Events
An Incoherent Policy: Rule of Law Reform in Central Europe and Beyond
April 29, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Stephen Humphreys's analysis of rule of law theory and practice identified a wide gulf between the theory and the manner in which "rule of law" is promoted abroad. Moreover, according to Humphreys, the extraordinarily ambitious rule of law promotion project has devolved into an incoherent policy because it is treated simply as a technocratic exercise, with few resources and little controversy.
The Variable Impact of EU Conditionality: Differentiated Reforms in the Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina
April 20, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Since the Dayton Peace Accord was signed 16 years ago, the European Union (EU) has been actively involved in Bosnia and Herzegovina in various capacities and has created a number of local institutions to support its four current missions. At the same time, the complicated state institutional structure in Bosnia means that the EU must simultaneously interact with a number of local and state-level institutions. Mujo Hadzic discussed a central puzzle: Does EU conditionality work in such a complex environment? Given this institutional complexity, Hadzic argued, both the Bosnian government and the EU struggle to speak with one voice, which dilutes the EU's impact and diffuses the energies of Bosnian institutions.
The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities: The Role in Conflict Prevention
April 13, 2011 // 2:00pm — 3:00pm
The fundamental changes after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the break-up of Yugoslavia required new approaches to international security, including the ability to prevent possible inter-ethnic tensions within and between states from developing into conflict. For almost two decades, the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) has been active in conflict prevention based on the mandate established by OSCE participating states to provide early warning and early action in situations of tension involving national minority issues, if in the judgment of the High Commissioner these have the potential of developing into conflict, affecting pace, stability and relations between participating states.
Europe's Energy Security in the Balance: What Future for the Southern Energy Corridor?
March 30, 2011 // 1:30pm — 3:00pm
Andrea Lockwood, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Eurasia, Africa and the Middle East, U.S. Department of Energy; Adnan Vatensever, Senior Associate, Energy and Climate Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Peter Doran, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Moderator: Alexandros Petersen, Adviser, European Energy Security Initiative, Woodrow Wilson Center
Serbia's Transition: Towards a Better Future
March 30, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
The 20 years of Serbia's transition to a market economy was discussed, explaining why a country that had among the best starting conditions in 1989 to implement the transition ended up substantially lagging behind.
Ruth Fischer: A Life For and Against Communism, 1895-1961
March 24, 2011 // 4:00pm — 5:30pm
Mario Kessler, associate professor at the University of Potsdam, Germany will discuss Ruth Fischer's political itinerary and attempt to explain why it went to such extremes – astonishing even in the ‘Age of Extremes.'
Why There Is (Almost) No Post-Communist Christian Democracy
March 23, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Compared to their West European cousins, post-communist Christian Democratic parties are notable for their lack of success.
The World Island: Eurasian Geopolitics and the Fate of the West
March 22, 2011 // 11:00am — 12:00pm
Both a historical analysis and a call to arms, this is the comprehensive policy guide to understanding and engaging the geopolitics of Eurasia.
Solidarity With Solidarity: Western European Trade Unions and the Polish Crisis, 1980-1982
March 11, 2011 // 3:00pm — 4:30pm
On March 11, 2011 Idesbald Goddeeris will discuss his latest book which analyzes reaction to Solidarnosc in nine Western European countries and within the international trade union confederations.
Greece's Financial Crisis and the Future of the Euro
March 11, 2011 // 9:00am — 10:30am
Petros G. Doukas, Head of Capital Partners S.A. and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Hellenic Republic