Greece and Turkey should build on "low politics"

Two of the major allies in NATO and the wider Mediterranean region, Greece and Turkey have long being faced with huge dilemmas of stability and security in the Middle East and North Africa. Under the current pivotal shifts of global and regional influence, these two countries have a lot to win by cooperating closely and consistently.

The unfolding of the Greek financial crisis has been heightened up during the last six months. Even after the first agreement at the latest Euro Summit over a third bailout deal, economic conditions and the future of Greece inside Eurozone are not yet secured. And not that much because the Greek government does not look for it, but because the financial deal has nothing to incite hopeful thoughts over growth development. The bailout deal is not investment-oriented  nor addresses the major macroeconomic burdens of the Greek economy. 

Progress despite adversity: women's empowerment and conflict in Colombia

The Colombian case is an example of progress in women’s empowerment in the face of formidable and continuing challenges. Progress is identified in relation to: legal gains for women’s rights and gender equality; women’s presence and representation in public and elected positions; the advancement of a gender-responsive approach to addressing the legacies of conflict and associated mechanisms of memorialisation, reparations, restitution and transitional justice.

Britain's renegotiation: Advice to Mr Cameron

To succeed in his renegotiation, David Cameron needs to build an alliance for reforms that benefit the EU as a whole. Shortly after midnight on June 26th, a new chapter in the chequered history of Britain in Europe opened in Brussels. The European Council conclusions note, in two lines on page eight, that David Cameron, re-elected as prime minister, "set out his plans for an (In/Out) referendum in the UK" and that "the European Council agreed to revert to the matter in December". What will happen then will depend on how Cameron handles his intended negotiation about reform of the EU and Britain's relationship with it: he has yet to tell the European Council what he wants. But his plans will certainly work in London: the promise of a referendum was set out in the Conservative Party's election manifesto, and, despite misgivings in the House of Lords, a century-old convention that the unelected upper chamber does not obstruct a government's manifesto measures means that the necessary enabling legislation will not be blocked. So in 2017, or, more likely 2016, the British will vote on Brexit. 

Η ανθεκτική δυστυχία της Αιγύπτου

Αστυνομικός των «ΜΑΤ» φρουρεί κτήριο όπου επρόκειτο να διεξαχθεί η δεύτερη δίκη του ανατραπέντος προέδρου της Αιγύπτου Μοχάμεντ Μόρσι, στις 8 Ιανουαρίου του 2014. AMR ABDALLAH DALSH / REUTERS

Τα τελευταία δύο χρόνια ήταν τα πιο βίαια και κατασταλτικά στην σύγχρονη ιστορία της Αιγύπτου. Από τότε που ο στρατός της χώρας αντέδρασε σε μαζικές διαδηλώσεις για την ανατροπή του πρώτου εκλεγμένου προέδρου της χώρας, του συνδεδεμένου με την Μουσουλμανική Αδελφότητα, Μοχάμεντ Μόρσι, τον Ιούλιο του 2013, τουλάχιστον 1.800 πολίτες και 700 άτομα από το προσωπικό ασφαλείας έχουν σκοτωθεί [1], δεκάδες χιλιάδες έχουν φυλακιστεί και έχουν τεθεί αυστηροί περιορισμοί για τα μέσα ενημέρωσης, την κοινωνία των πολιτών, και τις εκδηλώσεις διαμαρτυρίας. Και αυτή η πικρή ιστορία προβλέπεται να επιδεινωθεί. Μετά την δολοφονία του γενικού εισαγγελέα της Αιγύπτου στις 29 Ιουνίου, ο πρόεδρος Αμπντέλ Φατάχ αλ Σίσι κατηγόρησε την Αδελφότητα και υποσχέθηκε ολοένα και πιο σκληρά κατασταλτικά μέτρα κατά της οργάνωσης, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των αυστηρότερων νόμων [2] για να εξασφαλίσει ότι οι Αδελφοί Μουσουλμάνοι που βρίσκονται στην πτέρυγα των μελλοθανάτων θα εκτελεστούν νωρίτερα. Σε απάντηση, η Αδελφότητα ενέκρινε [3] την ξαφνική έξαρση των επιθέσεων σε υποδομές, συμπεριλαμβανομένων πύργων ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας. Και τζιχαντιστές που συνδέονται με το αυτοαποκαλούμενο Ισλαμικό Κράτος (επίσης γνωστό ως ISIS) ξεκίνησαν ένα νέο γύρο επιθέσεων, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των βομβιστικών επιθέσεων της 1ης Ιουλίου στο Βόρειο Σινά που σκότωσαν δεκάδες στρατιώτες [4], και της πρόσφατης επίθεσης κατά του ιταλικού προξενείου στο Κάιρο.

Europe’s geopolitical suffering

Andrea Bonetti

Professor Giancarlo Elia Valori

"Professor Giancarlo Elia Valori is an eminent Italian economist and businessman, a University Professor and a keen observer of the political and economic international situation. During his long career he has held numerous high positions in prestigious Italian and foreign companies. He currently chairs “La Centrale Finanziaria Generale SpA”, the Laboratory Foundation for Public Administration and the Italian delegation of the Abertis Foundation. He is also the honorary president of Huawei Italy, economic adviser to the Chinese giant HNA Group, Khashoggi Holding’s advisor and holder of important professorships at prestigious universities such as Yeshiva University in New York, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and The Peking University.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve No Longer Key Part Of U.S. National Security

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), once seen as a cornerstone of America’s energy security, is losing its shine in Washington.

The SPR was established in the aftermath of the 1973-1974 oil embargo, which led to high gasoline prices, fuel rationing, price controls, and long lines at gas stations. The U.S. government decided to stockpile oil in salt caverns in Texas and Louisiana, fuel that could be used in the event of a supply outage. Today, the SPR holds 695 million barrels of oil.

U.S., Russia: The Case for Bilateral Talks

Phone calls between relatively low-level diplomats are normally not newsworthy. But Monday's conversation between U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin on the simmering conflict in Ukraine is an exception. The bilateral nature of the conversation and its timing amid mounting claims of cease-fire violations from the Ukrainian government and separatist forces makes it uniquely significant. Moreover, it reaffirms that the evolution of the Ukrainian conflict — whether toward a settlement or toward escalation — will be most strongly shaped not by Kiev but by the actions of and relationship between Moscow and Washington. 

The Turkish Enigma

In my "Net Assessment of the World," I argued that four major segments of the European and Asian landmass were in crisis: Europe, Russia, the Middle East (from the Levant to Iran) and China. Each crisis was different; each was at a different stage of development. Collectively the crises threatened to destabilize the Eurasian landmass, the Eastern Hemisphere, and potentially generate a global crisis. They do not have to merge into a single crisis to be dangerous. Four simultaneous crises in the center of humanity's geopolitical gravity would be destabilizing by itself. However, if they began to merge and interact, the risks would multiply. Containing each crisis by itself would be a daunting task. Managing crises that were interlocked would press the limits of manageability and even push beyond.

Hamas struggles to cope with regional and internal challenges

Hamas is experiencing internal divisions and external threats as the organization struggles to adjust to rapidly shifting geopolitical dynamics in the region.

On July 1, Wilayat Sinai, a local affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) which used to be known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, orchestrated a string of attacks in the peninsula that left over 60 Egyptian soldiers dead. Israeli officials accused Hamas of cooperating with the group.

Why debt sustains corruption in Greece and vice versa

As numerous Greek MEPs opposed the Eurozone summit deal, implementation will require a broad coalition of political parties. This column argues that corruption in Greek politics will prevent the formation of such a coalition. The heavy debt service leads parties to invent extreme ways of responding to super-austerity and to strongly oppose direct reforms that challenge existing clientelism. The way out is to sign a new agreement that combines debt restructuring and radical transparency reforms, including naming-and-shaming practices, to block clientelism in the medium and long run.