Why does the Ethiopian government regularly organise elections and invite observers, only to reject their findings? Why do international actors such as the EU Observer Mission continue to participate in these processes despite jeopardizing their credibility?
Reactions to the 2014 Gaza war in Europe and the US are more polarised than hitherto. A radical solution that places Hamas at the centre of negotiations is worth consideration, if only to escape further time wasting on already defunct or moribund formulations.
As the war on Gaza continues, we should analyze the attacks on Jews and their property in Europe differently from how we view the masses of people taking to the streets in protest against that war.
The most prominent case is the extreme right political party Golden Dawn in Greece. While all cases are different, they all address exactly the same fundamental question: what are the limits of political activism within a liberal democracy?
Protecting our fundamental rights against the destructive effect of mass surveillance is an essential task that should engage us all.
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has openly vowed to turn the country into an ‘illiberal state’. Europe cannot let this happen.
As Snowden’s revelations have had little impact on our online habits, expecting national governments or the EU to stand up against electronic surveillance misses the point.
The world has seen far more handshakes and meetings between Pristina and Belgrade than in the first years after the conflict. Is all this to be put at risk by Clint Williamson's part-endorsement of the Marty report?
Especially in some European countries, dealing with the dark sides of one’s history has become a significant topos. Without such a change in cultures of commemoration of the different European countries, a European Union would have been impossible.
In 1999, the EU embarked on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, not recognising that, left to their own devices, the judges would ultimately be overcome by the material forces and zeitgeist that put the interests of the markets before the rights of individuals.
The government in Bulgaria has resigned after 404 days of protests. What has changed in the past year and how has it affected the state of democracy in the country?
People are no longer content simply to take part in elections and to delegate all their power to political representatives. If Europe wants to create a direct link with the people, there is no other solution than to put the latter in a position to communicate with it.
