a new approach towards the necessity to address the needs that the economic crisis emerged. The new agenda aims at bridging the gap between public infrastructures and private investments [...].

So, my question is the following: What do you ladies and gentlemen believe is in the interest of Europe? What would help Europe to be integrated in the future? A Greek and European failure in the implementation of this program that will lead us all in an uncharted territory? Or the successful implementation of our program? I leave it up to you to decide.

What is needed for Greece’s recovery

By: EBR | Friday, June 12, 2015

There is the need to restore investments and faith, both decimated by seven years of debt’s deflation (2008-2015). But how can this be done? How can we restore investments and faith in line with disengagement speed?

While PM Alexis Tsipras deals with the dilemma of signing a new loan agreement (a third MoU?), possibly worse than the previous ones, he faces two immense problems; the first has to do with him maintaining power and under what conditions - the second has to do with a potential split of SYRIZA and, if so, who and how will “cover” the political gap within the party that will occur.

Backroom political developments

By: Athanase Papandropoulos | Tuesday, May 19, 2015

While both New Democracy (ND) and SYRIZA are facing internal conflicts, high-ranking members of both parties are under informal negotiations regarding the formation of a possible Coalition Government, most probably in the forthcoming June.

“We cannot have an agreement with the neocolonial centers that dominate the EU and the IMF if Greece is not able to really threaten their basic economic political and geostrategic interests.”

Greece’s Far Left Against the World

By: EBR | Monday, May 4, 2015

In a recent interview to an Athens newspaper, Greek Minister of Energy and Development Panagiotis Lafazanis declared that Greece faces a life or death struggle against “neocolonial foreign centers.”

To achieve rising and shared prosperity requires not a silver bullet but an arsenal of policies deployed in systematic fashion.

Designing policies that support growth

By: EBR | Friday, March 6, 2015

Productivity growth is necessary but not sufficient to support broad-based well-being, which also depends on quality of life, health, and environment.

Clearly the Turkish provocations in the Aegean are of an experimental nature, i.e. of exploratory intent.

Ankara is testing Athens…

By: Athanase Papandropoulos | Wednesday, March 4, 2015

In this current phase, therefore, due to the overall developments in our region, Europe is tired with Greece and Turkey knows it very well.

The “in principle” agreement reached by the Eurogroup on Friday 02/20/15 regarding the four month extension of the Main Contract for Economic Facilitation of Greece relieves every intelligent man.

Is the “honeymoon” for SYRIZA over?

By: EBR | Monday, March 2, 2015

Any embroilment would be a mortal danger for the European course of the country with devastating economic, geopolitical and social impacts. Therefore, the first difficult steps of the government towards more realistic directions are absolutely welcome.

New elections or referendum is the most likely political scenario to happen in the months to come, a period of artificial crisis.

Where is Tsipras heading the country?

By: Athanase Papandropoulos | Thursday, February 5, 2015

Why Mr. Alexis Tsipras ordered his party members not to harshly attack against Mr. Antonis Samaras? What is in the mind of the Minister of Finance, Mr. Yianis Varoufakis, when he talks about a "simple life"?Which is the purpose behind the flirt with Russia?

The Greek Commissioner was proposed by centre-right New Democracy which was recently defeated by leftist Syriza in Greek elections.

Migration Commissioner to be Greece’s next President?

By: EBR | Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Intense rumours are being circulated in Athens that the current Greek Commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, is intending to quit from the European Commission and run for the Presidency of Greece.

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