Tag Archives: EU

Seven of Germany's 16 states have no minimum standards for refugee housing. As the political debate continues about how to fund and manage adequate refugee housing, Germany is one of 25 EU countries participating in Mos Maiorum, a campaign to round-up undocumented migrants launched on 13 October and expected to last for two weeks. 

Even with the established reverse flow capacity from Europe, accumulated gas in Ukrainian gas storages, and reduced consumption in the industrial sector due economic collapse and war in the east, Ukraine might still face a severe gas shortage this coming winter, risking the security of supplies to all of Europe.

Land Grabbing is not new. Companies from wealthy countries have always sought low-cost land for agricultural production. In Ethiopia, more than six million people survive because of UN food aid, while agricultural products cultivated on land leased to foreign investors are exported.

The odds of NATO collectively buying the French ships are still low. This is due to both the over-riding economic concerns among European nations domestically and the timidity of many European allies to give Putin the impression that they are taking a bellicose response to Russian expansionism. But if the downing of flight MH17 truly is a game-changer, then this collective response by NATO is not a bad way to start changing the game.

Members of the Russian-led EaEU are scheduled to establish the legal and regulatory framework to create a Single Economic Space by January 2015. But Kazakhstan has become increasingly wary of Russia’s political influence. Kazakhstan is constrained politically by the far superior military power of its northern neighbor. Most of Kazakhstan’s population along the Russia–Kazakhstan border are ethnic Russians. Fears within Kazakhstan about Moscow’s intentions have heightened due to Russia’s March 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Sisi has led a crackdown on any political dissent since Mohamad Morsi’s ousting by the military in July 2013. Islamists and Brotherhood supporters, prominent human rights advocates and protestors have all come under attack with an estimated 41,000 arrested since the military takeover. The al Jazeera verdicts surely highlight the reality of the current state of media freedom in Egypt and the grim continuation of the regime’s crackdown.

The results of European Parliament elections were somewhat expected, but shocking for many nevertheless. The rise of the anti-establishment parties that are skeptical about the idea of a unified Europe, as well as racist parties hostile to immigrants, is now a fact of life throughout Europe. Some have started to question the future of a multicultural Europe and even Europe-wide integration.

The ongoing political tensions between Russia and the West surrounding Crimea, and the continuing social unrests in Ukraine, serve as a trial for German foreign policy. Germany is expected to figure prominently in the crisis given the strong ties between Moscow and Berlin. The crisis may also demonstrate that Germany’s policy towards Russia could risk becoming obsolete, and that the …

The debate has continued over what more NATO and European Union can do to punish Russia for taking over Crimea and to stop it from going any further. History is replete with similar scenarios with one or the other European power over stretching itself based on false sense of the ground situation, while attempting to change borders and correct history. …

International relations is witnessing the revival of oil and gas geopolitics as a decisive issue on the global political agenda. Rising demand, swelling energy costs and the ever-growing scarcity of resources has ushered in a new wave of competition for raw materials and energy reserves.   Consequently, the European Union (EU) is attempting to systematically incorporate energy security into its …