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NL "Super election year 2024": what is the FMS looking forward to?
Photo: Mohamed Hassan/ PxHere 2024 is also being called the election year by political analysts. People in more than 70 countries will be allowed to cast their votes which amounts to 3.7 billion people, almost half of the total world population. Just because elections are organised does not automatically mean they are democratic. In some elections, the winner is [...]
Stalemate Ukraine highlights undiminished importance of support
Photo: Demonstration in support of Ukraine in February 2022 - Wikimedia Commons Almost two years ago, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With support for Ukraine no longer a foregone conclusion, a good outcome of the war is increasingly uncertain. The fighting lingers on and the risk of another frozen conflict lies [...]
Presidential elections in Taiwan: a continuation of the status quo?
On 13 January, the eyes of the world were on Taiwan. Lai Ching-te, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) since 2023, won the election with a clear lead. The DPP is now delivering the president for the third time in a row. It is the first time in Taiwan's history that a party [...]
The Belarusian revolution did not end in 2020 - it is still ongoing
Photo: Protest rally against Lukashenko, 30 August 2020. Minsk, Belarus (WikiMedia Commons) August 2020. More than three years have passed since the massive protests in Belarus following the dubious presidential election won by Alexander Lukashenka. Tens of thousands questioning the election results took to the streets. These mass protests were then harshly [...]
In conversation with Egypt correspondent Eduard Cousin: "Due to huge inflation, poverty on the streets has become increasingly visible"
There are presidential elections in Egypt from 10 to 12 December. Incumbent president Sisi, himself brought to power by a coup in 2013, has stood for re-election. Economically, Egypt is doing badly and there is a lot of unrest in society about this. Nevertheless, Sisi's position does not seem to be in danger and he will [...]
China's growing influence in Europe's backyard
Photo: Construction of a bridge over the Morača Valley, Montenegro, as part of the Bar-Boljare highway - Wikimedia Commons China has been pushing for some time to become the new global superpower. The Belt and Road Inititave been part of this expansion drive. China is keen to expand its global footprint and [...]
Annual Meeting of the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity
The Annual Meeting of the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity took place on 25 November 2023. During the meeting, which was held in Sarajevo, FMS discussed several topics with a large group of Forum members. We started the day with a discussion on training and discussed how to increase synergy [...]
EU mission to Bosnia needs not symbolic gestures, but structural change
Photo: Main street in Sarajevo - Srebrenica is still a point of polarisation in the country (created by Renée Spees) In early October, the Bosnian Serb parliament voted in favour of a bill on compulsory registration of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with foreign backers in a special register managed by the Ministry of Justice. The so-called 'foreign-agent law' provides the Republika Srpska [...]
EU enlargement update: where does everyone stand?
Photo: Wikimedia Commons The European Commission on 8 November released the 2023 Enlargement Package - a report on the state of play and progress made by aspiring EU member states towards accession. It lays out the development of reforms to meet EU standards and where priorities lie for now on a country-by-country basis. Negotiations should [...]
Turkey's 'secular decline'
Photo: Statue of Atatürk looks down on a meeting of Erdogan - Wikimedia Commons Last week marked Turkey's 100th birthday. On 29 October 1923, national hero Mustafa Kemal Atatürk founded the Republic of Turkey, a secular state built on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. However, the celebrations have been scaled down, leaving many [...]
