Centre for Eastern Studies

Moscow's policy breeds frustration in Kaliningrad

2010-02-03 | Agata Dubas and Jadwiga Rogoża

The underlying cause of the protest came from Moscow's long-term policy of prioritising Kaliningrad's integration with Russia while attaching secondary importance to the region's development. The policy of centralisation (which has been adversely affecting the region), as well as the changes to the functioning of the Special Economic Zone (which have harmed the interests of the local elite) have caused particular discontent. more »

Romanian project for European integration of Moldova

2010-02-03 | Tomasz Dąborowski and Witold Rodkiewicz

Since the formation of a new pro-European government in Chisinau, which is favourably disposed towards Romania, Bucharest has made Moldova the priority of its foreign policy and adopted a more tangible agenda with regard to it. more »

Nord and South Stream won't save Gazprom

2010-01-28 | Ewa Paszyc

The construction of the pipelines is not likely to increase the volumes of gas exported to Europe, as demand for gas is not expected to rise significantly. The gas sales forecast in Europe is not optimistic for Russia; moreover, the price of Russian gas is not competitive on the European market at the moment. more »

An ambivalent ‘independence’. Abkhazia, an unrecognised democracy under Russian protection

2010-01-20 | Wojciech Górecki

Abkhazia – a state unrecognised by the international community and dependent on Russia – has features of a democracy, including political pluralism. This is manifested through regularly held elections, which are a time of genuine competition between candidates, and through a wide range of media, including the pro-opposition private TV station Abaza. more »

The OSCE chairmanship – Kazakhstan's self-promotion campaign?

2010-01-11 | Anna Wołowska

Kazakhstan stands a chance of becoming a 'spokescountry' of Central Asia, or even the entire CIS, vis-a-vis the West, and prompting the Organisation to devote more attention to issues of importance for the area (especially security questions), and less to the OSCE's traditional priority, i.e. the efforts to promote democracy. more »

Studies

Jihad vs. The New Great Game. Paradoxes of militant Islamic threats in Central Asia

2010-01-27 | Krzysztof Strachota and Maciej Falkowski

The real threat posed by militant Islam seems to be rather limited, and its roots lie outside Central Asia. This region is unlikely to become a key front of global jihad. Nevertheless, this does not guarantee peace and safety in Central Asia, as the Islamic threat remains an element of the geopolitical rivalry in the region – the ‘New Great Game’. more »

Russia In Crisis: Year One

2010-01-27 | Iwona Wiśniewska, Agata Dubas, and Jadwiga Rogoża

The financial reserves accumulated in times of prosperity (more than US$162 billion in the stabilisation funds and nearly US$598 billion in the currency and gold reserve) alleviated the negative impact of the crisis, although this failed to prevent the deep declines in macroeconomic indicators. more »

Russia’s revisionist policy towards the West

2009-12-20 | Marcin Kaczmarski

Russia’s actions so far have led to a kind of deadlock. Moscow has managed to stop NATO enlargement into the CIS area, persuade the USA not to deploy the missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, and avoid major consequences after the war with Georgia; nevertheless, the full implementation of its objectives remains unlikely. more »

FROM ‘VIRTUAL’ TO EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY – the origins and consequences of the political breakthrough in Moldova

2009-12-15 | Witold Rodkiewicz

The fraudulent parliamentary elections in April 2009, the violent demonstrations held by the opposition in Chisinau and the government’s brutal reaction, as well as the deadlock over the election of the president, revealed a systemic crisis of the Moldovan statehood. more »

The Revolution that never was. Five years of 'Orange' Ukraine

2009-11-30 | Adam Eberhardt

On the fifth anniversary of the Orange Revolution and in the final period of the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko, who then embodied the hopes for state reform, a tentative assessment of the situation in Ukraine is appropriate. Did the revolutionary social upheaval bear revolutionary fruit? Have democratic mechanisms strengthened? more »

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