Time for a gesture to Ukraine
It is true that EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs went out of his way to say last week, when he met Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, that EU-Ukrainian relations would…
Articles, Briefings and Essays
The views expressed in the articles are those of each respective author and do not necessarily reflect the views or position of the Foreign Policy Centre.
Obama and the Middle East
The Middle East was always going to be a priority. As a region it sits at the heart of many of the US’s international concerns – it has an ongoing…
When the dust settles in Gaza
Central to improving the situation in Gaza and across Palestine is the need for an agreement that enables Fatah and Hamas to find a working relationship. For while undoubtedly Hamas…
Britain and the Euro: Time to revisit the debate?
Looking specifically at the European Union, the economic crisis has led to a much sharper analysis of the economic and political policies being undertaken within EU member states. As EU…
More family-friendly policies needed if Europe is to avoid sharp population fall
That is the headline message of an impressive new report, entitled Europe’s Demographic Future, just produced by the Berlin-Institute for Population and Development. Much the most thorough examination of the…
Obama and Iran: A Victory for an Enlightened Foreign Policy?
A twist of fate just six weeks or so before had swung the electorate in Obama’s favour. His popularity soared as the American economy worsened. Perhaps if the economy had…
Obama faces the toughest challenges since FDR
After years when even committed Atlanticists have nervously tried to keep their distance from a politically toxic Bush Administration, with British ministers such as Lord Malloch Brown announced that the…
A Revolution without Rights? Women, Kurds and Baha’is are searching for equality in Iran
While the world is focused on the Iranian nuclear programme, people in Iran are calling on its government to protect the human rights of its citizens. Many Iranians face routine…
Hutton and Afghanistan: To surge or not to surge?
The situation that British servicemen and women find themselves in in Afghanistan can no longer be described as ‘forgotten’. The conflict has increasingly found itself in the headlines, and the…
Iceland – The 29th member state?
Question: What is the capital of Iceland? Answer: Around four dollars and 50 cents. This cruel jibe epitomises the plight of the North Atlantic country following the ruination of its…