One particular bit of news, which may very well pass unnoticed sheds some light on a possible future course of United States’ future foreign policy. The news is that the US Congress has reached an agreement with the White House over new free trade policy guidelines. This agreement could ease the ratification of trade deals with several Latin American countries. Under the new policy, countries with free trade deals with the US will be committed to adopting and enforcing laws that abide by basic international labour standards as well as internationally-agreed environmental standards of business practice. US deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte, said that the Latin American states are ”strategic elements not only to our economic relations but also to our political relations”.
Russia and the EU: Quo Vadis? 1
In this article I will argue that EU’s relations with the Russian Federation are at a crossroads, with the latter gaining leverage while the former has trouble finding an adequate response to this challenge.
The differences between two actors stem from two quite different perceptions of world politics and diplomacy. Russia sees international politics from a realist perspective emphasising power politics and strategic cooperation while the EU is advancing a post-Westphalian agenda of international politics based on shared norms and values. These different approaches and understandings of the international system have lead to an impasse in EU-Russian relation.
Cementing the Alliance: Romania’s Parliament Allows the Deployment of U.S. Forces in the Country 16
Yesterday May 2, 2007, the Romanian Parliament adopted with a comfortable majority a resolution allowing for the stationing of US troops in the country. U.S. forces will use “Mihail Kogalniceanu” air base as well as several Romanian training ranges such as: Babadag, Smardan and Cincu. These troop redeployments are a part of the new basing strategy by the Pentagon which will put U.S. forces near to the theatres of operations of Afghanistan and Iraq, and will allow for far more flexible deployments for American troops around the world. The importance of these bases for U.S operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan is revealed by the forward operating bases status given to them by the Pentagon.
Ballistic Missile Defense: A New Divisive Issue between Russia and NATO Răspunde
A new divisive issue between Russia and NATO has come to the fore: the deployment and development of ballistic missile defenses in Europe by the United States in Central Europe.
The debate regarding missile defense is not new. It dates back to the Cold War when the United States used the Strategic Defense Initiative, colloquially known as Star Wars to bankrupt the Soviet Union. Today however ballistic defenses have returned as an issue of international politics when the United States decided to retreat from ABM treaty signed in 1972 and develop this type of strategic defense in order to protect itself from countries like Iran and North Korea – the infamous “rogue states” from the “axis of evil”.
Constituţia este confirmată la vot Răspunde
Conflictul politic din prezent, prilej de pasiuni populare şi interminabile dezbateri, nu ar provoca probabil atâta nelinişte, stupoare şi înflăcărare dacă, atât observatorii pasivi cât şi cei angajaţi partizan, l-ar circumscrie – cum este absolut necesar, de altfel – strict cadrului constituţional în care se desfăşoară.
Momentul Constituţional Răspunde
Procesul suspendarii preşedintelui Băsescu a adus cu el o serie de întrebări cu privire la sistemul politic din România. Astfel, la prima vedere, avem de-a face cu un parlament ostil preşedintelui şi cu un preşedinte ostil Parlamentului. Aceasta poziţie poate fi totuşi nuanţată; preşedintele este ostil majorităţii partidelor din Parlament, exponenţii „grupurilor de interese” şi ai „sistemului ticăloşit”, adică PNL, PSD, PC, PRM şi, cel mai probabil „spionii” din UDMR. PD este evident un aliat statornic al preşedintelui. Acest lucru însă nu l-a oprit pe preşedinte să facă o serie de dealuri cu aceste partide de-a lungul timpului, cea mai notabilă fiind nominalizarea unui membru PSD la şefia SRI (notabil, pentru a da o palmă PNL).
Bătălia pentru reversarea trendului Răspunde
Aparent şi teoretic lupta politica a momentului se leagă de invalidarea actualului preşedinte. Totuşi, şansele de a-l vedea pe domnul Băsescu demis sunt în mod notoriu minime. El rămâne un om foarte popular, capabil să scoată (aparent fără organizare) câteva mii de oameni în stradă, lucru pe care puţini alţii îl mai pot. În plus, actuala lege a referendumului îi este extrem de favorabilă.
Why Romania Requires a Modern Navy 3
Historically the Romanian Navy was not large but it played an instrumental part in the creation of the modern Romanian state. By maintaining a presence on the shores of the Black Sea as well as patrolling and policing the Danube River, a strategic and economically important European waterway, it maintained the sovereignty and independence of the state. More…
A tough Choice for Romania to Make : NATO or EU? 1
Apparently Romania is faced with a stark choice in terms of its foreign and security policies since it has joined the EU: should it continue with a foreign policy that emphasizes a strong atlanticist commitment or should it take a 180 degree turn towards a foreign policy oriented towards the EU?
I will argue that making such a choice now is senseless and that the Romanian government should develop a foreign policy that will emphasize both its strong NATO commitment (especially cultivating a strong relationship with the United States) as well as trying to better coordinate its foreign policy with EU member countries under the framework of the ESDP.
Un guvern cu faţa către preşedinte. Un preşedinte cu faţa spre trecut 1
A rămas ca eu să scriu un text despre relaţia dintre guvern şi preşedinte. Deci… această relaţie va fi proastă. Acum că am lămurit succint acest aspect putem să dicutăm despe slăbiciunile fiecăruia. Adică, bun, nu se vor înţelege şi îşi vor da la punctele sensibile; dar punctele acestea unde sunt? Acest articol este despre slăbiciuni şi riscuri, în special despre cele mai puţin săritoare la ochi.
Civitas Politics 