The Hub: International Perspectives

State Weakness and Internal Instability in Pakistan

Pakistan may be fragile, but it has just transitioned from one democratically elected government to another. In today’s Questions and Answers session, Chatham House’s Gareth Price explores how the Sharif government can build on this momentum by mitigating domestic sources of instability.

ISN: Pakistan is widely regarded as a fragile state, teetering on the brink of outright failure. Is this an accurate portrayal of the country?

Friday, July 26, 2013 - 10:30 By: Gareth Price for ISN

Ukraine compares EU pact signature to 'fall of Berlin Wall'

The Ukrainian ambassador to the EU, Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, said the signature of an EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which could take place in November, would be similar in magnitude for his country to the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany.

Friday, July 19, 2013 - 12:08 By: Euractiv

Saakashvili’s future after the Presidential Elections

Mikheil Saakashvili will be Georgia’s first president to finish his presidency after the terms of his presidency expire in October, 2013.

Georgia’s first and second presidents, Zviad Gamsakhurdia and Eduard Shevardnadze, finished their presidential careers before their official terms had expired.

Gamsakhurdia was forced to leave the country after a military coup de tat was organized by his Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, while Shevardnadze had to leave the post after the Rose Revolution, which was headed by current Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013 - 13:04 By: Zaza Gachechiladze, Editor of The Messenger

Nationalist-socialists gaining ground in Poland

Something has changed in the political atmosphere in Poland. Frustration appears to be growing among Poles, especially those of the younger generation.

While 14 percent of Poles are unemployed, that figure rises to roughly 27 percent among people under the age of 25. What's worse, even when young people do find a job, their chances of receiving a proper, full-time job contract are slim. It is now the norm for companies to offer young employees temporary work contracts, which offer little social protection.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013 - 10:50 By: Warsaw Business Journal

Grybauskaitė: Talks on Prism and trade to be held ‘in parallel’

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said trade negotiations between the European Union and the United States would start with contacts between "professional specialists” who would look into reports that a US spy agency monitored phone calls and e-mails of EU institutions and some member states.

Friday, July 5, 2013 - 09:30 By: Georgi Gotev

China and Taiwan: Steady as She Goes – but Where?

China, Taiwan and the US appear to be relatively comfortable with the current state of cross-strait relations. But that shouldn’t lead us into a false sense of security, warns Roderick Wye. Beijing still remains determined to unite Taiwan with the Chinese mainland.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013 - 11:15 By: Roderic Wye, ISN

Heads Up on Nigeria's Political Risk

In 1973, Maynard Jackson was elected as the Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, making him the first black mayor of a major Southern metropolis in the United States. That landmark election inspired my very first visit to the United States. As an undergraduate student in a university in England, I applied for and obtained a scholarship to go to the United States and examine how Jackson managed to achieve this feat. A new chapter certainly opened up in the political landscape of the United States, to which Barack Obama's more recent election as president is the apogee.

Monday, July 1, 2013 - 14:59 By: Femi Aribisala

Russia in Europe: Strategic Challenges

While the economic importance of Russia in Europe has increased over the past years, political relations have deteriorated. Russia under Putin is once more pursuing great power ambitions and is increasingly asserting interests and values that differ from those of
the West. Those hoping for a post-imperial and democratic Russian identity have largely been disabused. Europe and the US should try to maintain their own interests through a combination of cooperation and strategic competition.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 11:05 By: Jonas Grätz, ISN

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