|
|
|
|
Map of Europe |
CIAO DATE: 06/07
Volume 5, Number 2, Winter 2005
Europe As A Democracy Promoter, Lessons Learned (PDF, 4 pages, 142 KB)
PolSci Conference
"I Am Optimistic About Romania's Future" (PDF, 8 pages, 224 KB) by Quinton Quayle
"Germany, A Determined Advocate of EU Enlargement" by Wilfried Gruber
The Black Sea As Epicentre of the After-Shocks of the EU's Earthquake by Michael Emerson
The epicentre the EU's referenda earthquake has now been located exactly in the middle of the Black Sea. Can the EU conditionality machine may still prove functional in this moment when the prospects of accession to the EU have move further into the distance ahead? The paper recommends that EU should concentrate on improving the Neighborhood Policy by transforming this in a useful tool, comparable with the pre-accession conditionality instrument. It is also important to develop the Black Sea cooperation by taking into account the Finnish model.
Shapes in Search of Substance. European Enlargement and Democratic Performance by Alina Mungiu-Pippidi
The European Union As Democracy Promoter: The Case of Ukraine by Iryna Solonenko
This paper examines the effectiveness of the European Union (EU) as a democracy promoter in Ukraine. After examining the evolution of the EU's general external policy relating to democracy, it will be argued that in the case of Ukraine, although the EU contributed significantly to the development of civil society and to solving the political crisis during the presidential election of 2004, there has been much less emphasis on the promotion of democracy by the EU than has been declared. Additionally, the fact that until 2005 Ukraine did not seriously aspire to become integrated into Europe minimized the EU's influence on Ukraine. In 2005 new opportunities appeared for the EU to play a more active and successful role in building a democratic Ukraine. The orange revolution resulted in the election of leadership more committed to common European values, and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the EU-Ukraine action plan created a framework for the EU to be a more active and efficient player in promoting democracy in Ukraine. Still, additional integration incentives beyond the present scope of ENP are needed to allow the EU to have a greater impact on democratic transformation in Ukraine.
Assisting State-Building in the Balkans: The Case of Macedonia by Islam Yusufi
Once the conflict was resolved in Macedonia in 2001, the country entered its normal path to state consolidation and democracy. The EU mission in Macedonia is a success but this is just the first step towards the EU accession. The priorities of this country are primarily the fight against crime and the independence of justice and, in the same time, the adoption of social and economic reforms with assistance from the European Union. Sometimes, the reform o public administration and the increase in state capacity are enough to push a country to meet the consolidated state criteria. Macedonia undertook these reforms both at domestic and foreign pressure and works continuously for assessing the statute of EU full membership.
PolSci Papers
The Role of Constitutional Courts in Post-Communist Transition by Raluca Maierean
This paper aims to examine the way the Constitutional Courts have developed in Central and Eastern Europe in order to explain different development pattern of these institutions in different countries. The main question this paper tries to answer is what "the normal way of activeness" of a Constitutional Court is, and in which case we can talk about overactive or underactive Courts. The preliminary question which needs to be answered is what causes the different degree of "activism" of the CEE Constitutional Courts.
PolSci Reviews
Political Culture and Cultural Politics in Modern Romania (PDF, 1 page, 61 KB) by Alexandru Zub, Adrian Cioflânca