...’s financial crisis as a free ride to fish for votes through xenophobic discourse really deserve that honor. The fact is, however, that the vague and often confusing entity floating (seemingly pointlessly) over our heads, the European Union, does deserve to be singled out as one of institutions that have best contributed to peace and the building of democracy in the world. Thus, if the Nobel Peace Prize is to be considered a legitimate award (and...
by Mikhail Klimentov Out of the exponential growth of the European extreme right has emerged a new archetype – the intractable and furious Islamophobe. The Islamophobe cares about one issue only: immigration. Afraid of economic competition and cultural dilution, the Islamophobe reacts with violence, hatred, and bigotry. In the press this individual becomes “anti-immigrant,” “anti-Muslim,” a “right-wing racist,” or merely someone who is “scared”...
From Wikimedia Commons On Friday, September 28, Columbia University’s Center on Global Economic Governance (CGEG) and its East Central European Center hosted two foreign ministers to discuss the economic crisis that has recently plagued the eurozone. However, the bulk of the event centered on a discourse about the European Union as an institution, something both speakers seemed keen to discuss. The speakers were Foreign Minister Karl Schwarzenbe...
For the last three years, Europe has been on the edge. Time and time again, the collapse of the euro has seemed alarmingly close. However, European politicians have been able to muddle through, coming up with half- baked solutions to buy time. Meanwhile, the suffering endured by the people of Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal has been immense – on a scale comparable to the Great Depression. The youth has been the hardest hit; consequently, we ar...
...is question as salient as in foreign policy. The Lisbon Treaty of 2009 was supposed to be the answer to this question: the position of “High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security” was supposed to embody European foreign policy. Catherine Ashton, the first person to hold this position has however inherited a difficult position. Uniting the foreign policies of 27 member states has proved a rather difficult enterprise. The Eur...
...xpressed similar nativist sentiments. This represents a marked departure from the idyllic progressive toleration often touted by the Old World. Anti-immigrant and pro-nativist speech has become part of the everyday in western European politics. The ubiquitous yet oft-dismissed Dutch politician Geert Wilders became a surprise kingmaker in the Netherlands after last year’s snap elections, in spite (or because) of his inflammatory rhetoric claiming...
With the fervor of the #occupy protests that swept most of the continent over the past months, Europe now finds herself awash in grassroots discontent over the planned ratification and enforcement of the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Having already been signed by both the European Union and an overwhelming majority of its member states, the document would establish a supranational organization, much like the European Union itself (...
...human rights for people in the Middle East and all around the world. He explained Turkey’s drive to strive for peace through the Alliance of Civilizations initiative under the United Nations and continue negotiations with the European Union in an attempt to carry universal values to Turkey and the region. As Erdogan noted, “All regional states would benefit from peace, harmony and stability. Everyone must be sure of one thing: Whatever we want fo...
from Wikimedia Commons On Wednesday night, the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs hosted a panel discussion on the issue of regional organizations and their effects on the power dynamics in the United Nations. Panelists included: Ambassador Nicholas Emiliou, Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations; Ioannis Vrailas, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations; Ambassador Manjeev Sing...
...German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the Israeli blockade and the use of lethal force in its enforcement, and Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign Minister, said, “nothing can justify the violence.” Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief reaffirmed, “the European Union’s position regarding Gaza – the continued policy of closure is unacceptable and politically counterproductive.” All of the commentary wa...
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