Romania and Russia: conflict and cooperation

This article will deal with the current status of relations between Romania and Russia. I will argue that although there are issues when cooperation can occur between the two states, the opportunities for conflict far outweigh them.

One thing that must be cleared from the beginning is that the relation between the two countries is and was asymmetrical. This relationship is and has been asymmetrical because it involves a great power or a medium power (depending on the timeline) and a small power. Today Russia can be catalogued as an aspiring great power while Romania remains a small power (with a good prospect of becoming a regional power).

Neajunsurile semi-prezidenţialismului

Există două mari modele de regimuri democratice moderne, regimul parlamentar şi regimul prezidenţial. Semi-prezidenţialismul se doreşte un al treilea, undeva la jumătatea distanţei dintre cele două. Natura sa sui generis predispune ideea de regim semi-prezidenţial la controverse. Cu toate acestea, regimul semi-prezidenţial şi-a câştigat un loc obligatoriu în manualele de ştiinte politice.

Fricile intelectualului român (ca ipoteză de lucru)

În cadrul unei dispute la TVR între susţinătorii şi oponenţii preşedintelui proaspăt demis l-am putut auzi pe dl Liiceanu făcând o afirmaţie extrem de surprinzătoare pentru un discurs raţional. Anume, susţinea domnia-sa, un ziar din Europa şi cu un alt ziar sunt împreună „ziarele din Europa”.

Nu încape îndoială că vorbitorul ştia că 1+1 dau întotdeauna 2, în timp ce în Europa sunt destul de multe ziare. Poate că era pur şi simplu nervos şi/sau obosit, astfel încât i-a scăpat o frază pe care s-a sfiit pe urmă să o mai retracteze.

Turcia este un stat laic. Ce va urma?

De cateva zile pe toate siturile de stiri ni se arata situatia politica confuza a Turciei – lupta dintre sustinatorii statului laic si cei ai partidului islamist. Propunerea partidului islamist de alegere a ministrului de externe, Abdulah Gul, un islamist convins, în funcţia de preşedinte, a starnit moblizare politica a adversarilor islamismului, cat si amenintari din partea armatei ca va interveni pentru a stopa orice incearcare de schimbare a status-quo-ului. In cele din urma aceasta alegere a fost blocată de Curtea Constituţională, care a motivat că ar fi încălcată separaţia dintre religie şi politica. Opoziţia a boicotat votul din Parlament pentru a face imposibilă alegerea lui Abdulah Gul în postul de preşedinte. Criza este in curs si pentru depasirea acesteia este nevoie de alegeri anticipate in iunie.

A New Trend in United States’ Foreign Policy

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?

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

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.