European Union

New poll reveals effects of Erdogan’s foreign policy on public opinion in Turkey

By Luke Baker, Reuters

From Luke Baker, Reuters:  For the United States and Europe, perhaps one of the more disconcerting findings in the survey was evidence of Turkey’s growing frustration with the United States and the EU, and its shift toward the east and the Arab world. In the 2004 survey, more than 70 percent of Turkish respondents said […]

Europe cools towards Obama: poll

By Luke Baker, Reuters

From Luke Baker, Reuters:  President Barack Obama‘s popularity remains high in Europe but has fallen in the past year as doubts emerge about some of his foreign policies, an opinion poll published on Wednesday showed.

Eastern EU states battle for posts in new foreign service

By AFP

From AFP:  EU foreign policy supremo Catherine Ashton is gearing up to name her first appointees in the bloc’s new diplomatic corps, but East European states are grumbling big nations are cornering the top jobs. Though the carve-up of posts in the European External Action Service (EEAS) was not on the agenda of a two-day […]

EU leaders to urge closer links with NATO at summit

By Arthur Beesley, the Irish Times

From Arthur Beesley, the Irish Times: European leaders are taking steps to develop deeper ties between the EU and Nato as the union seeks to boost its influence in global affairs. At a summit next Thursday, the leaders of the 27 member states will ask EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to explore ways of strengthening the union’s […]

The Russo-German Energy Pincer

By Alexandros Petersen

Earlier this month, the world’s largest pipe-laying vessel, the Solitaire, began work on the Gulf of Finland section of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline. The vessel’s name is appropriate, as the pipeline represents Germany’s choice to go it alone in achieving energy security within the European Union. Nord Stream, one of the longest and […]

EU diplomatic corps leaves new members out in cold: Estonia

By AFP

As Azeri and Armenian forces continue fighting, EU fears escalation

By Zaman

From Zaman:  The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that tensions between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces is continuing to mount, as fierce fighting persisted between the two nations on Monday and early Tuesday.

Serbia bows to EU, softens stance on Kosovo

By Reuters

From Reuters:  Serbia made a major concession to the European Union on Wednesday by agreeing to soften a draft U.N. resolution on the future of Kosovo and seek dialogue with the breakaway country. "We have found a formula to open a dialogue on future solutions," President Boris Tadic said in a statement. … Belgrade said […]

EU Financial Supervision Framework Passed

By James Joyner

The EU’s finance ministers agreed this morning to submit the outlines of their budget plans for approval by the European Commission.  The hope is that this will forestall another Greek-style bailout and the collapse of the euro. Jan Strupczewski for Reuters ("Ministers agree to EU vetting future budget plans"): The process, called the European Semester, […]