Europe Events
Forging Central Europe's Energy Independence
May 23, 2011 // 2:00pm — 3:00pm
European Studies
Anita Orban, Ambassador-at-Large for Energy Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hungary
Talking Turkey: On the Heels of Elections and in the Midst of Arab Turmoil
May 18, 2011 // 11:00am — 12:00pm
European Studies
“When it comes to the Arab revolts and Turkey’s relations with its near abroad, there are more questions than answers to be found,” claimed Cengiz Candar. He argued that Turkey’s foreign policy agenda seems to be complicated by its inconsistent approach to the revolutions in the Middle East and Turkey’s publicity-seeking Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu.
Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?
May 16, 2011 // 3:30pm — 5:00pm
Environmental Change and Security Program
"The world as a whole is getting more religious," said Professor of Politics at the University of London Eric Kaufmann, speaking at the Wilson Center for the launch of his latest book, Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth? Due to their consistently higher birthrates, religious fundamentalists may reverse the tide of secularism within the next century, he said.
Upheaval in the Middle East: What Is the Turkish Strategy?
May 12, 2011 // 3:00pm — 4:30pm
European Studies
As a predominantly-Muslim democracy, ally of the West, a booming market economy and emerging “soft power”, Turkey has long been identified as a model for the political transformation in the Middle East. However, once the revolutions began, Turkey’s ability to contribute to democracy and stabilization appeared more limited than many thought.
Emissions, Ecology, and the Economy: U.S. and European Perspectives on Waste Management
May 11, 2011 // 12:00pm — 2:00pm
European Studies
In Germany, the greening of waste management has reduced greenhouse gas emissions, cut waste management costs and has allowed cities to save energy. These benefits have been achieved by treating, sorting and recycling municipal waste, making landfills obsolete.
Can Intervention Work? Lessons From Bosnia and the Balkans
May 09, 2011 // 2:00pm — 3:30pm
European Studies
Support for international interventions around the world is more often driven by the relative success of the most recent experience of intervention, rather than on the merits and context of each specific case, according to Gerald Knaus. With the current debate about NATO's intervention in Libya in the news, Knaus evaluated the methods recently employed to assess and plan interventions, and offered his own framework for how to conduct international interventions, based on lessons learned in the ongoing intervention in Bosnia.
Threats to the Free Press in the Baltic States: Assessing the Impact of Government Policies and the Financial Crisis
May 05, 2011 // 1:00pm — 2:30pm
European Studies
The 2008 economic crisis had a dramatic impact on the societies and economies of the Baltic States. To give a sense of the scale: in Latvia, GDP plummeted from 11.9 percent in 1996 to -19 percent in 2009. Two journalists from the region, Inga Springe and Dainius Radzevicius, asserted that among the many other consequences of the crisis, it has had a significant impact on the quality of the media. The panelists discussed the impact that these developments may have on democracy in the region.
An Incoherent Policy: Rule of Law Reform in Central Europe and Beyond
April 29, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
European Studies
Stephen Humphreys's analysis of rule of law theory and practice identified a wide gulf between the theory and the manner in which "rule of law" is promoted abroad. Moreover, according to Humphreys, the extraordinarily ambitious rule of law promotion project has devolved into an incoherent policy because it is treated simply as a technocratic exercise, with few resources and little controversy.
The Left: Does It Have a Future? Global Perspectives
April 25, 2011 // 1:30pm — 3:30pm
United States Studies
Does the left have a future? This was the question posed by US Studies during its April 25 panel discussion of the prospects for progressive movements around the world.
The Variable Impact of EU Conditionality: Differentiated Reforms in the Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina
April 20, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
European Studies
Since the Dayton Peace Accord was signed 16 years ago, the European Union (EU) has been actively involved in Bosnia and Herzegovina in various capacities and has created a number of local institutions to support its four current missions. At the same time, the complicated state institutional structure in Bosnia means that the EU must simultaneously interact with a number of local and state-level institutions. Mujo Hadzic discussed a central puzzle: Does EU conditionality work in such a complex environment? Given this institutional complexity, Hadzic argued, both the Bosnian government and the EU struggle to speak with one voice, which dilutes the EU's impact and diffuses the energies of Bosnian institutions.