Latest Articles about Europe
The Threat of Grassroots Jihadi Networks: A Case Study from Ceuta, Spain
On December 12, 2006, Spanish police executed a spectacular counter-terrorism operation in the neighborhood of "Príncipe Alfonso" in Ceuta (a Spanish city located in North Africa, just south of Gibraltar). Those arrested belonged to a grassroots jihadi group planning attacks on local targets in the... MORE
UKRAINIAN GAS DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS EYED FOR SWAPS WITH GAZPROM
Since the law initiated by opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and adopted by parliament on February 6 has banned any form of alienating gas transit pipelines and other Naftohaz Ukraine-owned assets (see EDM, February 7), Russia’s Gazprom and officials in Kyiv seem to be adjusting their... MORE
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER SUE EACH OTHER
As Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych continue to dispute each other’s powers, interpreting the constitutional amendments of 2004-2006 each in his own favor, both hope for support from the judiciary. On February 5 Yushchenko referred the new law on the Cabinet... MORE
NO VALENTINE’S CARD FOR MOSCOW
February 14, 2007 -- Volume 4, Issue 32 IN THIS ISSUE: *Putin’s criticism of West not backed by military strength *Ivanov pours money into Russian army, but changes are superficial *Lukashenka courts West, rebuffs opposition -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A POTEMKIN DEMOCRACY, A POTEMKIN FREE MARKET, AND A... MORE
WILL THE ORANGE TEAM RE-UNITE?
As Ukraine’s parliament reconvened after the winter recess, the caucuses of the pro-presidential Our Ukraine (NU) bloc and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc announced they would act as a unified opposition. NU and Tymoshenko have at least two common goals – early parliamentary elections and reversing... MORE
YUSHCHENKO, YANUKOVYCH LOCK HORNS OVER CABINET LAW
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and the ruling coalition in Kyiv have failed to find a compromise over the “Law on the Cabinet of Ministers.” The law is meant to complement the constitution, more clearly defining the remits of the president, the cabinet, and parliament; at... MORE
TOLERANCE REDUCES NEED FOR RUSSIAN LANGUAGE LAW IN UKRAINE
Although Ukraine’s Party of Regions introduced a new draft language law to parliament last fall, interest in the bill will decline following the unexpected death of key party ideologue Yevhen Kushnariov last month. Elevating Russian to an official or second state language requires a change... MORE
UKRAINE BARS RUSSIAN-PROPOSED ALIENATION OF NATIONAL GAS TRANSPORT SYSTEM
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s February 1 call to “unite” Ukraine’ gas transit system with that of Russia has strongly backfired. In Kyiv, opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko initiated and the Verkhovna Rada adopted almost unanimously on February 6 a law banning any form of alienation of... MORE
BELARUS: A NEW DIALOGUE TO PRESERVE THE INDEPENDENT STATE?
The recent rift between Belarus and Russia has caused some soul-searching among the Belarusian political opposition, including proposals for a new dialogue with the government. At the same time, the proposed Second Congress of Democratic Forces is scheduled to take place in March, but it... MORE
TRANSNISTRIA’S “GOVERNMENT” SHOWCASES FOREIGN, MINORITY RULE
On January 31 Transnistria “president” Igor Smirnov finished forming the new “government,” which is a reshuffled version of the preceding one. The new government enjoys, at least on paper, more powers than its predecessor, as part of attempts to institutionalize the de facto authorities in... MORE