Greenwashed or Wilfully Ignorant? The EU and Shark Fin Trade

Greenwashed or Wilfully Ignorant? The EU and Shark Fin Trade

The latest European Citizens Initiative that made headlines and managed to pass over 1 Million signatures was the Stop Finning - Stop Shark Trade Initiative. The initiative has the aim to legally ban the trade of shark fins in Europe. However, up until the rise of the initiative and its push on social media platforms such as Instagram, the issue was barely recognised and only was a problem European conservationists, and environmentalists knew of, not European citizens. The factuality of the latter points to a larger problem within the EU which is its lack of attentiveness and transparency when it comes to its species protection and nature protection laws.

The Clash of Generations: The Youth's Exam with Turkey

The Clash of Generations: The Youth's Exam with Turkey

In Turkey's upcoming 2023 legislative election, the youth is seen as a key to salvation from an authoritarian regime and to promote democratization. The election is planned to take place exactly 10 years after the Gezi Park protests, which was the biggest reaction against the establishing authoritarian course. Last year, the role of youth was decisive in politics for election promises and the effects were felt in public discussions. Under worsening economic circumstances, President Erdogan's vote base consolidation is no longer easy.

The generation gap does in not going to close, according to the ruling coalition AKP-MHP’s future projection. This is also the most important indicator of the collapse of Erdoğan’s pious youth project that has been applied for many years. However, young people in Turkey struggle with severely restricted individual freedoms and harsh economic conditions.

For Germany and Europe, It's Time to Choose A Side

For Germany and Europe, It's Time to Choose A Side

As NATO is bracing for the potential next round of escalation of the war conflict in the east of Ukraine, countries heavily reliant on Russian fossil fuels, like Germany, constantly seem to fail in prioritizing the integrity of NATO and the security of its allies first. If the Western democracies are to remain strong and independent, they have to realize that the danger posed by the collaborationists within is by no means smaller than that from the external opponents of the liberal order.

The EU's Geopolitical Gateway in the Indo-Pacific

The EU's Geopolitical Gateway in the Indo-Pacific

The growing rivalry between global superpowers, the US and China, continues to make strategic geopolitical choices for states in the Indo-Pacific rather difficult. With the announcement of the European Union (EU’s) joint Indo-Pacific strategy in September last year, the trading bloc expresses a clear objective to reposition itself in the region. Whilst many remain sceptical of its capacity to play an active role in a multipolar system, some believe the EU could provide a promising balancing alternative for middle players in the Indo-Pacific. Arguments on either side vary depending on one’s conceptualisation of the international arena and the spheres of influence within.

The EU-Turkey Relations: Current Problems and How the Country Lost its EU Scope

The EU-Turkey Relations: Current Problems and How the Country Lost its EU Scope

The EU's perception of political elites and society in Turkey has taken a very negative turn in recent years. The main culprit of this state of affairs is the fact that the AKP, which has been ruling the country for two decades, has been administering the country in an authoritarian way. However, the negative perception that the EU has of Turkish society is not limited to this authoritarian trend. According to the research survey of the GMF, although the EU represents a way out for the Turkish youth, most of the people continue to look at the EU with suspicion.

All I Want For Christmas…Is To Find a Constructive Way to Discuss Politics

All I Want For Christmas…Is To Find a Constructive Way to Discuss Politics

Whether you are celebrating Christmas or not, going home for the holidays often means that some dinner with family or friends is bound to happen. We know how talking with your family can easily become a political discussion in which someone might get hurt.
Inspired by BridgeUSA and their advice to ‘talk politics at Thanksgiving’ in today’s short Blog post we would like to reach out to you with a few pieces of advice for good practice when talking about politics at the Christmas table. Collected by our members, for you.

Europe’s Struggle for Clean Energy

Europe’s Struggle for Clean Energy

The EU’s internal discussion about the future energy policy threatens to become yet another issue that will divide the Union. As the European Commission wants to update its list of sustainable energy sources, the inclusion of nuclear energy in the document is a certain fiasco for the German government and its allies in the argument. Germany’s successful lobbying for natural gas is an even bigger problem for the EU’s green future (and, possibly, future in general).

The EU’s Commitment to Human Rights

The EU’s Commitment to Human Rights

The EU, as it often claims, is based on a “strong commitment to promoting and protecting human rights…” not only amongst its member states but also in international politics. Art. 21 of the Lisbon Treaty, in fact, claims that “the Union’s action on the international scene shall be guided by the values that have inspired its own foundation”. Thus, not only are human rights important in defining the EU globally, but they represent essential blocks upon which the Union itself is founded. Nonetheless, recent trends have shown that the block’s cohesion behind human right issues might be frailer than imagined. Before one can assess the EU as an international actor who upholds human rights, attention must be turned to the situation within.

The EU agreed to a European Green Deal: But what is the purpose?

The EU agreed to a European Green Deal: But what is the purpose?

The harms of environmental degradation and climate change occur mostly in the long term, and if no action is taken, the negative consequences will increase even more. In this respect, the European Green Deal can be seen as an important step towards both preventing and raising awareness of climate change. Nonetheless, for the Green Deal to be implemented action must be taken without delay. While the overall aim of the Green Deal is to transform Europe into world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050, economic, political, and social factors come into play in the development of a coherent plan. It is important to take concrete steps early, as policies, methods and tools will take their ideal form throughout the process.

How Far Can Governments Go In Protecting Their Citizens?

How Far Can Governments Go In Protecting Their Citizens?

As the pandemic of new coronavirus powerfully hit the EU countries, many governments took measures that usually are associated with non-democratic regimes, such as retail closures, curfews, and bans of mass meetings. This naturally resulted in a growing rift between those valuing individual responsibility and those supporting central regulation. The extremists seem to be the only ones to profit.