Eastern neighbours

The case of Belarus is unique, even when compared to the neighboring countries. Its specific character is proved by the low level of national identity caused by severely underdeveloped nation-shaping processes. The authoritarian state remains, until this day, the main architect of the Belarusian national project.

Undoubtedly, Belarus could already be an EU member. According to experts, its starting conditions in the early 1990s were no worse than those of Poland or the Czech Republic’s.


 The Orange Revolution is often dubbed “Ukraine’s European revival”. To defend democratic principles, the hero of the Revolution, Viktor Yushchenko, mobilised millions of Ukrainian men and women to take to the streets. The flare-up in Maidan heralded new hope that Ukraine will yet become a free and democratic state. Five years on, Ukraine is disappointing.

The adoption of the Lisbon Treaty and of the Eastern Partnership as the new framework for activities in the difficult field of shaping relations between the EU and its Eastern members are an opportunity, but not a guarantee, for the consolidation of the EU’s Eastern policy and for speeding up processes of democratization, especially in Partnership countries. However, relations between Russia and the EU still remain to be clearly regulated.

How do citizens’ election observers address challenges related to rigged elections? How can international institutions and civil society support independent citizens’ election observation throughout Europe? How do election observation networks prepare to the upcoming elections in 2014 and 2015 in Moldova, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Ukraine?Let's find out during the debate on 11th December 2013.

Despite the political system in Belarus being far from democratic, consecutive elections awaken hope of democratic standards being introduced and of the Belarusian opposition becoming stronger. As a starting point, read the analyses of V.Silitsky and A.Wilson concerning the state of Belarusian internal and foreign policy, which have been commissioned by the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

The Georgia-Russia war which took place in August this year disturbed the political equilibrium far beyond the borders of the Caucasus. Its unexpected outbreak revealed the inability of the international community (both the European Union and the United States), to judge the situation correctly or to react adequately.