There’s a scene in the 2007 film Charlie Wilson’s War when the titular character, a congressman played by Tom Hanks, tries to make a case to his congressional peers. He wants to allocate one million dollars toward building a school in Afghanistan, as a way for the United States to combat Soviet propaganda in the […]
The Russian economy returned to growth in 2017 after several years of recession. However, there are still major challenges ahead, including the need for budget reform, a financial sector overhaul, and the risk of sanctions. Natalia Orlova, Chief Economist and Head of Macro Insights at Alfa Bank, offers her expert view on these issues to GRI’s Michael […]
Allow me to make two observations before I turn to my remarks. The Mission statement of the Forum’s website asks that we be honest and direct. And so, although I do not wish to appear overly harsh in my observations, nevertheless I am obliged to be frank and open. Otherwise, why have a conference such […]
The proposed UN peacekeeping mission to Ukraine needs a combination of Western sticks and carrots. Diplomacy is not enough.
The last year has seen a period of deadlock in Eastern Ukraine, as the armed conflict continues into 2018 amid fruitless attempts to reach a stable ceasefire. But as new factors emerge, should we expect a flare-up in the Donbass region? Permanent ceasefire remains beyond reach The progress on Minsk II – the key agreement […]
The fall of Croatia’s biggest privately-owned company, Agrokor, has brought into sharp relief the extent to which crony capitalism, botched privatizations, and corruption still hold sway in the Balkans. In a recent report, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom highlighted the Agrokor scandal – and the actions of its larger-than-life owner, Ivica Todoric – as worrying signs […]
Nearly eclipsing the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the Euromaidan protests last Tuesday was the latest in the ongoing scandal surrounding former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. According to newly released records, the beleaguered political consultant traveled to Moscow at least 18 times during his nearly decade’s worth of work for the pro-Russian politician […]
Far from having strong ideological persuasions one way or the other, Eastern Europe’s leaders exploit cultural divides inside their countries for short-term political gain.
The decision may symbolize the increasingly anti-reformist environment in Ukraine and the likely failure of promises spearheaded during the 2014 Euromaidan.
In late August, Martin Konvicka, a Czech anti-immigrant nationalist planned and staged a fake ISIS assault in the middle Prague’s Old Town Square.
Near the Lithuanian border is the site of Belarus’ newest nuclear reactor, due to be completed in 2018 with opaque Russian funding.
Old tricks die hard in the European Union’s “rogue state,” but the West must acknowledge its hand in fueling the political culture in Hungary.
Romania’s fight against corruption is showing encouraging signs of progress, but the bitter medicine of reform marks a traumatic period for the country.
The European Union must do more to tackle endemic corruption and the lack of media pluralism in central and eastern Europe.
Opposition movements in Montenegro will gather for a “Sloboda Trazi Montenegro” (Freedom Calling) rally in Podgorica on September 27.