INSIGHT Political change in second half of 2015 - Poland
The newly-elected President of Poland promises change. Andrzej Duda has limited powers, but is head of the armed forces and can veto new laws. The victory will be a wake-up call to Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz ahead of parliamentary elections this autumn. Mr Duda said, ‘Those who voted for me…
INSIGHT Elections in second half of 2015 - Turkey
Turkish voters go to the polls on Sunday amid concerns around slowing economic growth and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's autocratic policies. The election could also be momentous for modern Turkish history, as four candidates come from Turkey’s minority groups, including the resurgent Kurds who have been discriminated against for years.…
Azerbaijan host European Games next month
A few countries span more than one continent - transcontinental states. Azerbaijan is on both European and Asian maps, but this year’s European games place it firmly in Europe. An anomaly? Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, was awarded the right to host the 2015 European Games, which are the…
EU leaders at eastern summit meeting
This week EU leaders convened in Riga for the eastern partnership summit. They met with officials from the six eastern partners. Latvian foreign affairs minister Edgars Rinkevics hoped it would be ‘an opportunity to look at the challenges the EU faces along its eastern borders’ (namely ongoing tensions with Russia…
