Section: European Voice (EU)
Ukraine’s economy minister quits, blaming Poroshenko ally
Ukraine’s economy minister resigned Wednesday, blaming a business partner of President Petro Poroshenko for blocking economic reforms. Aivaras Abromavičius, 40, a minister since December 2014, said at a press conference that he wouldn’t be a “puppet” for officials he accused of blocking overhauls of the country’s economy and...
How Putin created a monster in Chechnya
Ramzan Kadyrov may well be Vladimir Putin’s most ghoulish creation—a political Golem who remains slavishly loyal to the Russian leader but who also serves as a constant and nagging reminder of how ugly Putin-style autocracy can get when it really goes over the edge. Like the character Smerdyakov in The Brothers Karamazov, Kadryov claims he...
Pascal Lamy, unfashionable integrationist
Pascal Lamy, long considered among the elite of EU elites and a key figure behind some of Europe’s biggest political triumphs, may soon become a dissident: He’s part of that dwindling group of people who believe the Union should move ever closer together. “I am among those who think that the Union is not going to pieces,” says Lamy....
Dutch support grows for EU-Ukraine deal
Dutch voters are opposed to the Netherlands’ ratification of the European Union’s association agreement with Ukraine, but the gap between Yes and No is getting smaller. According to a poll published in De Volkskrant Monday, 44 percent intend to vote in favor of the agreement, and 55 percent would vote No. In a poll in December 2015,...
Why we’re not safe from Grexit yet
ATHENS — A team of analysts from one of the main credit rating agencies smiled condescendingly across a boardroom table one recent afternoon, when asked about the likelihood of a Greek exit from the euro. It was clear they dismissed the idea. There is virtually no chance of Greece leaving the eurozone, they assured me. This is not the first time...
In Ukraine’s universities, trading bribes for diplomas
KIEV, Ukraine — I hadn’t paid a bribe in my home country until it was time to defend my doctoral dissertation. I tucked $200 in page six of my manuscript before I handed it to my adviser. His department colleagues insisted on the illicit practice when I complained that my professor refused to touch my thesis for more than three weeks. The...
Moldova’s pro-Western facade
On the night of January 20, protesters on the streets of Moldova’s capital Chișinău stormed the Parliament building amid widespread anger over the way President Nicolae Timofti appointed, and MPs hurriedly approved, his new government. Many Western media outlets have described these events as popular, Russian-backed protests against a...
Top 10 moments of the GOP debate
There was a Donald Trump-sized void in the Republican debate lineup tonight. The New York billionaire and Republican front-runner followed through on his boycott of the event, sponsored by Fox News, and held his own rally nearby. Without him there, the sparring was gentler and even, at times, friendly. Here’s a rundown of the most memorable...
NATO enlists ‘Ostpolitik’ expertise to deal with Moscow
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg is looking to reduce the chances of risky military flare-ups with Moscow, like the Turkish downing of a Russian jet in November, as tensions over Ukraine remain high and war in the Middle East keeps NATO and Russian forces in close proximity to each other. Part of the answer, he says, may include German-led diplomacy....
Court deals new blow to EU on Ukraine sanctions
An EU court ruled Thursday that the European Union’s 2014 decision to impose sanctions on five Ukrainians should be overturned, dealing another setback to the bloc’s ongoing efforts to blacklist businessmen and former officials from Ukraine. The General Court of the EU ordered that the men, including former prime minister Mykola...
