Latest Articles about Europe

Moldova’s Latest Elections: a Chance to Mend the Political Turmoil

Moldova illustrates the risks of introducing a parliamentary system of government prematurely, ahead of state consolidation, institution building, or even genuine party building. Inverting that sequence can disorganize and destabilize the state itself, then return authoritarians to power. Ukraine, Moldova, and Kyrgyzstan have each alternated... MORE

Moldova’s Alliance For European Integration: a Team of Rival Parties

Moldova can finally regain political stability after two years of constitutional crisis, incessant parliamentary and presidential elections, unstable governance, and institutional vacancies. Following the November 28, 2010 parliamentary elections (EDM, November 29), the new parliament convened on December 28 and reconstituted the Alliance for European... MORE

Belarus Elections End in Violence and Repressions

The end of voting in the presidential election on December 19 was followed by a large demonstration in October Square, which eventually moved to Independence Square. There followed a violent attack by riot police that left numerous people hospitalized, seven of the nine presidential candidates... MORE

Ukraine Launches Administrative Reform, Cuts Central Government

Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, has launched a reform of public administration. This is the second major reform related to the economy undertaken by his government after the tax reform, which was rubberstamped by parliament in early December. Next will be pension, housing and customs service... MORE

Lukashenka Holds Dialogue in Minsk With US Analysts (Part Two)

Receiving a small group of US analysts in Minsk (EDM, December 15), President, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, appealed to the United States to develop a multi-track policy toward Belarus, instead of a single-dimensional policy [implying democracy-promotion divorced from everything else]. The free-wheeling discussion of almost three hours,... MORE

Lukashenka Compromises to Gain Moscow’s Support

On December 19, ten candidates will contest the Belarusian presidency. The election has been notably open, with several opposition candidates reaching out for support from Moscow, and the European Union offering encouragement to the incumbent president conditional on some basic requirements for a democratic process.... MORE