Latest Articles about Europe

Health Reasons Force Erdogan to Cancel Athens Visit

On June 20 Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled a planned trip to Athens. Although his health condition was offered as the reason for the last-minute cancellation, it did not prevent speculation that Erdogan sought to use the pretext of his health concern to protest... MORE

Moldova Embarks on Electoral Campaign in Tension-Filled Atmosphere

Exercising his interim powers under the constitution, Moldova's outgoing president Vladimir Voronin has dissolved the parliament that was elected on April 5 and has called new parliamentary elections for July 29. Voronin's decree, issued on June 15, had become unavoidable after the opposition twice boycotted... MORE

The Ukrainian Government Launches Bailout Plan for Banks

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced on June 10 that three banks will be bailed out. The state will take over stakes ranging from 84-98 percent in the mid-size banks Rodovid, Ukrgazbank and Kyiv. The government does not plan to keep the banks permanently. They... MORE

New Developments in the Belarusian Opposition

The oldest opposition party in independent Belarus, the Popular Front, appears to be on the verge of yet another split within its ranks, one that according to its leader Lyavon Barcheuski, might result in its extinction. On June 20, the Popular Front will hold a... MORE

Belarusian President Boycotts Moscow’s CSTO Summit

Belarus refused to attend the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in Moscow on June 14. The summit made decisions to enlarge the size of collective rapid deployment forces, the scope of their missions, and the legal basis of their operations.President Alyaksandr Lukashenka cancelled the... MORE

Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Eroglu Visits Ankara

The E.U. has set December 2009 as the deadline for Turkey to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriots, and failure to comply might result in the suspension of talks on membership. Resolving the Cyprus issue is a critical part of the conditions set... MORE

Russia’s Ideological Crusade Against Ukraine

According to an interview with Ukraine's Ambassador to Russia Konstantyn Hryshchenko, the country's bilateral relationship with Russia has sunk to its lowest level since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, testimony to the Russian state control of the media and its ideological crusade against Ukraine... MORE

European Election Results Rekindle Turkish Reform Agenda

Voter apathy within the E.U. during the European parliamentary elections on June 4 resulted in only 40 percent of Europeans' voting. The election witnessed conservatives and center-right parties winning a decisive victory within most European countries. Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Holland, Austria, Hungary,... MORE

Grand Coalition Talks Collapse in Ukraine

The talks on forming a coalition between Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Party of Regions (PRU) leader Viktor Yanukovych have failed due to mutual distrust. Electing the next president in parliament was among the main conditions for a grand coalition that would have permitted Tymoshenko... MORE