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EES was founded in 1985. It is directed by Martin C. Sletzinger, who formerly worked as a staff consultant for the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives dealing with East European and Russian issues.
EES offers residential research scholarships and short-term grant opportunities for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. We also host the annual August Junior Scholars' Training Seminar. For citizens of Eastern Europe, EES offers the WWC-CEU Junior Scholar Fellowship and the OSI International Junior Public Policy Fellowship.
EES also holds noon discussions throughout the academic year. Recent topics have ranged from in-depth coverage of the continuing crises in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its impact on neighboring countries as well as democracy consolidation in Central and Eastern Europe.
Emphasis is placed on:
Challenges to Stability and Security in Southeast Europe
Challenges to Stability and Security in Southeast Europe
Six years after the end of the Bosnian war, almost two years after the Kosovo war, and months after the tragic events of September 11th, it is beyond doubt that the United States and its Western allies are and must remain deeply engaged in the future stability of this region. With the flare-up of inter-ethnic violence in Macedonia in Spring 2001, U.S. and NATO peacekeeping troops are now deployed in three countries and one province of the region for years, possibly even decades, to come. Yet the region remains unstable. To complicate matters further, the entire region remains a conduit for terrorism and organized crime.
In the contentious debate on U.S. and NATO policy in the Balkans, East European Studies (EES) has endeavored to supply a much needed, balanced forum in which key issues - including the future of peacekeeping, economic development and respect for minority rights - confronting the countries of Southeastern Europe could be comprehensively covered in an in depth, non- partisan fashion. To accomplish this, EES invites a number of preeminent experts and scholars from Yugoslavia and the region to speak at the Center, hosting a series of policy forums with high-level officials on key issues of the region. As the "rush to Europe" intensifies, security and stability in Europe will continue to depend on the outcome of what happens in Southeast Europe, and how this region is eventually linked to the rest of Europe.
The NATO and EU Focus
The United States and Europe remain confronted by the twin challenges of enlarging both NATO and the EU without drawing new lines of division within Europe and alienating or undermining those not admitted particularly the fragile, conflict-ridden countries of Southeast Europe. With NATO's expansion in 1999 to include Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic, its direct involvement in peacekeeping operations in the former Yugoslavia, and its evolving role in the wake of the disastrous terrorist bombings in New York and Washington D.C. on September 11, the Alliance's traditional mission has shifted from collective defense towards a new emphasis on collective security. Clearly, the key questions now are: What is NATO's primary mission and relatedly, how can NATO adapt structurally and adminstratively to accommodate its expanding role and membership?
EU expansion is also full of challenges. No fewer than nine states of Central and Eastern Europe have either completed or will soon complete accession agreements with the EU. But when will the EU actually have the political will and institutional capacity to take on such a huge task? And how many East European countries can the EU realistically absorb at once while dealing with its own divisive integration issues? Will the new "Schengen border," which establishes specific external boundaries of EU jurisdiction, serve to once more underscore the old east-west division of the region? Already some Central European countries have imposed visa restrictions in an effort to fall in line with EU regulations. Such tight border controls will have severe implications for both the aspirant members' traditional trading partners and the shared national minorities living in the neighboring countries, likely to be excluded form the first round of EU eastern enlargement.
With an eye on the upcoming NATO Summit in Prague in November 2002 and the impending decision by the EU on enlargement in December 2002, EES will continue to devote attention to the ongoing process of integration and enlargement of the two transatlantic institutions, examining in depth the key implications for the region as a whole (for aspirant states and members alike), as well as the broader ramifications for the evolving Euro-Atlantic relationship and relations with Russia.
Democracy Building and Consolidation
After a decade of turbulent political, social and economic change, a region increasingly diverse and fragmented emerges in Central and Eastern Europe. Overall, the transition to democracy and free market economies in the area is incomplete.
On the surface, the northern tier countries, to varying degrees, appear to have made a successful transition towards democracy and free market economies. Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary are also now full members of NATO with strong chances to be soon integrated into the EU. Despite positive economic indices, however, the gap between rich and poor has widened - many feel they have not benefited from their countries' reorientation towards the West and that they have no stake in the future. No government in the region has yet been elected to a second consecutive term.
In Southeastern Europe the transition is even slower. The region remains burdened by rampant corruption and inability to implement key banking and other structural reforms. Accession to the European Union remains far off for the countries of the southern tier.
Much remains to be done in all of these Central and East European nations, including the Baltic states, in the construction of a fully functioning civil society based on the rule of law with the full array of self-sustaining, non-governmental organizations and voluntary associations that are so necessary to the functioning of a democratic system. Through a variety of meetings and special events, EES will continue its focus on these trends, take stock of the transition to democracy, and seek ways to consolidate democracy on the ground.
Organized Crime and Terrorism in Southeast Europe
The continuing political and economic instability in Central and Eastern Europe has fueled and been exacerbated by a rise in organized crime and terrorism in the region. The two have gone hand in hand as the proceeds of organized crime have been used to fund terrorist activities in the region. The months since September 11, 2001, have revealed that Al Qaeda and other extremist/ terrorist organizations have been active in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in Kosovo and Bosnia. U.S. and allied diplomatic and military facilities in these areas have been targeted by terrorists. To address the growing challenges of terrorism and crime, EES launched a new seminar series in Spring 2002 examining the role of the region as a conduit for transnational organized crime and terrorism and seeking strategies to help curb this trend.
For more information, contact us by email or by phoning (202) 691-4222.
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