Opinion
Orban’s new illiberal axis
Hungarian PM is playing a long game: building alliances with EU candidate countries like Georgia and Serbia whose leaders share his values.
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CENUSA: Georgia's general election creates a dilemma for the EU
The general election in Georgia showed the EU is having difficulty in influencing public perception in the country.
CENUSA: Referendum exposes weakness of EU’s support in Moldova
Russian interference doesn’t tell the full story of why 75% of voters either voted no, boycotted or didn’t turn out for referendum on ‘Europeanisation’ of Moldova’s constitution.
HESS: Mongolia’s unique success story between rock and a hard place at risk
Surrounded by Russia and China, country’s democracy and economy deserve Western support. But snatching assets from foreign investors would mean such backing falling by the wayside.
OPINION: Georgia to choose between Europe and Russia
October 26 parliamentary elections offer a choice between Europe and Russia, which also implies a choice between democracy and autocracy.
Perspectives | Kazakhstan working to lift Cold War-era trade restrictions
For Astana, Jackson-Vanik remains a hot-button issue.
HESS: Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations are at stake in general election
Georgia’s October 26 election is set to be the country’s most significant since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
OPINION: How realistic are Moldova’s bold energy independence ambitions?
Amid the geopolitical chaos generated by the war in Ukraine, Moldova has begun to take the first steps towards weaning itself from Russia’s energy blackmail.
OPINION: BRICS’ path to expansion
34 countries have already submitted their applications to join BRICS, as recent geopolitical shifts have led to a realignment in global politics.
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BEIRUT BLOG: Life in the eye of the storm
Lebanese civilians are living in a state of fear, with Israel's war against Hezbollah now moving into several weeks.
KSE: Russian Sanctions Digest by KSE Institute October 2024
The decline in Russian oil export revenues is driven by lower global oil prices, not enhanced sanctions enforcement. While the discount on Russian oil remained stable, the reduced revenues reflect less favourable external conditions.
COMMENT: Is the Balkan region Israel’s newfound interest?
In light of the worsening geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Tel Aviv has sought to build new alliances and partnerships.
KSE: Ukrainian Draft Budget for 2025
The draft budget for 2025 is built on similar principles to the 2024 budget, with a clear focus on defence, security and social protection. International financial assistance remains crucial to maintaining budgetary stability.
ING: commodities and Middle East escalation
Oil prices rallied after Iran’s missile strike on Israel. Attention is now fully on how Israel will respond to this latest attack. The more Iran gets directly involved in this conflict the greater the risk of oil supply disruptions.
URUS/CLEARPIC: Uzbekistan privatisation tracker
Privatisation in Uzbekistan is no new idea. Under the late President Islam Karimov, programmes in the late 1990s and 2000s existed and were ambitious. But while some small state-owned enterprises were sold, valuable companies remain state-owned.
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Kazakhstan’s Tokayev an authoritarian who has created “the illusion of change”, say analysts
President of five years has done little of substance and appears unafraid of tightening screws further, they argue.
COMMENT: From Globalisation to “slowbalisation” as FDIs decline on trade and geopolitical woes
Global flows of foreign direct investment have trended downwards, both in absolute terms and as a share of world GDP, driven by multiple factors including changes in industrial organisation, increasing barriers to trade and investment.
STOLYPIN: Putin's nuclear rhetoric hints at Ukrainian endgame
Vladimir Putin is at it again, playing on Western nerves with talk of modifications to Russia's nuclear doctrine to open up more options for the use of nuclear weapons. Could one be preparation for an endgame for the war?
COMMENT: Uzbekistan's upcoming parliamentary election is a battle of ideologies amid reforms
On October 27, 2024, Uzbekistan will hold its parliamentary elections, a significant moment in the country’s evolving political trajectory. Under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has embarked on a path of liberalising and modernisation.
RAGOZIN: What is Zelenskiy’s real Plan B?
Popular Ukrainian video blogger “Pasha Bumchik” surprised his followers with a new video which shows him illegally crossing the Romanian border in Karpaty mountains. He decided to undertake this audacious move after receiving a draft notice.