Publications

Investigation areas

EUCAM Project


ECFR.eu

 

Democracy initiatives

FRIDE participates in a number of initiatives that provide information on democracy issues.

   Arab Reform Initiative 



Centre for Studies in Democratisation, University of Warwick


Network of Democracy Research Institutes

Democratisation
Latest publications
Georgia and Russia: a short war with a long aftermath
Comment / By Jos Boonstra
Is the EU serious about democracy in Lebanon?
Working Paper / By Julia Choucair Vizoso
Ukraine: lynchpin for european energy security
Backgrounder / By Natalia Shapovalova
Bosnia and Herzegovina's integration challenge
Activity Brief / By Publicaciones FRIDE
Energy: a reinforced obstacle to democracy?
Working Paper / By Richard Youngs

Georgia and Russia: a short war with a long aftermath

Chris Hondros/Getty Images
What started as a provoked assault by Georgia against the separatist regime of South-Ossetia quickly developed into a short though fierce armed conflict between Russia and Georgia.  As developments continue to unfold regarding the implementation of a peace plan, there are a number of consequences that can be discerned from this rude awakening to war in Europe: consequences for Georgia and Russia, but also for the Caucasus region and in a broader context for international actors. Jos Boonstra, Fride's expert in the subject, comments on the current situation

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Energy & democracy

Ukraine: lynchpin for european energy security

By Natalia Shapovalova (01/08/2008)

A 2006 dispute between Russia and Ukraine over gas prices cast a sobering shadow over EU energy security and galvanised new European energy initiatives. Energy-related tension between Russia and Ukraine has continued since that time with periodic flare-ups.

Eastern dimension and the Balkans

Bosnia and Herzegovina's integration challenge

By Publicaciones FRIDE (31/07/2008)

On 26 June 2008 FRIDE organised a roundtable on “Bosnia and Herzegovina’s integration challenge: From internal consolidation towards EU integration”, with the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Sven Alkalaj, EU Institute for Security Studies researcher Judy Batt, EU Special Representative advisor Orlando Fusco and BiH’s Centre for Security Studies Director Denis Hadzovic.

Energy & democracy

Energy: a reinforced obstacle to democracy?

By Richard Youngs (30/07/2008)

Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images
This paper reveals that the opaque management of increased oil and gas revenues has sparked pressure for governance reforms from within producer states and has also encouraged new international initiatives linking energy security with good governance.

Eastern dimension and the Balkans

Europe's inconsistent support for democratic reform in Ukraine

By Richard Youngs (21/07/2008)

Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images
Part of a project on EU foreign policy dynamics, this paper seeks to explain why European governments have backed Ukraine's Orange Revolution in an apparently united, but also relatively cautious fashion.

How serious is the EU about supporting democracy and human rights in its neighbourhood?

BRANISLAV PULJEVIC/AFP/Getty Images

Four working papers assess EU democracy policies in:


More on the project


Freedom of association in the Middle East and North Africa

Photo of FotoLibre.net
With the rise of transnational terrorism, recent years have witnessed freedom of association in many countries being suppressed in the name of national security. Recognising the fundamental significance of the civil society for the dynamics of democratisation, the Club de Madrid embarked on a project aimed at strengthening dialogue on freedom of association across the Middle East and North Africa region. FRIDE contributes to this project with a series of country reports, which identify outstanding challenges and civil society’s ideas on how to resolve them. The first two of them are already available:

More on the project "Freedom of asociation in the Middle East and North Africa"

Energy & democracy

Spain and Equatorial Guinea: a triumph of energy realism?

By Edward Burke (08/07/2008)

Rodrigo Angue  Nguema/AFP/Getty Images
In a period when international condemnation of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s regime has reached new heights, events in another African country with an appalling human rights record have embroiled Spain in accusations related to a now-infamous mercenary plot. In this Comment article Edward Burke explores events leading up to Simon Mann’s detention and the political row that followed.

Europe & Middle East

Bahrain: reaching a Threshold

By Edward Burke (03/07/2008)

Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
This working paper argues that Bahrain has reached an impasse in its reform process and that King Hamad faces a complex set of decisions as he aims to balance the interests of the royal family while also addressing calls for change.


Publishing groups: Freedom of association in the Middle East and North Africa

Energy & democracy

Energy and Development: lessons from Nigeria

By Anna Khakee (23/06/2008)

Nigeria, and in particular the Niger Delta, have all the components of failed development: deep poverty, corruption and neglect, disenfranchised ethnic minorities, self-serving multinational oil companies, environmental degradation, destruction of livelihoods, gang violence, civil strife, and despair.

Eastern dimension and the Balkans

The new enhanced agreement between the European Union and Ukraine: Will it further democratic consolidation?

By Natalia Shapovalova (23/06/2008)

JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images

The New Enhanced Agreement  (NEA) will be a comprehensive and cross-pillar agreement introducing a contractual basis for integration, convergence and cooperation in various fields such as political reforms, rule of law, human rights, border management, migration, the Common Foreign and Security Policy and free trade between Ukraine and the EU. But will this new agreement be sufficient to assist Ukraine’s faltering process of democratic consolidation?