By Ramesh Jaura This is the first of two reports from Kosovo, on its efforts to garner international recognition in the aftermath of unilateral declaration of independence in February 2008 subsequent to the breakup of Yugoslavia after Josip Broz Tito’s death in the 1980s. – The Editor BERLIN | PRISTINA (IDN) – The United Nations […]
Why Germany Is Important For Survival Of Multilateralism
By Shastri Ramachandaran* NEW DELHI | BERLIN (IDN) – A spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of right-wing nationalism that is anti-immigrant and, in many pockets, feeding racism and xenophobia. Germany, which stood tall and firm against this gathering illiberal tide by throwing open its doors in 2015-16 to over a million refugees – mainly […]
Remembering the Berlin Airlift 70 Years On
By Frederick Kempe* Following is the text of the slightly modified blogpost based on Frederick Kempe’s weekly newsletter InflectionPoints on 26 June, which originally appeared with the caption ‘Europe Beyond Trump’. Kempe is president and chief executive officer of the Atlantic Council. You can follow him on Twitter @FredKempe. – The Editor WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN) […]
Dutch White Paper on Development Cooperation Beacons a New Discourse of Hope
Viewpoint by Mirjam van Reisen Prof. Mirjam van Reisen, Ph.D. is member of the Dutch Council on International Affairs and author of Human Trafficking and Trauma in the Digital Era: The Ongoing Tragedy of the Trade in Refugees from Eritrea. She is Professor International Relations, Innovation and Care at Tilburg University and Professor Computing for […]
State of Emergency for Press Freedom in Europe
By ECPMF BERLIN (IDN) – The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) in Leipzig, Germany, is warning against the dismantlement of freedom rights and the increasing threat against journalists in the EU. “Demagogues and autocrats are fighting the free press because they cannot stand democratic control. Under a corrupt administration the work of an […]
Reflections on Turkey: From Mustafa Kemal To Recep Erdoğan
Viewpoint by Pier Francesco Zarcone* ROME (IDN) – Has Turkey changed under Erdoğan? The question may seem absurd due to the habit of considering Turkey a secular and Westernised country before Recep Erdoğan came to power. However, this consolidated image turns out to be false. There has been a change, but not in substance: what […]
The Importance of Putin and Russia’s Presidential Election
By Somar Wijayadasa Somar Wijayadasa, a former UNESCO delegate to the UN General Assembly and Representative of UNAIDS at the United Nations, has been a frequent visitor to Russia since 1962 when the then Soviet Union “was a proud nation with a thriving economy, marvels of industrialization, advances in science, technology and medicine, escapades into […]
More Civil Engagement Called for in Eastern, South-East Europe
By Sean Buchanan This is the second in a series of reports highlighting salient aspects of Transparency International‘s latest analysis on challenges posed by corruption around the world as well as successes and failures of efforts targeting a scourge that eats into the vitals of human rights. – The Editor. LONDON (IDN) – When it […]
Erdoğan’s Neo-Ottomanism at a Dangerous Turning Point
By Pier Francesco Zarcone* ROME (IDN) – It is not being dealt with by major media, but there appear to be new and dangerous winds of war about to blow in the eastern Mediterranean. On October 15, 2016, in a speech at the university that (modestly) bears his name, Turkish President Recep Erdoğan outlined some […]
NATO Demands Cause Headaches in Iceland
By Lowana Veal REYKJAVIK (IDN) – In February 2016, the U.S. government started discussions with its Icelandic counterpart on the possibility of carrying out necessary changes to the doors of the NATO hangar at Keflavik airport so that newer, larger submarine reconnaissance planes could be housed there. The matter was eventually concluded in December 2017, […]