CEEOL - Search Result

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2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Stumbling judiciary is the cancer of BiH Society

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

Keywords: 2020; BiH; judiciary; politics; conflict; reforms;

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the elections of local authorities were held on 15 November 2020. The results of the local elections are a prelude into tectonic changes on the political scene of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The wave of political changes has shifted from Montenegro to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was most prominent in the entity of Republika Srpska were the ruling regime headed by Milorad Dodik and his Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) suffered a strong political blow from the opposition, primarily in Banja Luka, the largest city in Republika Srpska, but also in major economic centers in the entity such as Bijeljina, Derventa i Brod. After the fall of the regime of Milo Đukanović (DPS) in Montenegro, the fall of Dodik's regime has become inevitable. Dodik displayed humility and attempted to curry favor with the Vice President of the European Commission and High Commissioner for Foreign and Security Policy Joseph Borell during his recent visit to Sarajevo when he requested financial support from the EU, which could prolong his regime for a short period of time. Hence, the question to be asked is will, this time as well, the international community financially support Dodik and save his regime from financial collapse?

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The EU should live up what it stands for: We might be all Hong Kong tomorrow

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

Keywords: EU; Hong Kong; repression; security; foreign policy;

On 26 June 1963, the then-President of the United States John F. Kennedy delivered his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech, underlining the support of the Free World for West Berlin and West Germany. 47 years later, the Special Procedure 50 of the UN Human Rights Council has issued a statement denouncing Beijing’s repression of Tibet and Hong Kong. The statement came just before the National Security Law in Hong Kong was approved by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

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2020 Eastern Mediterranean: New episode of political tensions

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

Keywords: Eastern Mediterranean; 2020; political tensions; NATO; security;

The Eastern Mediterranean region is currently experiencing a new cycle of tensions between Turkey and Greece, which belong to the same system and are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO. While the dispute revolves around natural resources, such as natural gas, it essentially boils down to flaring up of old historical enmities rooted in the agreement that established the current borders of the Republic of Turkey after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Namely, the Turkish government wishes to rectify that historic (in)justice. As historical memory still leaves a trace on the presence, the current tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, between Turkey and Greece, are not related just to the natural resources discovered over the past few years, but have roots in historical disputes dating back almost an entire century.

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All for Global Citizens: President Fischer on 75 years of triumph of antifascism

Author(s): Audrey Beaulieu / Language(s): English

Keywords: Global Citizens; antifascism; President Fischer; 75 years; security; human rights;

Early summer days of 2020 in Vienna sow marking the anniversary of Nuremberg Trials with the conference “From the Victory Day to Corona Disarray: 75 years of Europe’s Collective Security and Human Rights System – Legacy of Antifascism for the Common Pan-European Future”. This was the first public and probably the largest conference in Europe past the early spring lockdown. It gathered numerous speakers and audience physically in the venue while many others attended online.

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Throwback to a powerful and timely HR message addressed to the citizens of the world

Author(s): Nora Wolf / Language(s): English

Keywords: human rights; citizens of the world; throwback; COVID-19;

We are on the 1st of July 2020; post-first wave of coronavirus across the globe, and already Vienna is holding a 3-panelled diplomatic forum with over 20 guest speakers. In fact, neither reflections on human rights enhancement, nor those on the current trends in international diplomacy were ever in lockdown. On the contrary, it would appear that the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed for some important realisations amongst scholars, thus rendering this period prolific in that respect – despite an overwhelming tendency to blend everything with our sterile economies.

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2020 Parliamentary elections in Montenegro: Will EU recognize results of elections in Montenegro?

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

Keywords: Montenegro; 2020; parliamentary elections; EU; recognition;

Parliamentary elections in Montenegro are scheduled to take place on 30 August 2020. The electoral roll contains the names of 541,232 eligible voters. The ballots include 12 election lists (six coalitions and six parties). Montenegro has a proportional system in which the entire country is one electoral unit. At the elections the voters shall elect 81 representatives in the Montenegrin Parliament. The election threshold is 3%. Simultaneously with parliamentary elections, local elections will be held in the Kotor, Budva, Andrijevica and Gusinje municipalities.

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2020 Belarus: Belarus between EU imperialism and Russian occupation

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

Keywords: 2020; Belarus; EU; imperialism; Russian occupation; elections;

In the Republic of Belarus, presidential elections were held on 9 August 2020. The current President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is the winner of the presidential elections at which he won 80.23% of the votes. The turnout at the elections was 84.23%. However, the opposition candidates expressed their discontent over the results of the elections. Particularly, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who won 10.09% of the votes. Immediately after the closing of the polling stations, citizens started the protests in order to express their discontent over the just held elections and the election results. The opposition went so far in its stances that it alleged that the opposition candidate Tikhanovskaya had won 80%, and Lukashenko only 10% of the votes. Analysts believe that while the just held elections were not ideal, had some shortcomings and could have been conducted in different atmosphere and conditions, an inverse election result is practically impossible bearing in mind the organization of Belarus, its political modus operandi and the sentiments of the electorate.

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The future of Europe depends on its neighborhood – UfM’s Nasser Kamel says

Author(s): Guido Lanfranchi / Language(s): English

Keywords: Europe; future; neighborhood; UfM; Nasser Kamel; human rights; security; COVID-19;

On July 1st, 2020, the Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Dr. Nasser Kamel, participated in an international conference discussing the future of Europe. The event under the name FROM VICTORY DAY TO CORONA DISARRAY: 75 YEARS OF EUROPE'S COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM was held at the historic setting of the eldest world’s Diplomatic Academy, that of Vienna, Austria. This gathering was organised by four partners; the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES), Media Platform Modern Diplomacy, International Scientific Journal European Perspectives, and Action Platform Culture for Peace, with the support of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. In his highly absorbing keynote, Secretary General Dr. Kamel described the impact of the C19 event as only amplifying the old issues and long-standing challenges within the Euro-Mediterranean theater. To this end, Excellency especially focused on the economic and environmental challenges faced by the Euro-MED. He recommended that sustainability and resilience should be at the core of the post-C-19 recovery, and gave an important piece of advice to European policymakers: if Europe is to become a global power, a positive engagement with its neighborhood – both east and south – will be of paramount importance. Hostilities and confrontation should be replaced by a decisive cooperation on the common future project. And such a project should include all EU/Europe neighbors without prejudices.

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2020 Parliamentary Elections in Montenegro: End of Milo Đukanović's Era

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

Keywords: Montenegro; 2020; parliamentary elections; Milo Đukanović; politics;

The upcoming elections, scheduled to take place on 30 August 2020, will be the eleventh parliamentary elections since introduction of a multi-party system and the fifth since Montenegro declared independence. The electoral roll contains the names of 541,232 eligible voters. Montenegro has a proportional system in which the entire country is one electoral unit. The election threshold is 3%. Simultaneously with parliamentary elections, local elections will be held in Kotor, Budva, Andrijevica and Gusinje municipalities. The IFIMES international institute published on 9 June 2020 an analysis on developments in Montenegro titled “2020 Montenegro: Noose is tightening around Milo Đukanović” (link: https://www.ifimes.org/ba/9829).

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What will the future look like?

Author(s): Corneliu Pivariu / Language(s): English

Keywords: politics; relations; globalisation; China; Russia; USA; EU; security; COVID-19; economy;

A question that arises on each occasion when unexpected challenges confront a community, a country and now an entire planet. The world is in the midst of a deep existential crisis triggered imperceptibly when the bipolar world ceased to exist and the march of globalisation advanced, once that the political class has declined worldwide and it is no longer capable at finding the most appropriate solutions for the future evolution of mankind (at least in what it demonstrated since some time, and notably now).

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2020 Western Balkans: Attempt at repeating history

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

Keywords: Western Balkans; 2020; Kosovo; Serbia; relations; foreign policy; EU; economic policy;

After an 18 month suspension the dialogue between official Belgrade and Priština was renewed on 16 July 2020. Simultaneously with the renewal of dialogue, which is headed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić (SNS) and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti (LDK), begun the renewed engagement of expert teams of the parties to the dialogue, which had already held several meetings. The Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi (PDK) is no longer a part of the dialogue. Namely, he has been indicted before the special court for war crimes committed at Kosovo (KSC-SPO – Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor's Office).

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2020 Belarus: Wagnerization of Belarus

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

Keywords: 2020; Belarus; Wagnerization; presidential elections;

In the Republic of Belarus, presidential elections are to take place on 9 August 2020. The elections will take place in a rather tense atmosphere. The developments in Belarus over the past years are a consequence of not just internal political relations in the country, but also significant foreign influence, which has been particularly prominent in the election year. Although the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is in the focus of current happenings, they are a result of much deeper and more complex developments than it may seem at a first glance. Particularly if one is looking at the developments in the country through the prism of relations between President Lukashenko and the opposition and the opposition presidential candidates.

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Ongoing Reforms for Prosperity and a brighter future for Morocco

Author(s): Azzeddine Farhane / Language(s): English

Keywords: Morocco; prosperity; future; reforms; politics;

The celebration of the National Day of the Kingdom of Morocco marks the date of the accession of His Majesty King Mohammed VI on 30 th July 1999 to the throne of the Alaouite Monarchy. It is a celebration anchored in the common history of the people and the Kings of Morocco, and which represents a solemn occasion to renew the links of unwavering loyalty of the Moroccan people to the Alaouite dynasty. Morocco celebrates this year, the 21 years of the reign of his Majesty King Mohamed VI, highlighted by an ongoing process, under His leadership and guidance, of continuous reforms and restructuring of Morocco’s political, economic and social fields, for ensuring the prosperity and welfare of Moroccan citizens.

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Vienna Process 2020: From Culture for Peace to Culture of Peace

Author(s): Anastasiia Pachina / Language(s): English

Keywords: Vienna Process; 2020; culture; peace; foreign policy;

A conference whose theme was “From the Victory Day to Corona Disarray: 75 years of Europe’s Collective Security and Human Rights System (Legacy of antifascism for the common pan-European future)” was held on July 1 at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. One of the very few real events organized in Europe in past 6 months, this one-day conference brought together leading speakers from different continents and spectrums grouped in three panels. This highly anticipated international event thoroughly discussed on WWII legacy and antifascism, multilateralism and cross-continental affairs, but also about culture, science, arts and sports. On a first glance, one may wonder what the panel on culture, sports and arts have to do with topics on politics and diplomacy. An Austrian top diplomat, historian and current Diplomatic Academy director, Emil Brix – who welcomed participants on behalf of the organizers – listed three essential questions under discussion. The first is legacy and security that remains relevant even 75 years after the end of World War II.

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Legacy of antifascism for the common pan-European future

Author(s): Manfred Nowak / Language(s): English

Keywords: pan-European future; antifascism; legacy; Nuremberg Trials anniversary; 2020;

The first July day of 2020 in Vienna saw marking the anniversary of Nuremberg Trials with the conference “From the Victory Day to Corona Disarray: 75 years of Europe’s Collective Security and Human Rights System – Legacy of Antifascism for the Common Pan-European Future”. This was the first public and probably the largest conference in Europe past the early spring lockdown. It gathered numerous speakers and audience physically in the venue while many others attended online.

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Turkey and the UAE’s Dangerous Collision Course

Author(s): Antonio Occhiuto,Giorgio Cafiero / Language(s): English

Keywords: UAE; Turkey; foreign policy; Yemen; conflicts;

It is impossible to deny that tensions between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are escalating. Although relations between these two powers have been worsening since the “Arab Spring” uprisings of 2011, this year the Turkish-Emirati “Cold War” is heating up significantly. Abu Dhabi and Ankara are challenging each other across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)—from Libya to Qatar and Syria to Yemen—while other regions such as the Balkans, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa are also theaters for their competition. In May 2020, Ankara’s chief diplomat, Mevlut Cavusoglu, accused Abu Dhabi of sowing chaos through its military interventions in Libya and Yemen. These words from Cavusoglu were a response to a joint statement made by Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, and the UAE, which condemned Ankara’s military intervention in Libya that has severely weakened the Emirati-sponsored General Khalifa Haftar’s power. “If you are asking who is destabilizing this region, who is bringing chaos, then we would say Abu Dhabi without any hesitation,” said Turkey’s top diplomat. “It is a reality that they are the force that has unsettled Libya and destroyed Yemen.”

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2020 Parliamentary elections in North Macedonia: Will the Macedonians be on the right side of the history again?

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

Keywords: North Macedonia; 2020; parliamentary elections; politics;

The early parliamentary elections in the Republic of North Macedonia will be held on 15 July 2020. Initially the elections were scheduled to take place on 12 April 2020, but were postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. On 30 June 2020, the IFIMES international institute published a pre-election analysis titled “Parliamentary elections in North Macedonia: Membership in NATO is a historic success.”/Парламентарни избори во Северна Македонија 2020: Членството во НАТО како историски успех“ (link: https://www.ifimes.org/en/9849 ). Based on the system of proportionality, a little less than 1.8 million voters will have the right to vote for the Macedonian parliament (Sobranie), which has 120 seats. These elections as well will be a duel of two leading political parties, the Social-Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM – the ruling social-democratic party) and VMRO-DPMNE (opposition conservative right-wing party). There are also smaller political parties such as the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI – a ruling party of ethnic Albanians), Alliance for Albanians (ASH – an opposition party of ethnic Albanians), as well as political parties of minorities such as the Turks, Roma, Bosniaks, Serbs and others, which traditionally have representatives in the Macedonian parliament.

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Parliamentary elections in North Macedonia 2020: Membership in NATO is the Country’s Historic Success

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

Keywords: North Macedonia; parliamentary elections; 2020; NATO; membership;

The early parliamentary elections in the Republic of North Macedonia will be held on 15 July 2020. Based on the system of proportionality, a little less than 1.8 million voters will have the right to vote for the Macedonian parliament (Sobranie), which has 120 seats. The leading parties at the upcoming elections will be the SDSM (the ruling social-democrat party), VMRO-DPMNE (conservative opposition), the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI – ethnic Albanian party in the ruling coalition), the Alliance for Albanians (ASH – ethnic Albanian opposition party), and political parties of ethnic minorities such as Turks, Roma, Bosniaks, Serbs and others, which are traditionally represented in the Macedonian parliament.

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Of multilateralism and future to Europe Recalibration

Author(s): Donald Johnston / Language(s): English

Keywords: EU; politics; foreign policy; multilateralism; recalibration;

This panel in addressing the future of Europe is invited to answer this question: “Is there any alternative to universal and pan-European multilateralism? For the purpose of my remarks I am interpreting “universal and pan – European multilateralism’ as moving forward with achieving more EU integration supported by institutions appropriate to a kind of federal structure in line with the thinking of the Spinelli Group. But it also raises the question of global free trade which I promoted as Secretary General of the OECD and continue to believe must be the word’s future in addressing poverty and opportunity, especially for the worlds developing countries. But it has to be managed in a way sensitive to the challenges of both.

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2020 Parliamentary elections in Croatia: Croatia in-between the past and the future

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

Keywords: Croatia; 2020; parliamentary elections; past; future;

On the occasion of the 10th (early) parliamentary elections in the Republic of Croatia, since its declaration of independence, which are scheduled to take place on 5 July 2020, the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES) prepared an analysis of the pre-election developments. The last regular parliamentary elections were held on 8 November 2016. Representatives in the Croatian Parliament are elected directly, by secret ballot and application of the proportional system according to which each party or candidate, get a number of parliamentary mandates that is proportionate to the number of votes won. The election threshold is 5%. A total of 140 members of the Parliament will be elected from the territory of the Republic of Croatia, which is divided into 10 geographical electoral districts, which means that 14 representatives are elected from each electoral district. These are the third parliamentary elections at which the preferential voting can be applied. So far, little has been done on promotion of preferential voting.

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Publisher: IFIMES Mednarodni inštitut za bližnjevzhodne in balkanske študije

2020 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Stumbling judiciary is the cancer of BiH Society

The EU should live up what it stands for: We might be all Hong Kong tomorrow

2020 Eastern Mediterranean: New episode of political tensions

All for Global Citizens: President Fischer on 75 years of triumph of antifascism

Throwback to a powerful and timely HR message addressed to the citizens of the world

2020 Parliamentary elections in Montenegro: Will EU recognize results of elections in Montenegro?

2020 Belarus: Belarus between EU imperialism and Russian occupation

The future of Europe depends on its neighborhood – UfM’s Nasser Kamel says

2020 Parliamentary Elections in Montenegro: End of Milo Đukanović's Era

What will the future look like?

2020 Western Balkans: Attempt at repeating history

2020 Belarus: Wagnerization of Belarus

Ongoing Reforms for Prosperity and a brighter future for Morocco

Vienna Process 2020: From Culture for Peace to Culture of Peace

Legacy of antifascism for the common pan-European future

Turkey and the UAE’s Dangerous Collision Course

2020 Parliamentary elections in North Macedonia: Will the Macedonians be on the right side of the history again?

Parliamentary elections in North Macedonia 2020: Membership in NATO is the Country’s Historic Success

Of multilateralism and future to Europe Recalibration

2020 Parliamentary elections in Croatia: Croatia in-between the past and the future