Dispatches
East-Europe’s economic triumphs and territorial worries over Ukraine
The implosion of the Soviet Union after December 1991 brought freedom to almost 20 restored or new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe. Europeans were reunited, independent and free after almost half a century of oppression under an earlier version of Homo Sovieticus. Russian leaders Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin supported national self-determination and democracy. […]
Azerbaijan moves toward the limelight
“Azerbaijan — moderate, secular and with a majority of its population Muslim — lives in a tough neighbourhood. We should give whatever encouragement we can in terms of [this emerging] democracy.” — Barry Devolin, a Conservative MP who was commenting on the merits of opening a Canadian embassy in Azerbaijan. Preparing to vist Azerbaijan always […]
The travel world’s treasures
What do we want out of a vacation? Always intensely personal, the answer says a lot about who we are — our preferences, priorities and decision-making process. Travel forces us into difficult choices about two very precious resources — time and money. But travel is not merely about maximizing some cost-utility function that fits a […]
Not your grandmother’s Sweden
For many Canadians, “Sweden” and “socialist” have simply always belonged together in the same sentence. Today that is still true, but the sentence now reads, “Sweden is no longer socialist.” For those who haven’t followed political developments in this Scandinavian country in recent years, such a statement may seem improbable and even outlandish, a bit […]
South Africa’s time of trouble
CAPE TOWN: Nelson Mandela’s death leaves political South Africa without any living moral compass. Symbolically, but tellingly, President Jacob Zuma was roundly booed when he spoke at Mandela’s memorial service. The country’s vibrant media carry constant stories about the declining popularity of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Mandela’s party and the nation’s historical liberation […]
Understanding Ukraine
The political crisis that led to the downfall of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych stemmed from Ukraine’s inability to make a permanent transition to a stable democracy since it became independent in 1991. To understand this difficulty, we must examine three factors: Ukraine’s history, the role of the EU and the influence of Russia. The transition […]
Iran’s other side: the South Caucasus
The recent loosening of anti-nuclear economic sanctions against Iran will change its role along its northern frontier, which faces the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan. Iran will be able to sell more oil, and the ensuing revenues, linked with new means of transportation, will allow it to throw its weight around, to bring […]
Poland’s amazing accession
The past 25 years of regained independence after the fall of communism were the most successful in the last 400 years of Poland’s history. To a large extent, that’s thanks to entering into the EU. This is why 2014 will be a special year for my country. It is an opportunity to celebrate the anniversary […]
An historic EU enlargement
When 10 Central and Eastern European countries joined the European Union on May 1, 2004, enlarging the union from 15 to 25 member states, a new chapter in Europe’s history books was written with the new members claiming their rightful place within the European family. It was an historic development and the most ambitious initiative […]
EU Enlargement: Ten years later
In May 2004, the EU embarked on its largest expansion, with the admission of 10 new member states, eight of them previously part of the Soviet bloc. In a Brussels speech two years earlier, European Commission president Romano Prodi predicted this move would be “one of the most successful and impressive political transformations of the […]
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