Institute of Central Europe/IES Commentaries

IES Commentaries

Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 987
Piotr Oleksy - Eastern Team

Romania strengthens cooperation with Ukraine

Romania and Ukraine have reached a level of mutual understanding hitherto unknown. The countries have managed to arrange relations on the most sensitive issues such as the problem of agricultural imports and the rights of national minorities. This provides the basis for the development of a stable security architecture in this part of the Black Sea region. The effect of the...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 978
Piotr Oleksy - Eastern Team

The enlargement imperative. The EU between historical chance and great risk (part 2)

The discussion on the enlargement of the European Union has gained new momentum. The admission of new members from Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans is now being presented as a strategic necessity. This has reinforced expectations among candidate countries and sparked debate about the indispensability of institutional reforms among member states. Key decisions on enlargement...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 977
Piotr Oleksy - Eastern Team

The enlargement imperative. The EU between historical chance and great risk (part 1)

The discussion on the enlargement of the European Union has gained new momentum. The admission of new members from Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans is now being presented as a strategic necessity. This has reinforced expectations among candidate countries and sparked debate about the indispensability of institutional reforms among member states. Key decisions on enlargement...

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Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 976
Szczepan Czarnecki | Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

Reorganization of the gas sector in Czechia

In Czechia, under the influence of the Russian Federation’s full-scale attack on Ukraine, there has been a change in the operation of energy companies, which are supposed not only to meet business objectives but also to strengthen the state’s energy security. In this context, in the past few months, we have seen the implementation of two acquisitions by companies wholly owned...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 973
Hanna Bazhenova - Eastern Team

Ukraine’s Demographic Challenges

Ukraine’s population began to decline long before February 2022. On the eve of the Russian invasion, it ranged from 34.5 to 37.4 million people. The armed conflict catastrophically accelerated the depopulation of the country and led to an even greater deformation of the age and gender structure of the population. Alongside numerous irreparable human losses, mobilisation,...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 968
Andrzej Szabaciuk - Eastern Team

The Ukrainian Authorities’ Policy towards Internally Displaced Persons following the Invasion by the Russian Federation

The Russian attack on Ukraine resulted in one of the most significant humanitarian crises in Europe since World War II. In its aftermath, millions of Ukrainians were compelled to abandon their former places of residence and seek refuge within or outside the country. Ukraine is making efforts to provide social support to those affected by the war. However, due to the limited...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 965
Andrzej Szabaciuk - Eastern Team

Russian War Mobilisation One Year After Vladimir Putin’s Decree

On 21 September 2023, a year had passed since the announcement of Vladimir Putin’s decree on mobilization, which remains in effect to this day. This decree led to the deployment of over 400,000 Russian conscripts to Ukraine, while an even larger cohort chose to leave the country due to apprehensions of front-line deployment. In retrospect, it is imperative to acknowledge that...

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Balkan Team, Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 955
Spasimir Domaradzki | Michał Paszkowski - Balkan Team, Baltic Team

Bulgaria: technical government settlements on natural gas deal

In Bulgaria, the new government of Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov has ordered an investigation into the 2023 Bulgarian-Turkish agreement, which provides access for Bulgargaz to LNG terminals in Turkey and the Turkish transmission network. According to the government’s position, the agreement between Bulgargaz and BOTAŞ, which was concluded for a period of 13 years, is...

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Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 952
Jakub Bornio - Visegrad Team

The development of military cooperation as part of multinational units among Visegrad countries (V4) in 2023

The geopolitical location of the Visegrad Group countries at the centre of NATO’s eastern flank makes them an important keystone in the security processes of the Central and Eastern European region. The military dimension of the V4 cooperation has been its key element since the platform’s inception when the countries coordinated their efforts to join NATO. As a result of the...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 946
Jakub Olchowski - Eastern Team

Consequences of the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin

The failed coup by the Wagnerites showed the weakness of the Russian state and personally humiliated Vladimir Putin. From his point of view, eliminating Yevgeny Prigozhin was necessary. In this way, he wanted to show who was in control of the situation and warn potential rebels. In the short term, this may produce results, but in the long term, the political losses may be serious....

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