CEEOL - Search Result

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Kosovo 2023: Is ‘Serbian resistance’ feasible in Kosovo?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Serbia; Kosovo; 2023; conflict; foreign policy; security;

Numerous multilateral meetings have convened to discuss the Kosovo situation. Recently, the European Political Community Summit took place in Granada. Kosovo was in focus, albeit only declaratively, as no substantive steps were taken to overcome the existing crisis and reduce tensions. The forthcoming Berlin Process Summit in Tirana is unlikely to yield a solution for Kosovo, as Germany is primarily part of the problem in Kosovo, rather than a part of the solution.

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2023 Ukraine: Is the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war in sight?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Russia; Ukraine; war; predictions; 2023;

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. A year after the start of the war, the mystery surrounding its course is more intense than ever. In the first six months of the war Russia had the initiative, and the key questions were when, where and what kind of success it would achieve in attacks on the 2,500 kilometer long frontline. In the next five months, Ukraine took the initiative, and analysts tried to predict the location and possibilities of future counterattacks. It is difficult to predict what might happen and who will advance. Both sides are preparing for new attacks and face increasing losses on the battlefield, while expecting new reinforcements in weapons and manpower.

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Putin’s War in the Context of World Meetings

Author(s): J Scott Younger / Language(s): English

Keywords: Russia; Ukraine; war; Putin; world meetings; diplomacy;

The period October-November was busy with world meetings none of which have or only peripherally involved Russia because of their malign intent on Ukraine. A distinct change from reporting about the Ukrainian conflict was the football World Cup, the 4- yearly event now being hosted by Qatar, an occasion which was previously hosted by Russia in 2018, and where Putin was frequently visible. The fact that he had annexed Crimea 4 years before had been ‘forgotten’ about and he took all the praise for a successful event. However, Russia has not been qualified for the current Middle East held event. They will be sorely missed! The Qatari event is taking a significant amount of airtime, not just about football, but that is another story.

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2023 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Who undermines fragile peace in BiH?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; 2023; peace; undermining; politics;

The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is becoming increasingly complicated, not just because of the intensification of the armed conflict in Ukraine, but also because of the process of establishment of the government after the general elections in October 2022. At the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina the government was established by the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Croatian Democratic Union BiH (HDZBiH) and the parties of the so-called “Trojka” (Social-Democratic Party -SDP, People and Justice -NiP and Our Party -NS). The government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has still not been established on the basis of the election results from 2018 because of the blockades by the HDZBiH. The imposing of specific articles of the Election Law[2] and the enactment of amendments[3] to the Constitution of the Federation of BiH in the election night by High Representative Christian Schmidt (CSU/EPP), which are directly related to the Federation of BiH, have further complicated and rendered the relations in BiH even more complex.

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Montenegro 2023: Deciding between the past and the future

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Montenegro; 2023; presidential elections;

On 19 March 2023, presidential election will be held in Montenegro for the eighth time since the introduction of the multi-party system in this country and for the fourth time since its independence was proclaimed in 2006. 542,154 voters will be eligible to give a vote. The president of Montenegro is elected in a single national-wide constituency based on the two-round system. The candidates may not have dual citizenship and residence in another country. Seven candidates will run in the presidential election: ● Milo Đukanović – candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) ● Jakov Milatović – candidate of the Europe Now Movement (PES) ● Andrija Mandić – candidate of For the Future of Montenegro coalition: Democratic Front (New Serb Democracy – Movement for Changes –Democratic People's Party – Workers' Party) – True Montenegro – Free Montenegro ● Jovan Radulović – independent candidate ● Goran Danilović – candidate of the United Montenegro ● Aleksa Bečić – candidate of the Democratic Montenegro ● Draginja Vuksanović Stanković – candidate of the Social Democratic Party of Montenegro (SDP).

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Global south engagement for peace in Ukraine

Author(s): Matthias E. Leitner / Language(s): English

Keywords: Global South; Ukraine; war; peace;

Precarious Conflict Trajectory - Russia and Ukraine are preparing for a spring offensive with higher levels of military involvement. Spill-over into the region has been avoided so far, despite several drone attacks on Russian bases in occupied Crimea and in western Russia as well as the bombing of Kerch Bridge that connects Crimea with Russia’s Taman peninsula in October 2022, one day after President Putin’s 70th birthday. It is not excluded that intensifying conflict or a costly prolonged stalemate can lead to escalation and actively involve NATO or one of the front-line states with Ukraine.

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2023 Parliamentary Elections in Bulgaria: Between Brussels (Berlin) and Moscow

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Bulgaria; 2023; parliamentary elections; Brussels; Berlin; Moscow;

In the Republic of Bulgaria early parliamentary elections will be held on 2 April 2023. At the elections 240 representatives/deputies of the Bulgarian National Assembly will be elected according to the proportional closed-list system. There is a total of 31 electoral constituencies from which, depending on the size of the constituency from 4 to 16 representatives/deputies will be elected. The election threshold is 4%. These are the fifth elections in the past two years, as it was not possible to establish a government on the basis of the results of the previous elections.

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Montenegro 2023 presidential election: Entering the post-Đukanović era

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Montenegro; 2023; presidential elections; post-Đukonović era;

In Montenegro, the runoff presidential election will be held on 2 April 2023. In the first round held on 19 March 2023 the most votes were won by Milo Đukanović (11,9673 votes or 35.37%) and Jakov Milatović (97,858 votes or 28.92%). The turnout was 64.06% (341,551). The president is elected for a five-year term of office. 61-year old Milo Đukanović, a graduate in economics, is the candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists. He is running for president for the third term, while he has already served five terms as the Prime Minister of Montenegro. He is the leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

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2022 presidential electionin Slovenia : In anticipation of a new momentum in Slovenian political arena

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Slovenia; presidential elections; 2022; politics;

With parliamentary, local and presidential elections all being held this year in Slovenia, 2022 has been dubbed “super election year”. Presidential election campaign is taking place in the atmosphere of Robert Golob's Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda) convincing victory in the April parliamentary elections and the ensuing tectonic changes in Slovenian political arena. After parliamentary elections the new Slovenian coalition government was appointed, led by Prime Minister Robert Golob and comprising the Freedom Movement (GS), the Social Democrats (SD) and the Left (Levica).

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2022 Slovenian Presidential elections: Parting with Orban’s “values”?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Slovenia; presidential elections; Orban; politics; 2022;

In the second round of elections for the President of the Republic of Slovenia, scheduled to take place on 13 November 2022, Slovenia will elects its fifth democratically elected president since its declaration of independence in 1991. The president is elected for a three year term. Anže Logar (Dr. Romana Logar –group of voters) and Nataša Pirc Musar (Biserka Marolt Meden –group of voters) qualified for the second round of elections. In the first round Logar won 296,000 (33.95%) votes and Pirc Musar 234,361 (26.88%). The turnout was lower than at the recent parliamentary elections, as 876,687 (51.74%) voters participated in the elections.

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2022 Western Balkans: Between Berlin Process and Open Balkan

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Western Balkans; 2022; Berlin; EU; foreign policy;

The summit of the European Union (EU) and Western Balkans states will be organized on 6 December 2022 in Tirana. The summit is being organized within the framework of strategic cooperation of the EU with the Western Balkans and will be the first summit since the Russian invasion on Ukraine. Namely, the first informal EU 27 summit and meetings within the framework of the European Political Community were organized in Prague on 6 October 2022. The European Political Community brings together all countries of the European continent that share common democratic values. The summit was attended by 44 leaders from European countries, except Russia and Belarus.

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Putin’s War, world meetings, etc.

Author(s): J Scott Younger / Language(s): English

Keywords: Russia; Ukraine; war; world meetings; foreign policy;

The last period has been busy with world meetings none of which have or only peripherally involved Russia because of their malign intent on Ukraine. A distinct change from reporting about the Ukrainian conflict is the football World Cup, the 4- yearly event now being hosted by Qatar, an occasion which was previously hosted by Russia in 2018, and where Putin was frequently visible. The fact that he had annexed Crimea 4 years before had been ‘forgotten’ about and he took all the praise for a successful event. However, Russia has not qualified for the current Middle East held event. They will be sorely missed! The Qatari event is taking a significant amount of airtime, not just about football, but that is another story.

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2022 EU- Western Balkans: End of era of “courtship” of the West

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: EU; Western Balkans; 2022; West; foreign policy;

The European Union (EU) - Western Balkans Countries summit[2]was organized on 6 December in Tirana. It was an opportunity to discuss joint resolution of the issues that emerged as a consequence of the Russian invasion on Ukraine, intensification of the political dialogue and the enlargement policy, as well as strengthening of the security and building resilience to foreign interference, resolution of challenges posed by migration, fight against terrorism and organized crime. The summit was organized two months after the informal summit of member countries of the European Political Community in Prague, at which all European countries except for Russia and Belarus participated.

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Ukrainian Crisis – View from Tunisia

Author(s): Ali Goutali / Language(s): English

Keywords: Tunisia; Ukraine; crisis; Russia; conflict; policy;

In view of the dangerous escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and the alarming turn for the worse it took as well as the hysterical war mongering campaign that accompanies it, I deemed it useful to bring some clarifications and personal views concerning this conflict – in addition to the frequent writings on the topic on the pages of the IFIMES International Institute. I served for several years as Ambassador of Tunisia to both Russia and Ukraine. Hence, I hold in high esteem the peoples of either of the two. That is why, my point of view is meant to be objective and I am inclined to call earnestly for a rapid diplomatic settlement of this conflict with far-reaching and immeasurable consequences, if it is not quickly contained.

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2023 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye: Will Türkiye Organize Early Presidential and Parliamentary Elections?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Turkey; Republic anniversary; 100 years; elections;

Turkish officials, headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, assure the public that there will be no early elections and that the elections will be organized as planned in June 2023. Furthermore, the Turkish Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ stated on 19 August 2022 that the presidential and parliamentary elections will be held as envisaged by the Turkish Constitution, that is on 18 June 2023. In Türkiye, there are suspicions that Erdoğan could surprise the opposition and call early general and presidential elections.

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Putin’s War – cont’d

Author(s): J Scott Younger / Language(s): English

Keywords: Ukraine; Russia; conflict; war; 2022; Bakhmut;

Winter in Ukraine and Russia has brought cold and snow as usual, and the protagonists in this war, started by the Russian president 300 days ago, has altered accordingly. For the past month or so, the Russian belligerents have changed tactics, apart from fierce fighting at the frontline city of Bakhmut, acknowledging they were not making any ground, in fact being pushed back, albeit slowly. Both sides were and still are putting up defences, and meantime, mostly the Russians, are continuing the war from long range. There is a regrouping, especially around Kherson, before another push early next year. It would seem that Putin’s visit to see President Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus was to discuss his next moves on Ukraine, possibly with Belarus support. His eyes are also on Moldova with its ethnic Russian population to the east of the country. It is interesting to note that Kazakhstan, part of the former southern Asian states related to Moscow, has turned down a request to give assistance to Russia in its war with Ukraine.

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Europe of the West: Imperialism of Imagination, Geopolitics of Peter Pan

Author(s): Anis H. Bajrektarević / Language(s): English

Keywords: West; Europe; geopolitics; conflict; politics; identity;

Economic downturn; recession of plans and initiatives; systematically ignored calls for a fiscal and monetary justice for all; €-crisis; Brexit and irredentism in the UK, Spain, Belgium, France, Denmark and Italy; lasting instability in the Euro-Med theatre (debt crisis of the Europe’s south – countries scrutinized and ridiculed under the nickname PIGS, coupled with the failed states all over the MENA); terrorism; historic low with Moscow culminating in the unprecedented opened armed conflict of West with Russia on the territory of yet another Slavic useful idiot, ill-fated Ukraine, all this combined with a confrontational but in fact frightened and disoriented Washington administration; influx of predominantly Muslim refugees from Levant in numbers and configurations unprecedented since the WWII exoduses (with an institutionalized racism in the Western migration policy while giving to fleeing Ukrainians diametrically different treatment); consequential growth of far-right parties who – by peddling reductive messages and comparisons – are exploiting fears of otherness, that are now amplified with already urging health labour and social justice concerns; generational unemployment and sociocultural anxieties, in ricochet of sanctions; long-ago ‘prophesised’ than doctored health, post-C-19 and energy ‘crises’, oil anti-diplomacy, as well as the Sino-US trade wars, while rifting in dilemma to either letting Bolivarism or supporting Monroeism…

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A View over Putin’s War in Ukraine

Author(s): George Vadim Tiugea / Language(s): English

Keywords: Ukraine; Russia; war; conflict; military history;

Since the most distant times, wars have represented the main tool of regulating interhuman relations. As stated by English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, man in his initial state was a rather violent animal (homo homini lupus) and, for this reason, the rule of war reigned in relations with his peers, within which the strongest managed to impose his interests on the weakest. Based on the principle of natural selection, this framework was closer to the animal kingdom than to a society in the true sense of the word.

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2022 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Christian Schmidt vs. High Representative (OHR)?

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: 2022; BiH; politics; OHR; electoral law;

After the Russian invasion on Ukraine, which begun on 24 February 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and the Western Balkans region as a whole, once again became a focus of international attention. There is almost no relevant report or discussions at which Bosnia and Herzegovina is not identified as a location of possible conflict.After the Russian invasion on Ukraine, which begun on 24 February 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and the Western Balkans region as a whole, once again became a focus of international attention. There is almost no relevant report or discussions at which Bosnia and Herzegovina is not identified as a location of possible conflict. For more than a decade the US administration has left Bosnia and Herzegovina in the care of the European Union (EU), which has more than evidently missed the historic opportunity to make important steps forward towards a prosperous BiH. Not just that such steps have not been made but the EU has created in BiH a situation identical to that in Ukraine in the eve of the Russian invasion. The sequence of moves by EU officials towards BiH indicates a high risk of corruption, just as in the case of the possible imposition of the BiH Election Law.

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2022 Serbia: Strengthening of foreign policy and affirmation of international status

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Serbia; 2022; international status; foreign policy;

The Nonalignment Movement (NAM) summit organized from 11 October to 12 October in Belgrade, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of establishment of the Movement was the largest multilateral event in Europe and one of the largest events in the world in 2021. The group of Nonalignment Movement member countries is the most numerous group within the framework of the UN General Assembly in New York. The Movement is important for Serbia because many of its member countries have not recognized Kosovo. Over the past two decades superpowers have frequently tried through different ways to bypass the key role of the UN in the world and pursued the path of unilateralism while ignoring the UN. On the other side, the NAM advocates multilateralism, territorial integrity of the states and inviolability of borders.

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Publisher: IFIMES Mednarodni inštitut za bližnjevzhodne in balkanske študije

Kosovo 2023: Is ‘Serbian resistance’ feasible in Kosovo?

2023 Ukraine: Is the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war in sight?

Putin’s War in the Context of World Meetings

2023 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Who undermines fragile peace in BiH?

Montenegro 2023: Deciding between the past and the future

Global south engagement for peace in Ukraine

2023 Parliamentary Elections in Bulgaria: Between Brussels (Berlin) and Moscow

Montenegro 2023 presidential election: Entering the post-Đukanović era

2022 presidential electionin Slovenia : In anticipation of a new momentum in Slovenian political arena

2022 Slovenian Presidential elections: Parting with Orban’s “values”?

2022 Western Balkans: Between Berlin Process and Open Balkan

Putin’s War, world meetings, etc.

2022 EU- Western Balkans: End of era of “courtship” of the West

Ukrainian Crisis – View from Tunisia

2023 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye: Will Türkiye Organize Early Presidential and Parliamentary Elections?

Putin’s War – cont’d

Europe of the West: Imperialism of Imagination, Geopolitics of Peter Pan

A View over Putin’s War in Ukraine

2022 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Christian Schmidt vs. High Representative (OHR)?

2022 Serbia: Strengthening of foreign policy and affirmation of international status