The ‘Decommunisation’ Process and the Crisis of the Church in Poland (ARI)
This ARI analyses Bishop Wielgus’s resignation from the archbishopric of Warsaw and the Church’s relations with the communist regime.
Future of Europe
Bosnia: The Future on Hold? (ARI)
Bosnia has made great progress since the end of the Bosnian war but major challenges remain.
Celebrating Anniversaries, Manning the Trenches, Risking a Split (ARI)
The celebration of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome is highlighting the accentuated nature of the divisions within the European Union.
Pacemaker Instead of European Saviour: Germany’s EU Presidency (ARI)
This ARI looks at the main issues to be confronted by the German presidency of the European Union in the midst of what is perceived to be a serious crisis for European integration.
Bulgaria and Rumania in the EU: Game Over or Stumbling Blocks Ahead? (ARI)
On 1 January 2007 the European Union will have two new members: Bulgaria and Rumania. The question is, are they prepared?
Update of the National Reform Programme to Achieve the Aims of the Lisbon Strategy: Is Spain Meeting European Standards? (ARI)
This analysis will evaluate the update of Spain’s National Reform Programme (NRP) to comply with the aims of the Lisbon Strategy that was approved by the Council of Ministers last 13 October and sent to Brussels for the second year running. It argues that Spain has given ample coverage to areas in which the Commission requested it to be more explicit in its evaluation of the original NRP from last year and has been very transparent when evaluating the progress made in relation to the different aims. Nevertheless, Spain, just like the majority of European countries, still has to work harder to increase visibility of the Lisbon Strategy among its citizens.
The EU’s Progress Report on Turkey’s Accession: Derailment or Shunted into a Siding? (ARI)
The European Commission’s damning report on Turkey’s progress in accession negotiations sets the scene for a ‘train crash’ if Ankara does not make sufficient headway by the middle of December when EU leaders hold their summit.
Who fears globalization in the EU? (ARI)
Globalization has become a controversial subject that raises great suspicion. This work, based on the Eurobarometer carried out by the European Commission in late 2003, addresses the question of who fears globalization and why?
To Enlarge or Not to Enlarge the Union: That is Not the Question
In a considerable number of European capitals the possibility is being discussed of closing the doors of the European Union to new members as part of a possible solution to the constitutional crisis. In France, specifically, but also in Austria and other capitals, this issue seems to dominate the provisional agenda for the next European Council to be held in Brussels on 15-16 June. However, the argument put forward in this analysis is that the problems experienced by the Union have nothing to do with enlargement but with depth
The Vienna Summit between Latin America / the Caribbean and the EU: relative success despite low expectations
The fourth EU–Latin America / Caribbean Summit was held on May 11-12, 2006, in Vienna, Austria. The results suggest that the process has a future, but that it needs to be significantly strengthened for more substantial biregional relations
The State of the Union: Period of Reflection or the Sound of Silence
The recent issue of EU-25 Watch, a joint European project in which the Elcano Royal Institute participates, provides a valuable insight into national debates on key EU topics such as the Constitutional treaty, enlargement, foreign policy and the Lisbon agenda during the so-called ‘reflection period’. The analysis of this broad overview prepared by authors from all EU member states plus Bulgaria, Rumania, Croatia and Turkey suggests five observations regarding the current ‘state of the Union’