Politics & Diplomacy

A Leadership Role for Greece

Roundtable discussion with Ambassador Anastasis Mitsialis, secretary-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece On January 1, Greece will assume the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Relations Program hosted Ambassador Anastasis Mitsialis, secretary-general of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday for a roundtable discussion on […]

NATO Chief Hopes for New EU Defense Commitment

By Bryan McManus, AFP

NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen hopes EU leaders will commit to new military capabilities and cooperation at this week’s summit

French Seek Permanent EU Defense Fund

By Hugh Carnegy, Financial Times

In an effort to put its allies on the spot, President François Hollande is poised to demand, at a Brussels summit on Thursday, that the EU sets up a permanent fund to finance operations such as France’s intervention in the Central African Republic.

US and NATO Allies Voice Concern over Russian Deployment of Iskander Missiles

By Steve Gutterman, Reuters

From Steve Gutterman, Reuters:  The reports caused alarm in Poland and the Baltic states, which are wary of Russian military movements after decades of dominance by the Soviet Union.

For Sixth Year, EU Defense Spending Continues to Decrease

By European Defense Agency

In 2012, total defence expenditure of the 26 EDA pMS (1) amounted to € 189.6 billion – a reduction of € 1.1 billion or 0.6% compared to 2011.

Dempsey Backs Strong US Military Presence in Europe

By Kent Harris, Stars and Stripes

The U.S. military’s senior leader said Wednesday that he’s a strong supporter of maintaining a sizeable presence overseas, including in Europe, despite budget constraints, because of the proximity to potential hotspots.

Sahar Aziz Speaks to EgyptSource about Egypt’s New Draft Constitution [Video]

By EgyptSource

In a series of short videos, Dr. Sahar Aziz, Associate Professor at Texas A&M  University School of Law, spoke to EgyptSource about Egypt’s new draft constitution. Aziz highlights key negative and positive changes in the 2013 draft constitution, as well as commenting on the ramifications of an interim government issuing legislation in light of the […]

Nathan Brown Speaks to EgyptSource about Egypt’s New Draft Constitution [Video]

By EgyptSource

In a series of short videos, Dr. Nathan Brown, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University spoke to EgyptSource about Egypt’s new draft constitution. Dr. Brown highlights how the 2013 draft constitution differs from its predecessor, comments on the role of state instutions and the judiciary in the draft, and finally […]

Marczak on Venezuelan Election Results

By Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Question: What do the results suggest about the level of support for the president, the opposition and where the country may be headed? Is a big change likely to come about in Venezuela in 2014? Chavismo may have won the popular vote in the December 8 municipal elections, but the opposition can rightly claim its […]

EU-NATO: Playing at Defense

By Julian Lindley-French

 The European Union (EU) and NATO are in deep crisis. The EU is in trouble for at least three major reasons. First, EU is organized around Germany, which for understandable historical reasons trades down military power as it trades up economic and political influence. Second, Britain, one of the EU’s two serious military powers, is now […]