Dead in the water: Fixing the EU’s failed approach to Mediterranean migrants

Europe can no longer ignore the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean. If it wants to avoid the death of more refugees, it should fix its asylum policy, increase its naval presence, and play a stronger role in Libya.

There is something deeply wrong with Europe’s approach to irregular migrants. After the Mediterranean boat tragedy, which left more than 700 migrants dead, the European Commission has unveiled a ten-point action plan on migration. It has several good points, but it can only be the beginning.

Η Τουρκία μεταξύ της Ανατολής και της Δύσης

Η μονοήμερη επίσκεψη του προέδρου Recep Tayyip Erdogan στο Ιράν στις 7 Απριλίου, λειτουργεί ως ένα ακόμη παράδειγμα της αδίστακτης φύσης του προέδρου της Τουρκίας. Ωστόσο, παρά τις επανειλημμένες προσπάθειες για περισσότερο από μία δεκαετία, ο Τούρκος ηγέτης έχει αποτύχει να δημιουργήσει έναν κεντρικό ρόλο για την χώρα του σε μια περιοχή που μαστίζεται από θρησκευτικές, εθνικές και οικονομικές διαμάχες. Σε μια προσπάθεια να κερδίσει σε όλα τα μέτωπα, έχει αποξενώσει φίλους και εχθρούς, καθώς επίσης και τους συμμάχους στο ΝΑΤΟ. Η πλειοψηφία αυτών των συμμάχων στο ΝΑΤΟ είναι επίσης μέλη της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Η Τουρκία από καιρό φιλοδοξεί να γίνει μέλος της ΕΕ, και τουλάχιστον σε ό,τι αφορά τις επίσημες δηλώσεις, ο Erdogan και το κόμμα Δικαιοσύνη και Ανάπτυξη, συμμερίζονται αυτόν τον στόχο.

Nordic Defense Cooperation to counter Russian threat

The five Nordic defense ministers announced last week the beginning of extensive military cooperation between their countries, arguing that Russia is currently the biggest threat to European security.

In a declaration published last week, defense ministers for Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland announced the beginning of extensive military cooperation between the Nordic countries.

Security in the age of austerity: You get what you pay for

Europe’s neighbourhood is too dangerous for decisions on defence budgets to be left to austerity-minded finance ministers. The UK should set a good example.



The EU is in a dangerous neighbourhood, but shrinking European defence budgets suggest that finance ministries either have not noticed or do not care. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), from 2004 to 2013 defence spending in Europe fell by 6.5 per cent (in constant dollar terms); in some countries, including the UK and Italy, it fell by more than 10 per cent. Over the same period, Russia's defence expenditure more than doubled, and China's rose by 170 per cent. Saudi Arabia is now spending more on defence than the UK.

The 'Grexit' Issue and the Problem of Free Trade

The Greek crisis is moving toward a climax. The issue is actually quite simple. The Greek government owes a great deal of money to European institutions and the International Monetary Fund. It has accumulated this debt over time, but it has become increasingly difficult for Greece to meet its payments. If Greece doesn't meet these payments, the IMF and European institutions have said they will not extend any more loans to Greece. Greece must make a calculation. If it pays the loans on time and receives additional funding, will it be better off than not paying the loans and being cut off from more?

Obviously, the question is more complex. It is not clear that if the Greeks refuse to pay, they will be cut off from further loans. First, the other side might be bluffing, as it has in the past. Second, if they do pay the next round, and they do get the next tranche of funding, is this simply kicking the can down the road? Does it solve Greece's underlying problem, which is that its debt structure is unsustainable? In a world that contains Argentina and American Airlines, we have learned that bankruptcy and lack of access to credit markets do not necessarily go hand in hand.

Why Europe’s Migrant Tragedy Is a Political Crisis

When some 800 people — the exact number remains unclear — drowned this weekend aboard a ramshackle vessel attempting to smuggle refugees from Libya to Italy, they ran into what has become Europe’s deadliest border control.

In Europe’s ongoing quest to reinforce its borders and keep migrants out, the Mediterranean Sea has emerged as its latest, though not particularly effective, tool to control the flow of people into the continent. In recent years, Europe has significantly hardened its land borders, and given increased political instability and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, the Mediterranean has become the most popular point of crossing for the hundreds of thousands seeking to escape violence, poverty, and persecution.

Κινεζικά «δώρα» στο Πακιστάν με ανταλλάγματα

Μεγάλο πρόγραμμα οικονομικής συνεργασίας υπέγραψαν χθες ο πρόεδρος της Κίνας και ο πρωθυπουργός του Πακιστάν, κατά τη διάρκεια διήμερης επίσημης επίσκεψης, που πραγματοποιεί ο Σι Τζινπίνγκ στη χώρα της Νότιας Ασίας.

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Τον Κινέζο πρόεδρο Σι Τζινπίνγκ και την Πρώτη Κυρία της Κίνας, Πενγκ Λιγουάν (αριστερά), υποδέχθηκε χθες στο Ισλαμαμπάντ ο Πακιστανός ομόλογός του, Μανμούν Χουσεΐν.

Με προοπτική επενδύσεων ύψους 46 δισ. δολαρίων, η Κίνα εδραιώνει τη θέση της ως βασικής εταίρου της ανάπτυξης του Πακιστάν, εξασφαλίζοντας παράλληλα τη γεωστρατηγική συνεργασία του Ισλαμαμπάντ απέναντι στον κοινό περιφερειακό αντίπαλο, την Ινδία.

The low-hanging fruit of European capital markets

The planned capital markets union in Europe faces many obstacles. Commissioner Hill was right to start with the lower-hanging fruit but it will not help the eurozone in the short term.



Europe’s economy is too dependent on bank finance. A greater reliance on capital markets would help to boost the region's economic growth and resilience in future financial crises. To this end, the European Commission is aiming to create a capital markets union (CMU) in an effort to lower Europe’s dependence on bank finance and encourage the integration and deepening of its capital markets. But there are plenty of obstacles. Jonathan Hill, the EU’s finance commissioner, is sensibly focusing on the lower hanging fruit. But even these ‘early action’ measures will take time to implement, and as such will not improve Europe’s short-term economic prospects.

Amid an Economic Crisis, Russia Contains Dissent

With Russia entering its second recession in six years, the country's economic and financial hardships are starting to weigh on the Russian people and regional governments. In times of severe economic crisis, such as those in 1905 and 1998, the Russian populace and regional authorities traditionally react against federal authority, fragmenting the country.

Those in power in Moscow understand this and are taking measures to ensure that they counter and prevent any social or regional backlash and dissent.

What’s on Pakistan-based Militants’ Minds?

On 15 March, terrorists mounted suicide attacks on two churches in Lahore, Pakistan. While this was not the first attack on an institution or individuals related to minority communities in the country, this particular attack was indicative of an emerging trend.

That the minorities in Pakistan aren’t the most protected communities is not news. Over the past four decades, the persecution and/or lack of protection for minorities has resulted in ubiquitous violence, instability and almost-permanent uncertainty vis-à-vis social cohesion, national security, and economy. The religious and sectarian schism only widened with the emergence of armed radical religious insurgent groups. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, approximately 143 people belonging to minority communities have been killed in attacks targeted at minorities, in 2015 alone.