EN 
NL New naval base in Abkhazia next step Russian irredentism
Photo: Postage stamp of Abkhazia from 2008 - Wikimedia Commons You would think Russia would have its hands full with its all-out war in Ukraine that has been going on for more than a year and a half now. However, Ukraine is not currently the only victim of Russian expansionism. Recently, the breakaway region of Abkhazia, internationally recognised as part of [...]
Netherlands and Canada start case against Syria at ICJ, implications for Syria on world stage?
Photo: International Court of Justice in The Hague - UN Photo/Andrea Brizzi At the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Tuesday 10 October, the trial of the Netherlands and Canada against the Syrian regime began, Syria omitted. The aim of the trial is for the court to rule that Syria has violated the international covenant [...]
'Political campaign development' training in Montenegro
From 22 to 24 September and from 6 to 8 October, FMS, in cooperation with SDP Montenegro, organised two three-day trainings on "political campaign development". The trainings were aimed at members and supporters of the Social Democratic Party. The party is in dire straits and managed to win zero seats in the last parliamentary elections. SDP [...]
Watch back now: Q&A on Polish Elections
Aleksandra Iwanowska was a guest at the FMS for a Q&A on next Sunday's Polish elections. Aleksandra is international secretary of the Polish social democratic youth party Federacji Młodych Socjaldemokratów. Which parties are running in the elections and what are their plans for Poland? Will the elections affect Poland's relationship with [...]
"We cannot compromise on Slovak foreign policy" - post-election interview with Peter Kmec (Hlas)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons Early general elections were held in Slovakia on 30 September. The populist pro-Russian Smer-SD party led by former prime minister Robert Fico won with 24% of the votes. The international community watched the elections with fear as Fico took a pro-Russian stance and promised to stop supporting Ukraine [...]
Come too! Political Café: Solidarity with Ukraine
Register here: https://forms.gle/zDAJonTXkdhSF5F76 Just under three hours' flight from the Netherlands, a particularly brutal war - the Russian invasion of Ukraine - is still raging, but after a year and a half of war, support for the Ukrainian struggle is still widely felt in the Netherlands. From several countries in the west, the pressure for support for [...]
Tough stance against Azerbaijan crucial after ethnic cleansing in Karabakh
Photo: Ilham Aliyev and Charles Michel during a meeting in Brussels (2022) - Wikimedia Commons Less than a week after Azerbaijan's military offensive in the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the subsequent capitulation of the Armenian authorities, Azerbaijani President Aliyev is meeting with his Turkish counterpart Erdogan. On the agenda are talks on [...]
Gabon follows in series of coups in 'Françafrique' - trend or coincidence?
Photo: President Ali Bongo, deposed after 56 years of Bongo rule - Wikimedia Commons On 30 August, Gabon's military leadership announced through a televised address that it had assumed power in the country. Just before that, Ali Bongo was declared president for his third term. "On behalf of the people of Gabon, we have decided to [...]
Iraqi political cartel still standing firm
Photo: Iraqi protester during the October Revolution in 2019 - Wikimedia Commons October 1, 2019, marked the starting point of a series of violent protests in Iraq, the largest the country has seen since the fall of Saddam Hussein. The protests followed dissatisfaction with corruption, unemployment and government ineffectiveness. It led to early [...]
Mei Li Vos: "What an incredibly brave woman Maia Sandu is"
Photo: PVDA On Monday 4 September, Moldovan President Maia Sandu visited the Dutch parliament as part of her state visit to the Netherlands. The visit marks a further rapprochement between the Netherlands and Moldova, after the Netherlands opened an embassy in Chisinau, Moldova's capital, on 19 April. In addition, the visit can be seen [...]
